The Curriculum
The Profound (Developmental) Curriculum is designed to provide education for pupils who have Profound and Multiple Learning Difficulties compounded by a high degree of dependency, and who require very specialised management for physical disabilities, sensory impairments and complex medical needs.
The Curriculum acknowledges what learners can do by supporting and developing their strengths and abilities. It is designed developmentally and is finely stepped so that progression can be plotted, measured and acknowledged.
The Curriculum focuses on developing the learner’s understanding both of the world around them and social interactions and relationships. It values the process as much as the achievement and is flexible in order to be responsive to the needs of the individual learner. It is designed to be delivered in an integrated manner incorporating learning, therapy and health needs in order to facilitate access to the Curriculum.
It requires staff with a high level of expertise delivered using an intra-disciplinary approach. We have the following team:
- Senior Physiotherapist (trained in Bobath),
- Clinical Lead Speech & Language Therapist (Range A and particularly a specialist in Eating and Drinking Assessments [Dyspahgia Specialist]),
- Paediatric Nursing Team (Band 6, 5) - including a Senior Nurse/Sister level – who are continually up to date with new developments
- Senior Occupational Therapists to advise on tone
- Music Therapists
During the last 14 months all teachers, Deputy Head/Senior Nurse and Therapists have been meeting weekly for the Curriculum Working Party. During this period we have been gradually introducing the Profound (Developmental) Curriculum into school. It forms part of our School Improvement plan with Professional Development and ongoing staff training in place to support this process.
Regardless of disability all learners have access to a curriculum which is broad, balanced and designed to be relevant to individual need. All areas of the curriculum and the resources available contribute to the development of the whole child as detailed in the 5 key areas of ‘Every Child Matters’:
- Be healthy
- Stay safe
- Enjoy and achieve
- Make a positive contribution
- Achieve economic well-being
At Rutherford School learners at Key Stage 4 are provided with a range of opportunities and experiences in order to extend and generalise their skills in preparation for Further Education. We recommend using the 14-19 Asdan Moving On Programme to support these aims and recognise the achievements of pupils.
The Core Curriculum embraces five areas of sensori-motor development with the learner at the centre of the learning process. Music is an integral part of all core areas and used extensively to elicit responses and familiarise the pupils with activities and events.
The Sensory Cognitive Curriculum is designed to elicit sensory awareness in modes relevant to the individual learner, to develop heuristic play leading to self-engagement and environmental awareness. This development is the precursor to learning.
The Communication Curriculum is designed to develop intentional communication, affording learners some degree of autonomy, control and choice.
The Social Curriculum promotes awareness of self and of others as separate entities and develops ways of interacting with others.
The Motor Curriculum encourages the development and maintenance of motor control, motor skills and physical independence in a range of environments and settings, through controlling posture in specialised equipment and the facilitation of movement and function.
The Life Skills Curriculum incorporates sensory, cognitive, communication, social and motor skills into daily living activities, optimising the learner’s ability to anticipate and participate.
The Extended Curriculum provides a diversity of activities in which learning can occur. It is experiential and may involve one to one or paired work, or a whole class activity. It includes:
Religious Education at Rutherford is delivered on both implicit and explicit levels through links with the topics and planned weekly assemblies. Spiritual Awareness and Religious Education are explored through the senses, awareness of the self, and of others, and by recognising and celebrating each other’s efforts and achievements valuing them as an individual, as part of the school and members of the local community. Throughout the year we aim to give our pupils appropriate multi-sensory experiences of the festivals and celebrations of the major world faiths. We have strong links with local churches.
Creative Arts offers pupils opportunities to practise core skills whilst engaged in art, cookery, gardening, music, drama and aromatherapy.
Leisure can provide pupils with opportunities to take part in activities both and school and in the community and can enable the generalising of core skills. The school is a member of Sporting Partnerships which offer opportunities for inclusion in local sporting events and activities such as Boccia.
Topic Work is an opportunity for practitioners to plan themed activities for each term and allows exploration of the National Curriculum.
Extracurricular Activities can involve an experience or a series of experiences taking place in addition to core activities. Examples include canoeing, sailing, ice skating, visits to the theatre, museum, visitors from performers, garden parties, sports day, etc. These experiences can encompass all the skills being worked on in the curriculum.
Assessment for Learning - Cross referencing P scales
The Profound (Developmental) Curriculum develops P scales 1-4 of the National Curriculum, providing a wide range of opportunities to identify and evidence the often very small but important steps in achievement made by pupils with PMLD and complex medical needs.
How we use the Developmental Curriculum at Rutherford School
When beginning to use the Profound (Developmental) Curriculum with an individual pupil or group of pupils, we start by assessing their current skills in all of the curriculum areas and record their achievements on the specifically designed recording sheets.
We use the Curriculum to provide as much information about the learner as possible.
Achievement Continuium
The learner’s achievements are recorded under the following progress criteria:
- W = Working towards (consistency of achievement 0% - 30%)
- E = Evident (consistency of achievement 30% - 70%)
- A = Achieved (consistency of achievement 70% - 100%)
- G = Generalised
Setting Aims and Objectives
Aims and objectives need to be set after analysis of initial assessment in all curriculum areas. They must take regard of all the component skills that may affect achievement. They may be set collectively across curriculum areas, for example, a Sensory Cognitive aim ‘To develop cause and effect’ with supporting objective ‘To use a head switch to operate a tape recorder’ may also link to the Motor or Life Skills Curriculum.
Analysis of our initial assessment and completion of the Developmental Curriculum across all curriculum areas enables us to identify focus areas for learning, and thus set IEP aims and objectives.
The professional(s) members of our intra-disciplinary team to include Class Teacher, Senior Paediatric Nurse, school based therapists to include Clinical Specialist Speech and Language Therapist, Senior Physiotherapist (Bobath trained), Senior Occupational Therapist, and Music Therapist will usually see the learner:
In a series of one to one sessions to explore responses to stimuli in the various modalities described in the curriculum.
Observed in groups in class and engaging in as many other activities as possible to obtain as full a picture as possible.
Discussions with parents and others who know the learner will help back up or challenge these observations and may lead to further assessment.