Pre-formal Learning Pathway
For our pupils with a profound learning difficulty, learning is best done when the learner is placed at the centre of the curriculum. At Limington House School these pupils have a highly personalised, pupil centred curriculum which meets their learning, physical and emotional needs. Our curriculum is multisensory, hands on, highly motivational and engaging for the pupils. All stakeholders contribute including the teaching team, therapists, parents and of course at the heart of all of this is the pupil.
Pre-formal Curriculum
Our pre-formal curriculum is broad and balanced allowing development of key skills through a wide range of experiences. Pupil’s individual learning intentions are addressed through a structure of termly themes and subject areas. Subject managers provide resources and support including programmes of study.
Early Years and Key Stage 1
- Early Years Foundation Stage curriculum
Key Stage 2, 3, 4 and 5
- Equals Pre-formal PMLD curriculum
- Highly adapted and differentiated schemes developed by specialist subject managers
A range of educational and therapeutic approaches that inform the pre-formal curriculum include:
- TACPAC
- Intensive interaction
- Sensology
- Attention autism
Learning intentions are developed from:
- Mapping and Assessing Pupil Progress (MAPP)
- MOVE programme
- Routes for learning
Pre-formal Assessment
Our pre-formal learners are assessed against progress they are making in the four areas of need.
- Communication and interaction
- Cognition and learning
- Social emotional and mental health
- Sensory and/or physical
Assessment frameworks used to support the development of learning intentions and measure progress are:
- Routes for learning
- Mapping and Assessing Pupil Progress (MAPP)
- AET progression framework
- MOVE programme
Early Years and Key Stage 1 Assessment
- Early Years Foundation Stage
- Limington House Development Profile
Key Stage 4 Accreditation
- ASDAN Sensory Transition Challenge
Key Stage 5 Accreditation
- ASDAN Personal Progress
Progress is measured using MAPP (Mapping and Assessing Personal Progress) assessment of lateral progress.
This focuses on 4 key areas:
Independence – learners progress from being wholly dependent on support towards being completely independent of support.
Fluency – performance progresses from being hesitant and approximate towards being smooth, swift and accurate.
Maintenance – performance progresses from being inconsistent towards being consistent and reliable.
Generalisation – progress is from practising a skill in a single context towards practising it across a range of settings with different people and materials.
The four aspects are not hierarchical but may develop concurrently. In order to ensure consistency of judgements, each of the four aspects of assessment of lateral progress is provided with a rating scale and descriptors.
Engagement Model
Pupils on the pre -formal learning pathway will also be assessed using the Engagement Model. The five areas of engagement are
- Realisation
- Anticipation
- Persistence
- Initiation
- Exploration
Use of the Engagement Model will be based on the levels of need of the child and is adapted as to what is most appropriate. The Engagement Model can be used as formative and summative assessment.
The Engagement Model is a valuable tool to measure progress but to also inform teaching and learning across the wider curriculum.
Semi-formal Learning Pathway
Our semi-formal learning pathway incorporates subject specific schemes of work linked to the national curriculum. Key life skills of communication, independence, thinking and problem solving and social interaction are at the heart of the curriculum. These themes are addressed through a wide range of themes and topics based on the national curriculum. Our aim is for the pupils to be as independent as they can be. This makes a broad and balanced curriculum with the pupils needs at the heart of it.
Semi-formal Curriculum
We have a highly differentiated, pupil centred curriculum which is flexible enough to allow themed units adapted to meet the needs of the pupils in each cohort. As the pupils move through the school they build on their skills and apply them in real life situations in school and in the community. As you can see below the curriculum develops and evolves as the pupils moves through the school.
Early Years and Key Stage 1
Early Years Foundation Stage curriculum.
Key Stage 2
Equals subject specific schemes of work for the national curriculum.
Subject specific schemes of work for every curriculum area developed by specialist subject managers.
Key Stage 3
Equals subject specific schemes of work for the national curriculum.
Subject specific schemes of work for every curriculum area developed by specialist subject managers.
Equals semi-formal curriculum schemes.
ASDAN New Horizons.
Key Stage 4
Equals subject specific schemes of work for the national curriculum.
Subject specific schemes of work for every curriculum area developed by specialist subject managers.
Equals semi-formal curriculum schemes.
ASDAN Transition Challenge.
Key Stage 5
Equals semi-formal curriculum schemes.
Equals subject specific schemes of work for the national curriculum. Subject specific schemes of work for every curriculum area developed by specialist subject managers. Equals semi-formal curriculum schemes.
ASDAN Personal Progress.
ASDAN Personal and Social Development.
Our school curriculum is further informed by a range of approaches:
- Total communication environment including Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS) and Makaton
- Intensive interaction
- Sensory regulation strategies
- Jabadao
- TEACCH
- Chatterbox
- MOVE programme
- Attention Autism
Semi-formal Assessment
Formative assessment for pupils on the semi-formal learner pathway:
Early Years and Key Stage 1
Early Years Foundation Stage
Limington House Development Profile
Key Stage 2
Limington House Progression Profile
Key Stage 3
Limington House Progression Profile
ASDAN New Horizons
Key Stage 4
Limington House Progression Profile
ASDAN Transition Challenge
Key Stage 5
Limington House Progression Profile
ASDAN Personal Progress
ASDAN Personal Social Development
Individual Education Plans
Pupil progress is also measured using individual education plans. These incorporate parental suggestions and wishes for priorities to be worked on during the year with termly updates on progress. We use MAPP (Mapping and Assessing Personal Progress) for individual education plans using learning intentions and assessment of lateral progress. This focuses on 4 key areas:
- Independence – learners progress from being wholly dependent on support towards being completely independent of support.
- Fluency – performance progresses from being hesitant and approximate towards being smooth, swift and accurate.
- Maintenance – performance progresses from being inconsistent towards being consistent and reliable.
- Generalisation – progress is from practising a skill in a single context towards practising it across a range of settings with different people and materials.
The four aspects are not hierarchical but may develop concurrently. In order to ensure consistency of judgements, each of the four aspects of assessment of lateral progress is provided with a rating scale and descriptors.
Each pupil has three targets which are focused on communication, personal, social and health education (PSHE) and one other pertinent to the needs of the child.
The school works closely with a wide range of therapists and specialist teacher advisors who provide invaluable input into developing some of these pupil specific learning intentions. Parents are given guidance about how to support their child to improve.
ASDAN New Horizons Programme
This is an activity-based programme which supports the delivery of PSHE, citizenship and careers education. The activities also offer an opportunity to develop communication and numeracy skills of pupils in a life skills setting.
Pupils complete five modules:
- Personal
- Social
- Health
- Citizenship
- Relationships
Levels of support are used to show how the pupil has achieved the activity. They show individual progression and differentiation between students. These are:
ASDAN Transition Challenge (Sensory) Award or Transition Challenge (Introduction and Progression) Award
These provide a framework of activities to develop and accredit independent living and personal skills. All pupils work through areas of activity relating to statutory programmes of study for national curriculum subjects, complemented by activities contributing to the skills of adult living.
Pupils complete four modules in the ASDAN Transition Challenge (Sensory) award:
- Communication and interaction
- Cognition
- Physical
- Self-help and independence
Pupils complete a choice of 8 out of 14 activities from each of the five modules in the Transition Challenge (Introduction and Progression) award:
- Knowing how
- Making choices
- Feeling good
- Moving forward
- Taking the lead
The 14 areas of activity within each module are:
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Levels of support are used to show how the pupil has achieved the activity. They show individual progression and differentiation between pupils. These are:
All pupils compile a portfolio to demonstrate how they have met the requirements of these modules. These portfolios are then externally moderated by ASDAN.
ASDAN Entry Level 1 Qualification in Personal Progress
This foundation learning programme assists progression for all pupils. It provides a framework for designing personalised learning programmes to support individual progression.
The Personal Progress award is made up of units which can be broadly divided into the following curriculum areas:
- Functional skills: communication and literacy, maths and ICT.
- Personal and social development, including PSHE and life skills: meal preparation and cooking, housekeeping skills, accessing the community and using public transport, as well as learning about personal care, relationships, emotions, safety, healthy living, etc.
- Vocational: mini enterprises, work experience, college links visits and transition, planning for leaving school, planning for work.
- Enrichment: including residential experience, sport for everyone (swimming, adventurous activities, gym), and a selection of photography, cookery, gardening, the environment, art, textiles, health and beauty, performing arts and film making.
Each unit has a credit value (1 credit is equal to approximately 10 hours of learning). To achieve a qualification pupils must gain credits by completing their chosen units and provide clear evidence that they have met the full requirements of the unit. The teacher is then required to provide a unit transcript for each unit completed by the pupil; this will detail the specific skills and/or knowledge that the pupil has demonstrated. The teacher will also use an achievement continuum to record pupil attainment and progress which will be recorded on the unit transcript.
Pupils compile a portfolio to demonstrate how they have met the requirements of the units. These portfolios are then externally moderated by ASDAN.
- Pupils who gain 8 credits will receive an award qualification
- Pupils who gain 14 credits will receive a certificate qualification
- Pupils who gain 25 credits will receive an extended certificate qualification
- Pupils who gain 37 credits will receive a diploma qualification
- Pupils who gain fewer than 8 credits will be awarded a unit certificate
ASDAN Entry Level 1 Qualification in Personal and Social Development
The award consists of the following units:
- Community action
- Healthy living
- Making the most of leisure time
- Preparation for work
- Managing own money
- Personal safety in the home and the community
- Using technology in the home and the community
Pupils compile a portfolio to demonstrate how they have met the requirements of the units. These portfolios are then externally moderated by ASDAN.
- Pupils who gain 6 credits will receive an award qualification
- Pupils who gain 13 credits will receive a certificate qualification