Curriculum Intent

The curriculum at Forest Moor is designed to provide an opportunity for our pupils to learn in a safe, supportive and nurturing environment. Therefore, at Forest Moor, we offer an innovative curriculum that looks to meet the needs of the young people in our care and meet their additional needs through a personalised approach. This approach places the SEMH development of our children at the forefront of everything they do. Thus, the curriculum is there to support and enable their SEMH and academic development as one; If a child is unable to regulate, they are unable to learn.

Our aims, across our three stages of learning, are to:

• Support the individual development and growth of the holistic child at their own varied starting points;
• Help enable pupils to feel comfortable and to have opportunities to access positive experiences in education;
• Help children feel safe and secure in education;
• Foster strong relationships with peers and adults within their microsystem;
• Use these understandings of microsystemic relationships to develop relationships outside of their immediate sphere;
• Develop a love of learning;
• Develop an understanding with the hope of fostering a love of reading;
• Prepare children as they progress through their educational journey and onto their next steps in life (i.e. education, work or training).

In turn, our curriculum model will aim to develop their: ability to succeed (in learning and life); develop a positive self–esteem; their resilience towards tasks and issues they may face; the pupil’s ability to regulate behaviours when faced with adversity and, to be proud of their achievements and learn to share these positively with others. Through these clear and progressive aims, we look to contribute to their holistic development (including their spiritual, moral, cultural, mental and physical development) and their widening understanding of the world within a broad and balanced curriculum developed around nurturing the children in our care.

In order to develop a young person’s SEMH needs and EHCP targets, as commissioned by the DfE as an SEMH specialist provision, the curriculum offered at Forest Moor specifically aims to develop, assess and track the SEMH target development alongside the academic development of each individual. 

The progression of SEMH development requires a contextual understanding and thematic analysis of actions and experiences. Therefore, the development of SEMH targets is not related to the quantification of thematically analysed actions and experiences. Through this premise, a young person’s SEMH development is the completion of that target in an individual setting or experience. 

Similar to academic development, repetition of this action is not showing progression but repetition. Therefore, progression occurs through the application of the aforementioned target in another setting or experience which may have been previously hindered by their SEMH needs. Thus, mastery in all areas of SEMH development is often unattainable for the majority of people – never mind those with SEMH difficulties. As a consequence, the focus on individualised and personalised successes, and staff understanding of these, is crucial to the development of an effective SEMH curriculum. 

In conclusion, an SEMH curriculum requires the understanding and thematic analysis of individual experiences and successes and how these relate to learning. This is instead of a quantification of thematically analysed experiences and successes. And, it is our understanding of these, and the intertwinement of SEMH, EHCP and Academic development, that enhances a child’s potential for development, understanding and success in a SEMH curriculum.