Curriculum

Although the school is registered from five years up, we currently have just one primary aged class for Upper Key Stage Two.  Learning follows the National Curriculum, although our primary pupils are usually significantly behind age related expectations when they join us.  Our primary pupils are usually very vulnerable learners, who benefit from a quiet, well-structured and nurturing classroom.

Topic based approaches are used to immerse pupils in learning, encouraging children to enjoy school and learning to learn.  Phonics, literacy and numeracy are the key focuses, with a heavy emphasis on reading and enjoying books and other written materials.

The primary class attends swimming and also partakes in weekly outdoor education.

Our Key Stage 3 curriculum at Reddish Hall School is broad and balanced. It
takes a lead from the National Curriculum and personalises it to the needs
of our pupils. Pupils are in class groups of usually no more than six, with a
teaching assistant who remains with them for most lessons, and pupils are
placed into class groups according to need, whether that be ASC, where a
very structured approach is required; mixed ability; or our learning support
class, for pupils who aren’t quite ready for a KS3 curriculum and benefit
from scaffolded learning and further differentiated texts.

Pupils study a wide range of subjects: Maths, English, Science, PE,
Geography, History, PSHE, Art, Food technology, DT, MFL and outdoor
education. They have access to music through external providers.

Most children in KS3 move to the subject specialist’s classroom with their
class, making Reddish Hall feel what children expect a high school to be
like. Children in our KS3 Key Stone group have the same teacher for more
subject, and their movement around school is reduced slightly. These
groups are suitable for pupils who need additional modification to English
and maths materials as they may be working at a lower level than other
students in the same age group.

We also have a KS3 Nurture pathway, which is run on a primary model, and
supports pupils who are not ready for the secondary set-up, focusing on
building relationships, supporting mental health and lessening anxiety and
consolidating and building on learning from KS2 whilst following the KS3
National Curriculum.

The intention of our KS3 provision is to ensure children enjoy learning and
place value upon it, alongside developing the knowledge and skills to move
onto KS4. The whole package of educational input, therapy and pastoral
support aims to ensure that pupils are ready for their next step.

Key Stage 4 at Reddish Hall aims to help children become ready for their next step through academic achievement, the development of skills – both social and vocational, and through promoting their independence, confidence and self esteem.  We celebrate the individual and encourage children’s personalities to flourish!

All children study English, maths and science, with the intention they achieve a qualification that reflects their ability at that time.  To prepare pupils for independence, we provide lessons in PSHE with Citizenship (ASPIRE), Life skills and PE, as well as opportunities for enrichment which can lead to a Prince’s Trust qualification.

We endeavour that if a child has a particular interest and it is suitable for them to undertake it as a qualification, we will do what we can to support them with this.  The Key Stage 4 Denstone Pathway follows a mainstream model, but with small class sizes and significant support.  Pupils choose four option subjects as well as studying core subjects.  The list below is an example and may differ each year.

Core Subjects (qualification offered):

• English Language – GCSE, Functional Skills Level 1 and 2, Entry Level
• Maths – GCSE, Functional Skills Level 1 and 2, Entry Level
• Science – GCSE, Entry Level

Option Subjects (pupils choose four):

• English Literature (GCSE)
• History (GCSE)
• Psychology (GCSE)
• Geography (GCSE)
• Computing (GCSE)
• Art (GCSE, Expressive Arts Award)
• Hospitality and Catering (AIM vocational qualification)
• Hair and Beauty (AIM vocational qualification)
• Construction (AIM vocational qualification)
• Horticulture
• Health and Social Care (BTEC)
• Sport (BTEC)
• Prince’s Trust

All pupils are timetabled for PE, PSHE/Citizenship and Life skills sessions weekly.

Exam Results

Visit our exam results page to view data from previous years. As you’ll see, students at Reddish Hall School have achieved numerous successes.

After Reddish Hall School

As a school still in its infancy, our number of year 11 leavers is still small. Small but mighty! We are really proud of what our former pupils have moved on to do and continue to celebrate their achievements. We encourage them to keep in touch and we remain here to provide support when they need it.

So far, post sixteen destinations have included:

College courses in animal care, joinery, public service, drama, computing, sport, hair and beauty, travel and tourism, and apprenticeships or pre-apprenticeship training in child care, mechanics and construction.

Our whole intention is that pupils leave Reddish Hall with the necessary social, academic and vocational skills to be mentally healthy and happy in the wider world.

Pupils on the Nurture Pathway are able to continue beyond Year 11 in order
to support them with moving onto college or supported apprenticeships
when they are ready. Pupils on this pathway are not always emotionally
ready to leave school at 16, and may benefit from developing their
independence skills and self-confidence for another year.

Year 12 on this pathway is spent further developing numeracy and literacy skills, which may involve gain additional qualifications; practicing these in real life
scenarios, including money management, for example. Life skills are key,
focusing on travel training, keeping themselves safe and developing
independence.

Links with colleges may be formed so pupils can begin that
transition if they wish to study a college course, as well as building up work
experience. Year 12 can be very much tailored to suit the needs of the
young person and prepare them for their step away from Reddish Hall.

Students identified as having significant attachment difficulties, social communication difficulties, and low-level learning can find a place in our nurture programme which runs as three classes from KS3 to KS4. The nurture approach puts individual need at the heart of the curriculum with a programme of study built around them, their aspirations and individual social/academic needs. These students benefit from remaining in the same classroom with the same teacher for the majority of the time. A creative approach is taken to building a curriculum that is engaging, inspiring and challenging, including regular opportunities to engage in outdoor education and experiential learning visits.

At Key Stage 3 pupils may transition in and out of the nurture class in accordance with their development. Bespoke timetables are used when necessary, to address the child’s needs, and can have a range of focuses from social and emotional literacy to reading and numeracy. A creative and flexible approach is used to develop student’s skills in functional numeracy and literacy to ensure positive transitions into KS4.

At Key Stage 4, pupils are working towards Entry Level qualifications and the ASDAN award, but there is flexibility for them to attend GCSE classes or a chosen option subject – this decision is made on an individual basis in accordance with the student’s interests and ambitions. Career focussed learning and experience is at the core of the KS4 curriculum, with opportunities to engage in both academic and vocational education alongside the development of their functional literacy and numeracy.

The Project 3 pathway is designed for young people from
year 7 upwards who are not ready to access full time
classroom-based learning. Typically, these pupils have spent
a large amount of time out of education and may have
significant barriers around their levels of anxiety, finding a
school or classroom environment overwhelming. Initially,
learning is facilitated through a holistic and therapeutic
approach, designed to move at the young person’s own pace.

Their timetables are personalised, with the support of a Youth
Coach. They are designed using the voice of the young
person and other professionals, including our Clinical Lead
and SEND team. Literacy and numeracy skills are prioritised,
but may be delivered through life skills until the young person
is ready for more formalised learning in some cases. The
young person may be attached to a suitable class group for
English and Maths, or another subject the young person has
shown an interest in.

Youth Coaches work with the young person on their
programmes, which can include a range of subjects in line
with the child’s interests and aspirations, including our
vocational programmes or GCSE pathways. Pupils may work
1:1 or attend classes, dependent on what is suitable for
them. Some learning may take place off-site to aid pupils
with developing other key aspects, with activities such as bike
riding, rock climbing, working with animals, cooking or even
attending the gym, so they can experience the wider world
and develop their confidence and communication skills in a
holistic and supportive manner. This hopefully helps them
work towards being able to regulate their feelings in order to
be able to enjoy the wider school environment.

The aim for pupils is that they develop a school identity and a
sense of belonging, forming healthy attachments and
experiencing learning in a positive manner. Over time, pupils
may become ingratiated fully or partially in one of our other
pathways. The outcome aimed for is, as always, that pupils
leave Reddish Hall ready for their next steps heading into the
wider world.

The Wider World Outside of the Classroom

At Reddish Hall we understand that education doesn’t always take place within the classroom and try to tailor learning to suit the needs of our pupils. For most of our students, developing social skills and experiencing new challenges is of high importance. We aim to not only support their academic needs but also, strive to include as many first-hand and enrichment experiences as possible. We do this through educational visits, our Outdoor Education programme, regular rewards trips and welcoming visitors into school who can provide a different approach to learning.

As part of our Key Stage 4 curriculum, we offer a range of Functional skills and GCSES subjects along with our core subjects Math English and Science. Some of our pupils undertake AIMS VOC entry level skills in Construction, Hair and Beauty, Motor vehicle and Hospitality within our Vocational HIVE site. This programme of study involves practical, hands-on learning around each subject, covering all aspects of health and safety. The course is delivered by a qualified teacher and supported by those who the pupils are familiar with. All areas are individually risk assessed.

Educational Visits and Trips

Educational visits give our pupils the opportunity to relate to the knowledge they have learnt during the classroom time. Recent educational visits have included places such as local places of worship to even as far as Conwy Castle. These educational trips support subjects across the curriculum where the pupils can not only learn and experience the topics but also expand upon the development and support of their social, emotional and communication skills. The local area also has a plethora of museums, theatres and galleries which are also available to support pupils in learning. whilst being educational, these visits also support the development of social skills and give pupils the opportunity to learn about the area in which they live.

Friday afternoons are what we call our ‘Options ‘afternoon.  We follow a points system for this, and it allows the pupils an understanding of keeping their focus on learning and earning points during classroom and social times. Each child must earn a certain amount of point to gain either gold or silver options, which then allows them to look forward to a Friday afternoon of fun either on or off site.  It also helps with their social, emotional and communication skills where they can participate in activities with a range of peers. These have recently included:

• Crazy Golf
• Bowling
• Laser Quest
• Football
• Computing
• Park

All our pupils in Key Stage 3 participate in outdoor education one day per week.  From September 2024 we are developing our offer.  Throughout a half term, students will rotate between Outdoor Education sessions at The Anderton Centre, educational visits linked to their curriculum learning and also enrichment outings which will focus on developing life skills, experiences and cultural capital.

Activities at The Anderton Centre are delivered by fully certified professionals, who have worked with us to develop personalised programmes tailored towards the needs and abilities of our students.  Students are given opportunities to experience a mixture of land and water-based activities in a safe environment, whilst focusing on the 10 key outcomes for Outdoor Learning:

1. Enjoyment
2. Confidence and character
3. Health and well-being
4. Social and emotional awareness
5. Environmental awareness
6. Activity skills
7. Personal qualities
8. Skills for life
9. Increased motivation and appetite for learning
10. Broadened horizons

Outdoor Education is an intrinsic part of our curriculum offer for Key Stage 3, where skills for life are developed.  Completing tasks together helps to promote teamwork, communication skills, along with building self-confidence and resilience.  Spending time in nature furthers students’ understanding of the environment and sustainability, as well as supporting their physical, mental health and wellbeing.

Letter about clothing for Outdoor Education