'Preparation for the Next Stage'

Intent - Our ‘Preparation for the Next Stage’ curriculum is designed to support learners in successfully transitioning to the next phase of their education or life journey. It is based on the following four key principles: 

1. Trauma-Informed Approach 
   Our curriculum promotes a safe, consistent, and predictable environment, creating a calm, kind, and honest atmosphere where learners feel supported. 

2. Focused on Key Qualifications 
   We aim to ensure all learners leave KS4 with strong qualifications in English and Maths, providing a foundation for further education or employment. 

3. Individualised Support for Growth 
   We provide tailored support to help each learner reach their reading potential and achieve their Education, Health, and Care Plan (EHCP) targets. 

4. Accessible and Future-Focused 
   Our curriculum identifies and addresses barriers to learning, ensuring all learners can succeed and are prepared for their next destination, whether in education, training, or employment. 

Curriculum Aim 

We believe reading is key to accessing the curriculum and support our learners in progressing from learning to read, to reading to learn. Our curriculum is built on high expectations and aspirations, focusing on smooth transitions and overcoming barriers to promote confident, competent, and kind learners. With a coherent and well-sequenced approach, we aim to inspire and engage, ensuring learners are fully prepared for the next stage of their education and life journey. 

Implementation 

The curriculum has undergone a significant transformation, with a clear focus on preparation for the next stage of our learners' lives. Central to this transformation are trauma-informed approaches, including PACE, which are embedded in daily interactions. These approaches help to reinforce our core values of Kindness, Calmness, and Honesty throughout the learning experience. 

Our curriculum is designed to be ambitious, adventurous, and engaging, offering a mix of experiential learning that extends beyond the classroom. Learning opportunities outside the school environment, including individualised learning elements and work experience, support learners in preparing for life after education. 

Key to our approach is the delivery of subjects that foster both academic and practical skills. These include P4A, art, sports leadership, careers education, PSHE and cooking, all alongside a strong focus on core subjects. These areas help our learners build a broad skill set, ensuring they are well-prepared for their future journeys. 

Our transition planning is comprehensive, ensuring that each learner is equipped with the confidence and skills to embrace change and successfully navigate their next steps in education or life. 

Alongside our subject-specific curriculum plans, we also integrate the following components into our curriculum for all learners.  

EHCP Targets

Individual EHCP targets are seamlessly integrated into daily lessons and interactions. These targets are consistently tracked, evidenced in the classroom, and regularly reviewed. All staff are fully aware of each learner's specific targets and actively create opportunities for progress toward achieving them. 

Reading

Our Trust’s reading strategy is designed to foster a whole-school reading culture and integrate cross-curricular approaches to enhance reading skills. Our curriculum aligns with this strategy, recognising that improving reading is key to increasing learner access to the full curriculum. This includes daily phonics lessons and a newly established library, with scheduled reading sessions for each group. Learners also have opportunities to engage with daily expert reading sessions and coffee mornings are organised to encourage parental involvement in promoting reading. Additionally, learners are given targeted reading interventions by being withdrawn from non-core lessons when needed. 

Careers 

To meet the Gatsby Benchmarks, we offer a structured and comprehensive careers program that aligns with all key standards. Our Employer Engagement and Alternative Provision Teacher plays a vital role in connecting students with meaningful work experience opportunities. By forming partnerships with a range of local businesses and industries, we strive to provide individualized placements that match each student’s interests and career aspirations. This tailored approach ensures students gain practical, real-world experience, empowering them to make well-informed decisions about their future careers. 

We also run a variety of careers events and collaborate closely with key partners, such as Regional Careers, Together for Children, the National Apprenticeship Service, and the LEP, to ensure that students receive the most up-to-date career information and guidance available. 

Pastoral Support 

Our Pastoral Support approach is child-centred and holistic, focusing on empowering students while providing tailored support. We integrate Zones of Regulation and the PACE approach into our interventions, which form the foundation for all interactions. Pastoral interventions are carefully designed strategies aimed at offering targeted support to help learners engage more effectively with the curriculum. 

Interventions include Forest School, therapeutic boxing, sensory processing support, Drawing and Talking therapy, and strategies based on attachment theory. These approaches are specifically for learners who need the most support to fully access the curriculum, ensuring they have the tools and resources to thrive both academically and emotionally. 

Transition 

Our new transition program, piloted in 2023/24, expanded opportunities for transition learners to experience life here. It also included parent and carer events to foster engagement and communication. The program placed a strong emphasis on building positive relationships between staff and incoming students, ensuring a smooth and supportive transition. 

Preparation for Adulthood 

Preparation for Adulthood is integrated throughout the curriculum using a holistic approach that focuses on developing the essential skills, knowledge, and independence students need to thrive in the next stage of their lives. 

Safeguarding Curriculum 

The introduction of the safeguarding curriculum has been a crucial development in ensuring the safety and well-being of our learners. This comprehensive curriculum is designed to equip students with the knowledge and skills they need to recognize and respond to potential risks, both online and offline. It plays a vital role in promoting a culture of awareness, respect, and responsibility within our school community. 

By embedding safeguarding throughout the learning experience, we empower students to make informed decisions, understand their rights, and know where to seek help if needed. This curriculum not only focuses on traditional safeguarding issues, such as bullying and personal safety, but also addresses modern challenges like online safety, mental health, and emotional well-being. 

Trust Forest School 

Forest School intervention is a vital part of our holistic approach to supporting learners. It provides students with unique, hands-on opportunities to develop both emotionally and socially in a natural, outdoor environment. For many learners, particularly those who may struggle with traditional classroom settings, Forest School offers a safe, supportive space where they can build confidence, resilience, and independence. 

The benefits of Forest School go beyond simply connecting with nature. It encourages problem-solving, teamwork, and self-regulation through activities such as shelter building, bushcraft, and environmental exploration. These experiences help students develop essential life skills, such as perseverance, creativity, and the ability to manage challenges in a real-world context. 

Additionally, Forest School is especially valuable for learners who may have experienced trauma or find it difficult to express themselves in a conventional classroom. The outdoor setting and focus on active learning promote emotional well-being and social interaction, fostering a sense of belonging and purpose. It also provides a crucial opportunity for sensory processing and stress reduction, which can support learners with additional needs

Extra-Curricular Activities

At Trinity Academy New Bridge, we are dedicated to supporting the mental health and well-being of our learners. To promote a balanced and healthy lifestyle, we offer a variety of extra-curricular activities that cater to a wide range of interests and needs.

• Breakfast Club: Start your day with a healthy breakfast and a sense of community. Our Breakfast Club is available every morning, providing a warm and welcoming environment for learners to gather, enjoy a nutritious meal, and prepare for a productive school day.
• Gym Access: To encourage physical activity and well-being, we open our gym during break and lunchtime. Learners are welcome to use the gym for sports, fitness activities, or simply to unwind and release stress in a positive, energetic way.

These initiatives are part of our commitment to ensuring our learners’ overall well-being, both mentally and physically, by providing spaces to relax, engage in sport, and socialise with peers. Engaging in these activities fosters confidence, teamwork, and resilience, which are essential for a healthy mind and body.

Curriculum Impact

At Trinity Academy New Bridge, the impact of the curriculum is assessed through a comprehensive approach that considers various facets of learner progress and development. The primary measure of success is knowledge accumulation and learning tracked through assessments and academic outcomes. Additionally, the curriculums effectiveness in preparing learners for their next educational or employment steps is evaluated through destination data and progression routes for Key Stage 4 learners.

Engagement is monitored through feedback from parents and learners, alongside key data points such as attendance and behaviour. The quality of education is evaluated through learning walks and work scrutiny, ensuring that well-planned, engaging lessons are consistently delivered by enthusiastic practitioners.

Furthermore, the holistic development of each learner is a core focus, with progress towards personalised targets as outlined in Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs) forming an essential part of the evaluation. This approach ensures that the curriculum not only supports academic growth but also fosters the personal and social development of each individual, promoting the development of the “whole person.”

The impact of the curriculum is to create confident, competent and kind citizens of the future.