Our curriculum, The Helping Hands Curriculum, reflects the vision and values of the school, incorporating the statutory national curriculum subjects alongside other meaningful learning experiences and opportunities that are tailored to the individual learning, social, emotional and sensory needs of each child. We aim to provide a dynamic curriculum that is flexible and evolving and that is responsive to the unique characteristics, relative strengths and changing circumstances of the unconventional children that we work with.

We do not set limits on our curriculum offer and continue to adapt and refine it as the need arises.  We aim for our curriculum to be unrestricted and all-inclusive.   In July 2022 we consulted with 'The Black Curriculum' so that we could ensure that all educators at Haywood Grove could have the confidence to embed Black History effectively.  The audit can be found in the Equity and Inclusion section of this website.   

Every child is taught for 30.75 hours per week.  They are offered a broad and balanced range of experiences that provide them with opportunities to learn and discover in many different ways.  Planning focuses on engagement, and differentiation and learning pathways are personalised according to individual strength and need.  

The following sections outline:

• Why we have designed the curriculum in the way we have 
• What we teach
• How we teach 
• How we measure the impact of our teaching 

Design and Purpose of the Helping Hands Curriculum 

Curriculum Intent – what the children will learn

Our Helping Hands Curriculum Intent outlines the learning opportunities the children will access during their time at Haywood Grove School. 

We choose to offer a curriculum that integrates the teaching of academic knowledge and skills with the development of social and emotional skills and self-understanding that the children need to function effectively as part of a civil society.  

We choose to offer a curriculum that develops the skills and understanding of the whole community, including:

• our families - so that they too can see the value in what we do and can take full advantage of what we offer
• our professional staff – so that they can feel fully supported in the work that they do and so that they are able to develop the practice needed to work effectively with our children

Curriculum Implementation - the climate in which we teach and how we measure progress

Our Helping Hands Curriculum is implemented within an established culture where there is a strong sense of family so that we are an inherently positive and supportive community founded on highly effective relationships that are the cornerstone of everything that we do.  We recognise that to feel secure there is a need to feel loved and lovable.  We therefore demonstrate an unconditional positive regard for the children, their families and each other and hold the belief that every human being has infinite worth.

The climate we create sets the right conditions for learning.  The children:

• Experience the conditions of trust where they feel secure enough to attempt to learn
• Are treated as individuals without judgement or comparison and their distinctive intellectual, physical, social and emotional needs are recognised and responded to with sensitivity and respect
• Experience dedication, patience, tolerance, humour and consistent smiles and warmth from familiar, respected and trusted adults
• Experience an atmosphere in which they feel that we care for them, enjoy being with them and respect them by taking their feelings, interests and ideas into account
• Are encouraged and supported to express their feelings and we accept the child’s right to feel anger and sadness as well as positive feelings. Children are helped to come to terms with these feelings and learn how to express them safely and appropriately. 

Measuring Impact of the Helping Hands Curriculum 

Our aim is to ensure that children's lives are different and better in meaningful ways because of the opportunities, experiences and interactions they have within the Haywood Grove community.  We aspire to support each child to make lasting positive changes to their dispositions and capabilities as a result of their time with us.  

To help us evaluate the effectiveness of our work, we collect and analyse a range of information about:

• Attendance 
• Engagement
• Social and emotional development 
• Academic development 
• Home  circumstances 
• Children's perspectives and wishes 
• Family's perspectives and wishes 
• Multi-professional perspectives and input 

We use this information to adjust our curriculum for each child, when it's necessary.   Overtime we create personal stories for each child (case studies), evidencing each child's journey through Haywood Grove and providing evidence of the impact. of what we offer.  

Helping Hands Curriculum Overview 

If you would like further any further information about the Helping Hands Curriculum, please contact the school office.