Curriculum
Our students are here to prepare for the future they want. We're here to help make that happen. Step by step, we help our learners conquer their barriers, go beyond their expectations and own their unique success. And we do so through our bespoke curriculum.
At Inscape House School we recognise the barriers that some of our students may have faced in previous education settings. We offer a holistic education that provides both a rich, broad and balanced curriculum and continual opportunities for personal, social and emotional growth. We assign equal value to both.
Why Inscape House School?
- Choose from a broad range of subjects based on the national curriculum
- Learn communication, social and life skills
- Prepare for all aspects of adulthood, from future work and community life to independent, healthy living
- Gain nationally recognised qualifications
- Learn at your level, with an individual academic and therapeutic programme designed around you
If you'd like more information about our curriculum, get in touch with Carla Kellegher.
Curriculum stages
At Inscape House School we recognise the barriers that some of our students may have faced in previous education settings. We offer a holistic education that provides both a rich, broad and balanced curriculum and continual opportunities for personal, social and emotional growth. We assign equal value to both.
Primary School
With a three-year rolling programme, Adventurer and Pioneer students explore a formal curriculum with clear overarching themes to make learning engaging and purposeful.
- Maths
- English literacy
- Reading
- Humanities (Georgaphy/ History/RE)
- Art /DT
- Computing
- Health and Well being/ Community
- PSHE
- RE and spiritual well being
- Music
- Food Tech
- Careers and Employability runs discretely throughout the subjects
With a three – year rolling programme, Champion and Explorer students follow a pre-formal or semi -formal curriculum accessing a continuous provision model. We recognise that ‘Learning is best done when the student is placed at the centre of the curriculum’ (EQUALS 2019). Every moment and situation is regarded as a learning opportunity. All areas of learning happen at once through the planning and teaching of a range of learning opportunities. These are not prescriptive and provide the means for teachers to be creative and innovative. This ensures the curriculum is personalised to the learners’ particular interests and motivators.
Communication – Reading/ Writing/ sensory integration /Intensive Interaction/ Attention Autism/ water play
Reasoning Skills - Maths / Computing
My Physical Development and Care - Community/ Personal care targets / O.T targets
- Knowing about and maintaining a healthy body/ Learning to move my body/ Independent Care Skills
Understanding Me and My Relationships - Health and wellbeing/ PSHE
- Interpersonal relationships/ Community relationships/ Emotional Development
My World - RE/ Careers and Employability / Geography/ History/ Science/ Cookery
- How we function in the world/ Work-related learning/ Learning about the world/ Understanding the world
Creative Expression - Drama / Music/ Art/ DT
Read our Primary School curriculum project plan
Read our Primary school summer curriculum plan - Adventurers and Pioneers
Read our Primary school summer curriculum plan - Champions and Explorers
Middle School
Students in our middle school embark on topic-based learning, studying the subjects that match their interests and aspirations. They can also access plenty of enrichment activities. Over three years, their curriculum will focus on:
- English
- Maths
- Science
- Computing
- Humanities
- Art
- Personal, social and health education (PSHE)
- Food technology
- Health and wellbeing
Read our Middle School Champions and Explorers curriculum map
Read our Middle School Adventurers and Pioneers curriculum map
Read our Middle school summer curriculum plan - Adventurers and Pioneers
Read our Middle school summer curriculum plan - Champions and Explorers
Upper School
When students move into our upper school they follow an accredited curriculum across two years, along with non-accredited learning. Subjects covered include:
- English
- Maths
- Science
- Personal, social and health education (PSHE)
- Outdoor learning
- Art
- Geography
- ICT
- Food technology
- Employability
In upper school, students can achieve a range of qualifications, including pre and entry-level, functional skills, GCSE, Duke of Edinburgh, Arts Award, Duke of York, ASDAN BTEC, EPQ's and Cambridge Nationals.
Read our Upper School Champions and Explorers curriculum map
Read our Upper School Adventurers and Pioneers curriculum map
Read our Upper school summer curriculum plan - Adventurers and Pioneers
Read our Upper school summer curriculum plan - Champions and Explorers
Post-16
As we prepare our students to leave us, they embark on a three-year cycle of accredited learning and enrichment activities. This is where they can hone their skills and interests ahead of adult independence. Students can choose to study a range of academic, vocational and social subject areas:
Academic
- English
- Language, literacy and communication
- Maths
- Science
- Art
- ICT
Vocational and college links
ASDAN employability and enterprise education
Work experience and careers guidance
Vocational taster sessions and college links:
- Multi-trade
- Vehicle maintenance
- Construction
- Hospitality
- Animal care
- Computing, games and media
Non-accredited
- Independent community participation
- Expressive arts
- Physical development
- Understanding the world
- Personal, social and health education (PSHE)
- Sex and relationship education
- Health and wellbeing education
Across all these subjects areas, students can achieve a range of qualifications, including pre and entry-level, functional skills, GCSE, A Level, Arts Award, Duke of York, ASDAN, EPQ's, BTEC and Cambridge Nationals.
Read our Post-16 Champions and Explorers curriculum map
Read our Post-16 Adventurers and Pioneers curriculum map
Reading
Phonics and early reading is taught throughout the school where appropriate. Pre-reader phonics sessions are typically cross-curricular with music and sensory sessions to motivate and capture the attention of these students.
In lower school students explore the world around them, asking questions through objects, pictures and text. Students are identified and introduced to the Systematic Synthetic Phonics (SSP) Programme - Read, Write Inc. Where the student starts on this journey is dependent on their individual ability levels which are determined through our monitoring and assessment process. Students are encouraged to question and explore stories as well as use an array of resources to engage learning through games linked to different texts. Any student identified as requiring additional support in their phonic knowledge will receive further 1:1 targeted intervention.
In the Champion and Explorer classes we take direction and support from the Speech and Language Therapy Team. We monitor and assess progress through the Engagement Model and the Read Write Inc assessment tools, ensuring appropriate gaps are identified and appropriate for each individual learner. Stories are shared with the student and learning is differentiated using communication for all, intensive interaction, Attention Autism, role modelling and a ‘thinking out loud’ approach.
We use a combination of assessment programmes to suit the learning needs of each individual. Using resources from a variety of schemes provides flexibility when supporting the diverse needs and gaps in learning for our students. Please refer to the reading policy for further information. https://www.theschoolbus.net/compliancemanager/public/reading-policy/f5719815-967d-4f76-81a2-0931900255ff/55308
Learning at your level
We have four different pathways at Inscape – Champions, Explorers, Adventurers and Pioneers. Each path provides a structure for our learners.
From the moment you choose our school, we work with you to assess your child’s education, health and care needs. We’ll then get them started along the right pathway. As things change, your child might move between different pathways to suit their needs.

What does success look like?
Every learner is on their own journey. So we believe in celebrating individual success. But we see positive outcomes for our students in six key areas:
- Developing skills for life
- Growing knowledge and understanding
- Mastering economic wellbeing
- Learning how to take positive risks
- Knowing how to stay safe
- Developing emotional wellbeing
How we assess progress
As students travel along their learning journey, we regularly assess their progress through the curriculum. We celebrate every success along the way, as well as keep on top of any additional needs or changes.
New students
To help us choose the right pathway for your child, we'll assess their starting point when they join us. Together we'll discuss your child's education, health and care plan and transition review. We might also do a few assessments. These might include:
- AET baseline
- Subject-specific baseline tests
- Initial placement review
- Interim placement review
- Provision map
- OT assessments
- SaLT assessments
- Therapy outcome measures
Daily
We measure student progress against their plans every single day and identify positive next steps through:
- Self-assessment
- Peer-assessment
- Purple pen work
- Student-teacher dialogue
Termly
Each term in our student progress meetings, we'll update your child's roadmap and review our planning. We use data collection and audits to discuss your child's progress and update plans using:
- Lesson observations
- Learning walks
- Moderation of work
- Book scrutiny
- Therapy outcomes
- Learning measures
Yearly
Each year we'll conduct an annual review of your child's EHCP using:
- Entry Level, Functional Skills, GCSE, Arts Award, AS Level and A-Level results
- Occupational therapy (OT) reassessment and outcome measures
- Speech and language therapy (SaLT) reassessment and outcome measures
Accountability and measures of success
We also monitor your child's education, health and care plan outcomes using:
- Attendance and engagement
- Individualised planning
- Impact of therapy or individualised programmes and outcome measures
- Autism Education Trust targets
- Behaviour
- Individual education plan
- Student progress data and reports
- Case studies