Curriculum
Our Curriculum at The Oaks School
At the Oaks, we provide a broad, balanced and ambitious curriculum that is tailored to meet the individual needs of all our pupils. Our curriculum is experiential and immersive, designed around different themes each half term to capture children’s interests and curiosity. These themes are enriched with educational visits, trips and cultural capital experiences that allow pupils to connect their learning with the wider world, bringing topics to life in meaningful and memorable ways. By carefully sequencing knowledge and skills while offering hands-on, real-life learning opportunities, our curriculum engages pupils, fosters independence and helps them make purposeful connections between their learning and everyday experiences. Our provision is designed for children with social, emotional and mental health (SEMH) difficulties, as well as those with specific learning difficulties (SpLD), moderate learning difficulties (MLD) and a range of cognitive learning needs.
Through our curriculum, we aim for every pupil to achieve and maintain a strong sense of wellbeing. This is nurtured through the development of mental health literacy, emotional intelligence, resilience and self-belief, which are embedded across every aspect of school
life, whether in subject lessons, outdoor education or pastoral care.
We believe that every child deserves the freedom to flourish. While we recognise that mainstream education is not for everyone, our carefully planned curriculum and excellent pastoral support give pupils the opportunity to thrive, succeed and improve their life chances. By the time pupils leave The Oaks, they will have gained not only the best possible academic outcomes but also the personal skills, independence and confidence to prepare them for the next stage of their education and beyond.
Pre-Formal Curriculum Coverage
Cycle A
Cycle B
Formal Phase
- Designed for pupils accessing the KS1 and KS2 curriculum through a four-year rolling thematic programme.
- Adapted and child-centred, enabling pupils working below age-related expectations to engage fully and make progress.
- Offers a broad range of learning opportunities that promote holistic development, independence and a love of learning.
- Equips pupils with the skills, knowledge and resilience they need to thrive in education and beyond.
Formal Curriculum Cycle
| Theme | Autumn 1 | Autumn 2 | Spring 1 | Spring 2 | Summer 1 | Summer 2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cycle A | Amazing Animals | Explorers & Inventors | Our Local Area | The Wild West | Extreme Earth | Great Fire of London |
| Cycle B | Our World | Who Helped Us Make History | The Egyptians | Amazing Oceans | The Stone Age | Bronze Age to Iron Age |
| Cycle C | Roman Britain | Wonderful Water | The World at War | Castles & Medieval Life | The America's | The History of Equality |
| Cycle D | We are Britain | The Anglo Saxons | The Vikings | Wild Weather | Great Greeks | The Mighty Mayans |
Our curriculum is built on the belief that every child can achieve, grow and flourish—academically, socially and emotionally.
We also use Attention Autism as a key intervention to support our pupils. This programme is designed to develop attention skills, encourage natural and spontaneous communication (both verbal and non-verbal) and increase participation in adult-led activities through visually stimulating, highly motivating and fun sessions. We have chosen Attention Autism because many pupils with autism are highly visual learners with strong memories for subjects and activities that capture their interest. The intervention builds on these strengths, using them as a scaffold for wider learning. Through engaging, irresistible activities, pupils are supported to develop shared and joint attention, turn-taking, vocabulary and communication skills. The central aim is to engage the child first, creating exciting opportunities that they want to attend to, respond to and communicate about.