Merstone School Sapphire Department – Intent and Implementation

Intent

Sapphire department is Merstone School lower SLD department. It has three classes, made up of KS1, KS2 and KS3. The pupils follow an Equals Semi-Formal curriculum that includes key aspects of the national curriculum incorporated with sensory, exploratory, personalised and adaptive areas of learning that encourage a balance of academic attainment with life skills development.

The Semi-Formal Curriculum is primarily about emotional well-being, understanding the self, forming and sustaining relationships, beginning to understand emotions, respecting others and their emotions and developing positive dispositions to learning. These children learn most effectively when teaching and learning relates to their own experiences, sometimes through structured play or themes and other times through functional activities. The aim is to build children’s resilience to deal with challenges and provide foundations on which lifelong learning can be built.  

Pupils in Sapphire are offered a varied curriculum where they develop skills in English and Maths. Other subjects are covered in a variety of other topics, these include The World about Me, My Art, My communication, My Dance, My Drama, My Independence, My Music, My Outdoor School, My physical well-being, My Play and Leisure, My Thinking and Problem Solving and Relationships and Sex Education (KS3). Our pupils move through the department building up their skills as they move through the key stages.

We offer a range of external visits to help the pupils develop their knowledge and understanding of the world around them. We intend to provide a rich curriculum that can be contextualised through a range of external visits that introduce pupils to their local and national community, in order to hone key skills to support them in becoming as independent as possible in adulthood.

Implementation

When pupils arrive in our Sapphire Department staff will ensure that they are aware of each individual pupil’s needs and will work with them to ensure the pathway that is right for them.

The three Sapphire classes are broadly grouped within age (stated above KS1, KS2, KS3) and allows natural progression into the next age stage. Pupils are encouraged to interact with peers of a similar age and academic ability but have ample opportunity to engage with others, not only across the department but across the school, on a weekly basis.

Pupils are assessed on SOLAR curriculum, which incorporates NC and P level assessment linked to the equals adapted curriculum that is in place across the Sapphire Department. In the KS3 Sapphire class pupils will also take part in ASDAN Transitional Challenge.