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School Curriculum Overview
Students at Ellesmere College experience the curriculum according to their need. We operate a student-centred approach to teaching and learning and provide a broad, balanced yet flexible curriculum to all students. It is our aim to ensure each student achieves their potential.
We have the capacity to develop the whole student and, alongside traditional academic subjects, are able to work with students in the following ways:
- Supporting the sensory needs of the student; this may be through a sensory approach to the curriculum delivery or through a specialised sensory diet
- Supporting the student to access learning using visual communication systems
- By using signing as a form of communication – this may be Makaton or BSL
- Supporting students with their language development through the delivery of speech and language programmes
- By using specific approaches such as TEACCH with our students who have a diagnosis of autism
- Supporting students to develop their fundamental movement skills
Wherever possible, we aim to use the local community facilities to develop the independence skills of our students. This may involve trips to the local shops to work on money skills or visits to local places of worship to gain a better understanding of a particular religion.
Pathways
Our curriculum is ever evolving to meet the needs of our students and strives to be responsive to each student, building on interests and individual strengths. We currently have five curriculum pathways; Seedlings, Sparkle, Shine, Flourish and Thrive.
Our Sparkle and Shine Pathways are based at our Knighton Fields site and are for students from Key Stage 1 to Post 16.
Our other pathways, Seedlings, Flourish and Thrive are currently based at our Aylestone Meadows site, including our Post 16 students in those pathways.
The progress of each student is reviewed regularly and, where appropriate, students may be moved from one pathway to another.
Students across all pathways have access to our range of interventions and alternative provisions, such as work placements and external college courses.
We use the terms 'Informal', 'Pre-formal', 'Semi-Formal' and 'Formal' to describe our curriculum offer. The table below explains how we define these terms:
|
Informal |
Pre-formal |
Semi-formal |
Formal |
|
An engagement-led curriculum, focusing on communication, sensory development and early interaction skills.
Learning is highly personalised, experiential and play based. |
A structured but supportive curriculum that builds on engagement, developing early literacy, numeracy, communication and independence skills.
Students begin to access more subject-linked learning while continuing to need significant scaffolding and holistic approaches. |
A balanced curriculum combining subject-based teaching with functional life skills, supporting students to develop independence alongside academic learning. |
A subject-led curriculum for students able to engage in more traditional learning, with appropriate adaptations. |
The document below provides an overview of our curriculum pathways:
Curriculum Pathways Overview 2026/27
**This page is currently being updated for 2026/27**
Curriculum Overviews
Interventions
Interventions
Interventions at Ellesmere are in place to support our students to engage in their curriculum. The majority of students can succeed and make outstanding progress through high quality classroom teaching. Some students however may require additional support in the form of adapted teaching, targeted programmes or bespoke timetables. At Ellesmere we have an interventions team who deliver a selection of programmes based on a wave system outlined below:
- Wave 1 - Universal
- Quality First Teaching
- Inclusive teaching which considers the needs of all students in the classroom
- e.g. targeted support; visuals; social stories; personalised targets; personalised timetables within classroom; task boxes; personal hygiene; TACPAC; PSHE curriculum
- Wave 2 - Enhanced
- Specific work with Intervention TA or outside agency
- e.g. Drawing and Talking; Anger Management; Biking with Ben; Bike Maintenance; PANTS; Friendship Groups; Rock School; Independent Travel; Lego Therapy; Play Interaction; Sensory Integration; Personalised TACPAC; Cognitive Dance; Yoga; Intensive Interaction; Speech and Communication Support; Sign and Sing; Phonics; counselling
- Wave 3 - Specialised
- Alternative Curriculum
Assessment
We assess the progress our students are making against a range of measures, which are designed to celebrate the small steps of progress many of our students will make.
From September 2025, we have focused on the following key areas for all students:
- EHCP outcomes
- Phonics and reading
We use Evidence for Learning to collate evidence of the progress our students make through photos, videos and observations. We also use this to assess our students, using our Ellesmere Assessment Scale.
We share a piece of evidence each week with home and encourage families to share evidence of out-of-school learning and progress using the Evidence for Learning Family App. If you are a parent or carer of a current student and need support with setting up the Family App, please get in touch with Debbie Shepherd, Examinations and Assessment Officer, via the main school reception.
Reporting to parents and carers
We report back to parents and carers in a number of ways:
- Through Weduc – this will be at least weekly
- Through EHCP Annual Reviews
- Through twice-yearly Parent/Carer Evenings
- Through end of year Celebration Reports
Further information
If you would like more information on the curriculum please contact our Reception Team on 0116 289 4242 and ask to speak to your child's class teacher in the first instance. For more detailed information please ask to speak to our Heads of Centre:
- Aylestone Meadows – Simon Coopey
- Knighton Fields – Liz Richardson
- Post 16 – Sally Gough
