Better Together Learning Trust- Curriculum Aims and Vision
Understanding the needs of our students helps us to shape our curriculum in the right ways, whether through accredited or bespoke courses. The Better Together Learning Trust curriculum is tailored to the needs of the students rather than the other way round. The student experience is broad, balanced and varied; flexible and delivered with imagination, enthusiasm and depth of knowledge.
It is developmental in nature, reflecting important areas of learning for each cohort of students. It is designed with a strong focus on the Life Skills and PSHE curriculums, preparing our students for life outside of formal education to provide opportunities for students to develop the skills, knowledge and understanding that will enable them to be successful lifelong learners; there is a balance between academic and personal development. Our curriculum provides students with opportunities to develop core skills, extend their subject knowledge and to practice, generalise and apply these skills in real life and practical situations. For all students we will enable them to gain external accreditation of their learning at a level and in subject areas that are appropriate for them, and which will prepare them for the next stage in their lives.
It is important to nurture creativity by implementing a creative methodology across our schools. We have been able to support the students’ preparation for what they are likely to encounter in the ‘real world’ as well as societal changes which impact on everyone’s lives. Alongside ‘Creativity’ is the concept of ‘failure’. With every creative experience the students encounter, there will be a number of experiences of failure within the process. We don’t want to fear failure but to encourage the use of it to support the process of growth and increased resilience in our students.
Forging partnerships and building relationships with colleagues in industry and education outside of Better Together Learning Trust are vital to the progress of our students. It allows us to open new opportunities for our students that may not have been possible before.
In a constantly changing world, it is essential that our students carve out a life in the world of work. Our partnership projects have been created to provide a clear link between schools and the world of work; to provide as many opportunities as possible for our students to get out into the real world and experience the benefits of meeting and working with new people whilst having the security of school around them.
Our educational journey is infinite; we will never truly reach our destination. The students will progress through our academies, and we will continue to develop and hone our practices, no
matter how successful the previous idea or project was.
It is important to identify the positives and the areas for further development without fear of criticism or failure. With this in mind, we will continue to design and implement a bespoke curriculum that meets the needs of every student in our schools; it will be shaped according to the nuances of every child’s development.
‘Every child, every chance, every day'
Better Together Curriculum
Our curriculum intends to deliver the skills that our students need to be prepared for adulthood and help to design a future for them that is prosperous.
We aim to achieve this by ensuring that our curriculum:
- is broad and balanced through creative and flexible timetabling, opportunities through partnerships, out of school experiences and theme weeks.
- is appropriate for students, with regards to their age, ability and aptitude
- incorporates opportunities for the application of cross-curricular skills
- enables appropriate progression for all students along the continuum of learning
- incorporates assessment for students’ progression
- responds to individual students’ needs, experiences and input