Personal Development & Cross Curricular Aims.
Embedding cross-curricular opportunities into each scheme of work, with adaptations based on a child’s special interests, is a powerful approach to re-engage learning and ensure access to a broad and balanced curriculum, particularly for children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) with careful planning through:
Intentional Cross-Curricular Planning within Schemes of Work tailored for each student in their Individual Education and Wellbeing Plan (IEWP) by:
Identifying Natural Links: Schemes of work are designed to highlight and exploit natural connections between subjects. For example, a history unit on Ancient Rome could link to art (mosaics), geography (Italy), design technology (chariots), and English (writing newspaper articles).
Thematic Units: A common approach is to plan thematic units that take a central idea and apply it across various subjects. This helps students see the relevance and
interconnectedness of different knowledge areas.
Generic Skills Integration: Schemes of work can explicitly plan for the development of generic skills (e.g., problem-solving, analytical thinking, communication) across multiple subjects, mirroring real-world applications.
Long and Medium-Term Planning: Cross-curricular links are considered at both long-term (overall curriculum mapping) and medium-term (unit planning) stages to ensure comprehensive coverage and progression within each subject, even when integrated.
Balanced Coverage: While integrating subjects, it’s crucial to ensure that all curriculum areas receive adequate coverage and that the unique knowledge, language, and skills of each discipline are still developed.
Adapting for Special Interests to Re-engage Learning:
Personalised Content: Schemes of work should allow for personalisation, enabling teachers to tailor content and activities to individual student interests. When learning aligns with a child’s passion, their attention, effort, and motivation significantly increase, leading to deeper engagement and better outcomes.
Choice and Autonomy: Providing opportunities for students to choose topics or projects that align with their interests empowers them and fosters a sense of autonomy, which is vital for sustained motivation.
Real-World Connections: Linking learning to real-world contexts that resonate with a child’s special interest can make the content more meaningful and relevant, sparking curiosity and a desire to learn more.
Developing Individual Interest: Initial “situational interest” (e.g., a captivating activity related to their interest) can be nurtured into a more enduring “individual interest” through repeated engagement and opportunities for deeper exploration.
Flexible Delivery: The method of learning can be adapted to suit a child’s preferred learning style, potentially incorporating technology, multi-sensory resources (visual, audio), or project-based learning that aligns with their interests.
Building on Prior Knowledge: Starting with topics or approaches that connect to a child’s existing knowledge related to their special interest can build confidence and ease re-engagement.
Ensuring an inclusive, Broad and Balanced Curriculum for All:
Inclusion by Design: Schemes of work are designed with inclusivity in mind, recognising that all pupils, including those with SEND and gaps in learning, have the entitlement to a broad, balanced, and relevant curriculum.
Differentiation: Quality First Teaching within the schemes of work includes differentiation strategies to match activities and materials to individual needs and abilities, ensuring accessibility.
Support and Adaptations: Schemes explicitly consider how materials can be modified (e.g., using symbols, writing frames, visual aids), and how support can be provided (e.g., small group work, pre-teaching vocabulary, reduced cognitive load) to enable children with SEND to access the curriculum content.
Multi-Modal Approaches: Incorporating a range of teaching styles and resources within the scheme of work ensures that diverse learning needs, including those related to sensory or communication barriers, are met.
Assessment for Learning: Integrated assessment within schemes of work allows for continuous monitoring of progress and identification of learning gaps, informing further adaptations to ensure all curriculum objectives are being met for every child.
Promoting Well-Rounded Development: Beyond academic subjects, cross-curricular opportunities allow for the development of social, emotional, and practical skills, contributing to a truly broad and balanced education that prepares children for life.
Meeting the Needs of Every Learner
At the heart of Sowing Seeds Alternative Learning is a belief that every child can thrive when provided with the right environment, relationships, and opportunities. Through our personalised approach, we cultivate a sense of belonging, purpose, and hope — empowering each learner to take confident steps toward their next stage of education, training, or employment.