Additional Areas of Learning

Sex & relationship education (SRE)

We have very detailed and carefully considered teaching approaches for all aspects of these, personalised for each child, their needs and abilities following consultation with families. Helping our pupils to understand how to keep safe, to whatever degree they can, when they rely completely on adults for all their care is vital.

Spiritual, moral, social and cultural development (SMSC)

Each class keeps an audit of their coverage of SMSC. With such a huge range of cognitive ability to teach, SMSC is interpreted in creative and thoughtful ways, keeping as close as possible to the spirit of what SMSC is meant to convey and promote. All of our children are given opportunities to have experiences related to other cultures than their own, and to have time for reflection.

Religious education (RE) and Collective Worship

As with SMSC, we interpret the purpose of RE for our pupils. All our learners are given time and opportunity for spiritual experiences at whatever level is meaningful for them. Those who can and do express wishes to do with their faith, will have opportunities to worship.

Fundamental British Values (FBV)

These are promoted within Ivy House School: the values we promote are equality, respect, co-operation, compassion, democracy, understanding right and wrong, tolerance and harmony, responsibility and understanding of traditions and cultures. This is done through the delivery of turn taking, enabling students to have choice including the student of the week.

Functional skills

Wherever any of the children can achieve any sort of independence, this is pursued and promoted. Functional skills can include (as examples) continence; assisting with personal hygiene; helping when dressing; eating and drinking skills; mobility and so on.

Subject specific learning

A small minority of children who are working at a subject specific level will have targets related to these subjects, particularly Reading (symbols or words), Speaking & Listening (using alternative and augmentative communication systems, high and low-tech) and Maths (in particular functional skills such as telling the time; using money). There is no pre- determined set of expectations for the children in these subjects – as with the rest of the curriculum, these targets are personalised to each child ensuring that they are meaningful.