Our Curriculum

Curriculum Intent

 

“Every student can learn, just not on the same day, or in the same way.” – George Evans

Inspire Academy provides education for students with Social, Emotional and Mental Health (SEMH) needs. Many of our students arrive with disrupted or fragmented educational experiences and may be working below the levels typically expected of their mainstream peers. Most students have an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP), with SEMH identified as their primary area of need.

Our curriculum is designed to meet students where they are, recognising their individual strengths, needs and aspirations. We aim to provide a supportive, engaging and personalised learning environment that enables every student to achieve success and make meaningful progress.

Curriculum Aims

Our curriculum aims to:

  1. Make learning an enjoyable and positive experience that develops students as well-rounded individuals, enabling them to explore their talents, interests and potential.
  2. Re-engage students with education, building confidence, resilience and self-esteem so that they view themselves as successful learners.
  3. Develop core skills in communication, literacy, numeracy and decision-making, preparing students for adult life.
  4. Prepare students for employment, independent living and active participation in modern British society.
  5. Support and address students’ social, emotional and mental health needs.

Curriculum Principles

At Inspire Academy, we seek to deliver a curriculum that:

  • Is engaging, motivating and enjoyable.
  • Promotes high expectations and aspirations for all students.
  • Provides a broad, balanced and relevant educational experience.
  • Ensures all pupils access an ambitious curriculum which enables them to achieve their full potential, regardless of starting point, need or background.
  • Encourages students to take responsibility for their learning and behaviour through a culture of mutual respect.
  • Offers appropriate pathways to accreditation and recognised qualifications appropriate to pupil’s starting points and abilities.
  • Enables students to develop their individual skills, talents and interests.
  • Supports successful progression into further education, employment or training.
  • Is personalised to meet individual needs, recognising progress and celebrating achievement.
  • Provides opportunities for students to make positive choices, develop self-confidence and build self-esteem.
  • Prepares students for life beyond school, both personally and professionally.
  • Supports students to be healthy, stay safe and make a positive contribution to their communities.
  • Promotes spiritual, moral, social and cultural (SMSC) development, helping students become active and responsible citizens.
  • Is accessible and inclusive for all learners.
  • Promotes equality of opportunity, celebrates diversity and encourages respect for people from all backgrounds, cultures and protected characteristics.

The Personal Development Curriculum

Personal Development is a core component of our formal curriculum and is delivered through planned lessons, assemblies, enrichment opportunities, careers education and wider curriculum experiences. Alongside this, pupils benefit from a rich extended curriculum through daily interactions, social experiences and the positive culture of the school. The personal development curriculum plays a vital role in supporting students’ personal, social and emotional development. Daily interactions during form time, breaktime and lunchtime provide valuable opportunities to build relationships, model positive behaviours, develop social skills and strengthen students’ confidence and motivation.

Alongside our formal curriculum, we provide a wide range of enrichment opportunities to broaden students’ experiences and support personal growth. These include:

  • Educational visits and trips
  • Visiting speakers and specialists
  • Reward activities and cultural experiences
  • Social events and charity fundraising initiatives
  • Careers education and encounters with employers and professionals

These experiences help to enrich learning, strengthen relationships across the school community and develop students’ understanding of the wider world.

Religious Education (RE) is delivered throughout the school year through our assembly programme and wider curriculum. Subject leaders identify opportunities within curriculum plans to promote SMSC development, including relevant aspects of RE. Additional opportunities arise during form time, where students discuss topical issues, moral questions and significant events such as Remembrance Day.

Through both the formal and personal development curriculums, Inspire Academy is committed to equipping pupils with the knowledge, skills, confidence and character they need to succeed in school, contribute positively to their communities, and thrive in adult life. We intentionally revisit and reinforce key concepts throughout the curriculum to strengthen long-term retention, deepen understanding, and enable pupils to apply their learning with increasing confidence and independence. This progressive approach ensures that knowledge and skills are securely embedded and built upon throughout each pupil’s learning journey at Inspire Academy.

Teaching at Inspire Academy is based on strong relationships, clear routines and high expectations. Staff understand that pupils with SEMH needs may require carefully structured support in order to access learning successfully. The curriculum is designed to improve engagement, attendance, behaviour and readiness to learn. Consistent routines, positive relationships and effective support help pupils develop self-regulation, resilience and independence.

Teachers use a range of approaches including:

  • explicit teaching and modelling;
  • retrieval and recap of prior learning;
  • carefully scaffolded tasks;
  • vocabulary development;
  • practical and applied learning;
  • questioning and discussion;
  • opportunities for independent practice;
  • timely feedback;
  • planned adaptations linked to individual needs;
  • reinforcement of positive learning behaviours.

Adaptations are made thoughtfully and do not reduce ambition. Staff use knowledge of pupils’ EHCPs, learning profiles, assessment information and pastoral needs to remove barriers to learning. This may include additional adult support, chunked tasks, sensory or emotional regulation strategies, alternative recording methods, structured routines, visual supports or targeted intervention.

Reading and Literacy

Reading is prioritised across the curriculum. Pupils are supported to develop fluency, comprehension, vocabulary and confidence through high-quality teaching, targeted interventions and opportunities to read for pleasure. Staff promote literacy in all subjects to help pupils access learning successfully and communicate effectively.

The Key Stage 3 curriculum encompasses English, Mathematics, Science, Physical Education, Humanities, PSHE, Commando Joe’s, Food Technology, Design and Technology, ICT, and Art and Design. It is carefully designed to prepare pupils for the qualifications offered at Key Stage 4, while developing their knowledge and skills progressively across each year group. Subject curriculum maps clearly identify the key knowledge and skills to be taught, ensuring that learning is sequenced effectively and built upon year by year to support sustained progress and achievement.

In Key Stage 3 and 4 students have opportunities to undertake vocational taster courses at a local college alongside a careers programme aligned to the Gatsby Benchmarks. Pupils access impartial careers advice, encounters with employers and experiences that support informed decisions about their future pathways.

In Key Stage 4 students study English, Maths, Science, PSHE, King’s Trust, Occupational Studies incorporating Sport, NCFE Sport, Food Technology, Commando Joes, Careers and Construction. Programmes of study lead to appropriate nationally recognised accreditation such as GCSE, BTEC, Entry Level, functional skills and level 1 and 2 award/certificates.

Students may spend time away from school at a vocational placement if relevant.

Qualifications offer

The qualifications available to pupils in Key Stage 4 are as follows:

GCSE English

GCSE Mathematics

GCSE Statistics

Functional skills entry level, level 1 and 2 English

Functional skills entry level, level 1 and 2 Maths

Level 1 award Maths – Number and measure

NCFE level 1 award Occupational Studies in sport

NCFE level 2 award, certificate and Diploma in Sport (working in sport)

NCFE level 1 construction modules (occupational studies)

Kings Trust level 1 and 2 awards/certificates

PSHE NCFE level 1 awards – alcohol awareness, stress awareness, sexual health awareness, mental health awareness

NCFE RSHE level 1 and 2 awards/certificates

BTEC level 1/2 home cooking skills award

BTEC introduction to applied Science level 1 award

Entry level Science

NCFE Entry level careers

NCFE Entry level art and design

Level 1 award/certificate art

Impact of the Curriculum

Curriculum Impact

The impact of the curriculum at Inspire Academy is measured through a range of academic, personal and wider outcomes. We recognise that success for our pupils includes both educational achievement and progress in social, emotional and behavioural development.

Attainment and Progress

Pupils work towards nationally recognised qualifications, including GCSEs, Functional Skills, BTEC and NCFE awards. Progress is measured from individual starting points and reflects both academic achievement and personal development. Regular assessment ensures gaps in learning are identified and addressed.

What Pupils Know and Remember

Pupils develop and apply key knowledge, skills and understanding across the curriculum. Retrieval practice and regular revisiting of learning support long-term retention, helping pupils to make connections between topics and become increasingly independent learners. Subject leaders use assessment, pupil voice, work scrutiny and lesson visits to evaluate how successfully pupils know, remember and apply key learning over time.

Subject-Specific Outcomes

Subject leaders use assessment information, pupil work and accreditation outcomes to evaluate how effectively pupils are developing subject-specific knowledge and skills.

Destinations, Attendance and Behaviour

The curriculum prepares pupils for further education, employment and training. Destinations data is used to monitor the success of pupils’ next steps. The curriculum also promotes engagement, confidence and resilience, resulting in improvements in attendance, behaviour and participation for many pupils.

Quality Assurance and Evaluation

Leaders evaluate curriculum impact through learning walks, book scrutiny and data analysis. These processes help monitor curriculum implementation, pupil engagement, progress and achievement, informing ongoing school improvement and ensuring pupils receive the support needed to succeed.

Success Measures

Success is reflected in pupils achieving recognised qualifications, improving attendance and engagement, developing positive learning behaviours, progressing from their individual starting points and moving successfully into further education, employment or training

Curriculum