John Watson School
Curriculum
John Watson School offers a subject-based curriculum which is pupil-centred. The aim is to provide a broad and enriching curriculum which accelerates basic skills. Following the broad stages of development and the National Curriculum, we adapt the curriculum to meet the specific needs of individual pupils. Continuous assessment and evaluation are an integral part of this process.
Methods of teaching are varied. We aim to encourage learning in many different ways and situations, so that pupils do not learn skills in isolation but are able to apply their learning effectively in their day-to-day lives. The implementation of the National Curriculum within John Watson School has been an exciting challenge for pupils, teachers and parents. Staff have worked hard to develop ways in which the National Curriculum can be adapted to meet the needs of all our pupils, and this has become a key element of our integration programme. We have received support from colleagues at Wheatley Primary and Wheatley Park Schools; in return we have offered them our own expertise.
Children with statements of special educational needs can be exempted or "disapplied" from the National Curriculum and the assessment procedures that go with it, but we believe that children with special needs are entitled to have their achievements assessed, recorded and reported as long as the assessment process is fair and sensitive.
We do not therefore "disapply" children from the National Curriculum or the assessment process, but have adapted and extended these to meet our pupils’ needs. Information relating to assessments is included in the annual report to parents and discussed further at the annual review if desired.
Website created by Alex Wilson 2009 Copyright © 2009 John Watson School. All rights reserved. Last updated: 12 May 2010