Our Curriculum
Rosewood Independent School aims to provide a balanced, creative education in a stimulating, safe environment through which children maximise their talents and abilities, develop a pride in their achievements, and feel happy, confident and secure.
We pride ourselves in our dedication to becoming a fully trauma-informed provision. Our staff are trained in Adverse Childhood Experiences, De-escalation, and Positive Handling. All staff also attend training on behaviour theory; our ethos is built on ‘connection before correction’. Our curriculum design allows us to underpin our ethos into all areas of learning and delivery to ensure we offer our students a positive and relational experience that recognises the impact of trauma and continuously strives to reduce this.
We understand that children do not learn in the same way, and that every behaviour has a root cause.
We only employ teaching staff who have the flexibility to adapt their content, presentation, and teaching styles to ensure we are entirely focused on providing the right education to the individual child.
We understand that children develop in areas of their learning at different stages, and that social and emotional barriers may put up barriers to learning. We encourage children to feel proud of who they are and their achievements, and support their individual learning journey by building confidence, providing engaging learning opportunities, and nurturing creative thinking.
Please click here to read our Curriculum Policy.
Please click here to find out more about part-time alternative provision placements within Rosewood Independent School
Our ‘Stage not Age’ approach
Delivering the right education at the right time
No child at Rosewood is the same as another. Our children are unique, and so our priority has always been to deliver a service and curriculum which best meets their individual needs. We know our children well, and our experience in this sector of education has given us experience in educating children with complex educational backgrounds with evidenced success. Every decision we make at Rosewood puts the child at the heart.
Most children who attend Rosewood have had a previously unconventional education and many have exceptionally negative connotations of education and school on arrival. Aside from Covid, many of our students have had long-term absences from school prior to attending our setting. There are gaps in learning and skills relating to all areas of the curriculum, and often difficulties in social and emotional communication which further hinders their access to education. Our highly qualified and experienced staff team recognise the importance of delivering the right kind of education at the right time for the student. They recognise that previous and current needs, events, and traumas may have an impact on the student’s ability to process new learning, and ensure that this understanding is at the forefront of their own planning and delivery.
The Rosewood curriculum aims to identify and fill academic and social emotional gaps through a tailored curriculum designed to engage, develop, and promote a life-long love of learning through a ‘stage not age’ approach. This way, we can provide a bespoke curriculum to each child which prioritises their individual needs and prepares them appropriately for adulthood and next steps.
Our curriculum incorporates a range of schemes which align to and complement the National Curriculum where possible, such as White Rose Maths. We believe in the importance of the outdoors and recognise its value when teaching disengaged students, and so we also deliver Commando Joe’s and Wild Passport in our lower school. However, due to the nature of our setting, there may be occasions whereby we are required to ‘think outside the box’ and deliver learning entirely unique to the child as we focus on their re-engagement into education.
Our first priority is always to engage and to build positive connections. Without engagement, there can be no learning and understanding. Without positive connections in terms of relationships, feeling safe, and trusting in school, the ability to access learning would be minimal. We deliver our curriculum using a trauma-informed approach.
We develop skills through all topics we teach, with the goal to introduce as many skills and opportunities as we can during the student’s time at Rosewood. The pace at which we deliver is unique to the needs of the child.
We align to the needs of the child by providing a scheme work and ensuring that the student accesses differentiated objectives which best meet their understanding and current point in that particular subject; many of our students are working below their chronological age, and due to this, we deliver our education through teaching to a child’s developmental stage and not their chronological age; on a ‘stage not age’ basis.
By building up from strong foundations, we can ensure that progress is built upon skills which are firmly embedded and understood by our pupils, and deliver the right education at the right time for the unique needs of the child.
We use Commando Joe’s inclusive outdoor-based primary curriculum. The curriculum and delivery is based on their RESPECT programme; delivering academic education through focusing on resilience, empathy, self-awareness, positivity, excellence, communication, and teamwork.
We prepare our KS4 students for appropriate Key Stage 4 examinations. We use this curriculum to tailor pathways to the needs of the student, including iGCSE as well as alternative pathways through NCFE qualifications and ASDAN certificates.
The flexibility of our curriculum and our bespoke approach to learning also allows us to incorporate enrichment activities into the timetable, which will include visitors to the centre, out of school trips and visits, and workshop participation.
For our older students, our goal is to ensure no child is not in employment, education, or training following their time with us. To inspire and enrich these students, we also offer individualised Career Pathways.
Core Subjects
Across our settings, students access their core subjects of maths, English, and science. Our delivery aligns to the National Curriculum where possible.
In KS4, students take either an iGCSE or Functional Skills pathway, which is monitored and assessed continuously to ensure students are given the opportunity to achieve to their highest potential.
Foundation Subjects
We allow students the opportunity to access a broad curriculum covering all areas of the curriculum whilst allowing flexibility to incorporate current affairs and the world around us.
Technology – Including Coding, Word Processing, Animation, Media, Design Technology
Creative – Including Art, Drama, Music, and Physical Education
Humanities – Including History, Geography, British Values through PSHE/ SMSC
Social – Including PSHE, Modern Foreign Languages (French), RE, and Interpersonal skills
Life Skills – Specifically working toward ASDAN Life Skills challenges
Secondary Vocational Pathways
To compliment the KS4 pathway, students are also given the opportunity to study courses which will support them towards a vocation.
Our pathways allow students to focus on a career interest, and gain relevant qualifications in that specific area.
Along with our vocational courses, we support all Y11 learners with careers advice and support in our efforts to reduce the number of children who are NEET (Not in Education, Employment, or Training) post-16. We are a registered NCFE Qualification Centre.
Promoting British Values
The Department for Education defines British Values as follows:
- Respect for democracy and support or participation in the democratic process
- Respect for the basis on which the law is made and applies in England
- Support for equality of opportunity for all
- Support and respect for the liberties of all within the law
- Respect for and tolerance of different faiths and religious and other beliefs
We ensure that the fundamental British Values are introduced, discussed and lived out through the ethos and work of the school. All curriculum areas provide a vehicle for furthering understanding of these concepts and, in particular, RE and PSHE provide opportunities to deepen and develop understanding. We encourage our children to be creative, unique, open-minded and independent individuals, respectful of themselves and of others in our school, our local community and the wider world. We aim to nurture our children on their journey through life so they can grow into safe, caring, democratic, responsible and tolerant adults who make a positive difference to British Society and to the world.