Curriculum

The Atkinson School offers the following curriculum:

My Passport

  • Literacy
  • Numeracy
  • IT Skills taught cross-curriculum

This curriculum provides students with the skills they need to move on to further learning and employment – literacy, numeracy and computer literacy. The teaching of literacy and numeracy is further supported by being embedded in all teaching across the curriculum.

My Passport opportunities for qualifications or awards:

  • AQA Entry Level Certificate in English
  • OCR Entry Level Certificate in Mathematics
  • AQA Functional Skills Level 1 and 2 in English
  • AQA Entry Awards in ICT
  • Edexcel Functional skills in Numeracy Level 1 and 2 Certificate
  • Edexcel Functional Skills Entry Level/ Level 1/Level 2 English
  • Edexcel Functional Skills Entry Level/Level 1/Level 2 Mathematics
  • Koestler Writing Awards

My Self

  • Dance
  • DJ
  • Music
  • Singing
  • Drama
  • Art
  • Textiles

We believe that being able to think coherently and creatively and adapt to a constantly changing world, is a vital part of our students’ education.

By working through creative activity – fine art, graphic design, digital photography, including film, and music – the curriculum fosters expansive thinking, experimentation and a safe form of personal expression.

My Self opportunities for qualifications or awards:

  • Koestler Awards
  • AQA in Art
  • Bronze Art Awards
  • GCSE Art and Design

My World

  • Science
  • Humanities
  • Forest School
  • Citizenship
  • Horticulture

This curriculum gives students the skills and knowledge they need to explore the world around them, and enables them to appreciate innovations, past triumphs and cultural differences.

By supporting students to make links between their own experiences and the world they live in, we aim to develop their empathy and expand their understanding of what may be possible for themselves and their communities in the future. 

The school individualises the curriculum for the students and we offer a wide range of subject areas. If there is a subject that a student is particularly interested in and we cannot offer it, we will look to source appropriate external tutors.

Science is taught mostly through hands-on lessons. The emphasis is on a personal journey of exploration through relatable topics. The curriculum is loosely based on a mix of published resources

Humanities involves history, geography and religious studies, with themes relating to citizenship interlaced throughout. It is taught through topical lessons designed to cover the essence of the three subject areas,

My World opportunities for qualifications or awards:

  • AQA Unit awards in science
  • British Safety Council Entry Level Award in Hazard Workplace awareness
  • British Safety Council Level 1 Award in Health and Safety at Work
  • OCR Entry Level Philosophy and Ethics (Religious Education)
  • WJEC Religious Studies Short Course
  • BSL (British Sign Language) certificate
  • First aid at work
  • DofE Award (Bronze)

My Body

  • Y-SMART
  • First aid
  • Food and nutrition
  • PE and fitness

My Body is split between three areas:

My Body Physical Education provides students with the opportunity to participate in a variety of physical and sporting activities in competitive, creative and challenging situations. Students develop the competence and confidence to perform as individuals in groups and in teams, and develop leadership skills through coaching and officiating.

My Body Healthy Active Lifestyles focuses on personal health and fitness. This gives students the opportunity to take part in alternative activities, which enable them to discover what they like to do and how and where they can participate in these activities outside school hours.

My Body Food and Nutrition develops students’ knowledge of a healthy balanced diet. Working in our flat, students are taught basic food hygiene and safety, and develop essential cooking skills by using simple recipes.

Our flat is equipped as an independent living space with cooking, washing and cleaning facilities. This facility enables our students to experience the possibilities offered by an organised and structured home life and helps to develop academic, social and personal skills that will enable them to progress to further education and employment.

My Body opportunities for qualifications or awards:

  • Sports Leaders UK Level 1 Award in Sports Leadership
  • Exercise Studies
  • BTEC Food Safety Essentials Level 1
  • BTEC Food and Nutrition Level 2
  • BTEC Food Safety HACCP Level 2
  • YSMART – AQA Unit Award Drug Awareness and AQA Unit Award Alcohol Awareness
  • AQA unit awards – life skills
  • Swimming – certificates

My Future

  • Bricklaying
  • Motorbike maintenance
  • Hair and beauty
  • Design and technology
  • Work experience
  • Careers advice

This curriculum prepares students for working life outside school. It focuses on vocational courses and ensures that students develop the practical and personal skills they will need to gain employment, negotiate the working world and succeed within it.

This includes supporting them to develop healthy and fulfilling relationships, becoming a safe, confident individual, learning to make appropriate choices and assess risk.

We train students to regard employment as a positive choice and to engage in learning as a life-long activity.

My Future opportunities for qualifications or awards:

  • AQA GCSE Level 1/2 Certificate in Preparation for Working Life (short course
  • AQA GCSE Level 1/2 Certificate in Enterprise and Employability (short course)
  • OCR GSCE in Citizenship
  • BTEC Edexcel Entry 3/Level 1 Award/Certificate in Hair and Beauty
  • BTEC Entry Level/Level 1 Award/Certificate in an Introduction to Hair and Beauty
  • BSL (British Sign Language) certificate
  • First aid at work