An outward looking centre of excellence
in the education of children with visual impairments
The PRIESTLEY Curriculum
Priestley’s curriculum is underpinned by our whole school ethos, which values and supports the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. Safeguarding is the golden thread that runs through all areas of our curriculum.
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Intent
Our curriculum intent is underpinned by the Curriculum Framework for Vision Impairment (CFVI) and our mission to support our students through high quality teaching, learning and pastoral care, to develop confident, caring, happy and independent young people who are able to succeed.
Our fully accessible curriculum not only reflects the needs of our VI students, but also promotes a love of learning and personal growth. We do this through:
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A safe, caring and supportive learning environment which enables all students to achieve to their maximum potential and encourages them to be as confident, resourceful and independent as possible
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An ambitious, high quality, first hand, experiential, creative and relevant specialist curriculum, delivered by specialist teaching and support staff
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Full access to a broad, balanced and highly differentiated mainstream curriculum, that follows a stage not age approach across all key stages, which is modified to meet the visual, learning and social needs of each child
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Consistently high quality resources and materials for all students, including specially adapted Information and Communication Technology
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A range of additional extra-curricular activities to supplement class-based learning
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An environment in which diversity is celebrated and in which all barriers to inclusion are challenged
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A curriculum designed to allow teachers to draw from concepts within current and previous key stages and to provide regular opportunities to revisit and consolidate areas of learning.
A curriculum that takes into account the fact that many of our students have additional needs, which include learning, communication, physical and social and emotional difficulties. The curriculum we offer provides a clear progression in learning and skills, geared to the individual needs of each child
Implementation
Every child has the right to education that enables them to develop to their full potential (Article 28). Every child at Priestley benefits from small class sizes with a high teacher student ratio. This supports learning through first-hand experience, that compensates for a lack of incidental learning, so that children with a visual impairment have a greater understanding of concepts which may otherwise prove abstract and remote. The curriculum is dovetailed with a specialist VI curriculum throughout everyday learning e.g braille, ICT accessibility, independent living skills and mobility.
Children receive a high quality of education from the Early Years Foundation Stage Curriculum through to the National Curriculum, and a close working partnership with parents and carers, which enables them to be fully involved in their child’s learning. We encourage independence for each child in both learning and personal development, and where their cultural capital is optimised. This is supported through individualised programmes of training in mobility and Independent Living Skills, facilitated by the on site specialist Habilitation team.
Children are actively involved in their learning so that it is meaningful and enables them to take responsibility for their own progress. We develop their ability to work together as part of a team, to regard positively what other pupils offer and to celebrate their cultural differences and being part of the VI community. They learn to self-advocate through the Junior Leadership Team and opportunities for debate and discussion in lessons, whilst developing an understanding and respect for the views of others. Opportunities for both academic and social inclusion throughout all phases with campus and local schools are encouraged. We strive to develop an attitude of tolerance and respect for all. Learning is not simply about acquiring knowledge but also about developing essential skills that can be related to new and future learning, and we want to encourage children to have fun in learning and to be proud of their achievements. Accompanied with this is supporting pupils to build strong mental health and well-being by building their resilience and coping strategies.
Our implementation focuses on developing, in our pupils, the skills and values to live in a diverse and ever-changing modern world and developing a positive attitude towards lifelong learning and prepare our pupils for adulthood
Impact
At whatever point they leave Priestley Smith Specialist VI School our students will know more and are able to do more than when they started. All students will have acquired the knowledge and cultural capital they need to succeed in life.
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Significant numbers of students in all Key Stages will have made above expected progress from their starting points. Our students will be prepared for their next stage of education, training or employment and be able to read to an age-appropriate level and fluency given their special needs and disabilities.
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In addition, our ambition for our students is that they will leave Priestley Smith School as confident, independent, and resilient children and young people who are proud of their achievements. As a result of our they will be able to advocate for themselves, their disability and listen to others, be happy and able to take their place as positive members of society.
Stage Not Age
Super Sounds Pre-Phonics Scheme
Priestley Smith is committed to providing a structured, inclusive and accessible approach to early reading. We use Twinkl Phonics, a Department for Education validated Systematic Synthetic Phonics (SSP) programme, which provides a clear progression in phoneme-grapheme correspondence, blending and segmenting skills to support children in becoming confident readers. Its flexibility makes it particularly suitable for pupils with vision impairment, as resources can be adapted through changes to font size, style, spacing and colour contrast, alongside the use of tactile and multisensory approaches.
To support phonics teaching, we use the Collins Big Cat reading scheme. The decodable texts are carefully matched to pupils' reading development and are available in accessible formats, enabling pupils with vision impairment to develop fluency, independence and enjoyment in reading.
We follow a stage not age approach, ensuring that phonics is taught according to a pupil's developmental stage rather than their chronological age. As a specialist setting, phonics teaching continues throughout primary school and within our Explore curriculum where assessment shows it is required. This reflects evidence that phonics teaching should be responsive to individual needs and supported through targeted intervention when appropriate.
In EYFS, we use the Super Sounds pre-phonics programme for children who are not yet ready for formal phonics instruction. The programme develops the foundational skills needed for reading, including listening, attention, communication and sound awareness, through the use of real objects and practical experiences. This experiential, multisensory approach is particularly important for children with vision impairment, helping them to build concepts and language through direct experience before moving on to more abstract literacy learning.
Supported by EEF guidance on literacy and SEND, our graduated approach ensures that all pupils develop the communication, phonological awareness and reading skills they need to become successful and enthusiastic readers, regardless of age, stage of development or additional need
Key Stage 4 Courses Offered​
​At Key Stage 4, students continue to study a broad and balanced curriculum that includes a range of compulsory subjects (Maths, English, Science, Food technology and ICT) designed to develop essential academic, personal and independent living skills. Alongside these core subjects, students have the opportunity to choose from a selection of option subjects that reflect their interests, strengths and future aspirations. Students select one subject from Art or Music and one subject from History or Business, enabling them to personalise part of their learning programme while continuing to work towards nationally recognised qualifications at a level appropriate to their individual needs and abilities. The options process encourages students and their families to consider future pathways and make informed choices that support their educational journey.
Subject Curriculum III Pathways
* Parents and carers have the legal right to withdraw their child from any or all Religious Education (RE) lessons. This right can be exercised in full or in part, without the need to provide a reason. Parents and carers who wish to withdraw their child from RE should notify the school in writing. The school will discuss appropriate arrangements for the supervision of pupils who are withdrawn from RE lessons and will respect the wishes of parents and carers in accordance with statutory guidance.