Villa Real Road, Consett, Co Durham DH8 6BH | [email protected] | 01207 503651
CLASSES AND CURRICULUM
VILLA REAL
At Villa Real School we are committed to inspiring our pupils by:
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Challenging them to achieve their best by providing them with opportunities and experiences, based on a broad, balanced, exciting and challenging curriculum
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Working with parents/carers and our community to create a positive and nurturing environment where our pupils can feel happy, safe, cared for and respected
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Giving them the skills necessary to begin the journey towards becoming responsible and successful adults, and to live life to the full
FRAMEWORK SUMMARY
Click on the picture to download our Curriculum Framework Summary
Curriculum Goals
SCHOOL SPECIALISMS
Autsim
Autism is one of the many specialist provisions in Villa Real School. There is a class for autistic pupils or students in every key stage that provides an individual and personalised approach tailored to meet need so that the pupils’ sense of well-being is improved and they are able to take advantage of learning opportunities and achieve their potential. A range of 4 curriculum pathways are on offer.
MORE ABLE AND TALENTED
At Villa Real School those students who are identified as ‘More Able and Talented’ are those who have made the most progress (reflected in B Squared levels and teacher assessment) in Maths, English or/and Science, across the school, in that year, and who are, if necessary, socially able enough to use this ability to help other pupils’ progress.
They are also those students who show talent in an area such as music, art, sport or technology.
CONDUCTIVE EDUCATION
Conductive Education is a learning system for people with motor disorders such as cerebral palsy. It is an active learning process rather than a therapy or treatment, and was developed in Hungary by Dr Andras Peto in the 1940’s and 50’s.
Conductive Education is a holistic approach encompassing all aspects of a child’s learning including emotional and academic development, as well as physical development. The aim of Conductive Education is to enable children with motor disabilities to learn to become as active and independent in their lives as possible.
Conductive Education has 2 Conductor Teachers; Kata Molnar and Natalie Fitzpatrick and two trained conductors Fiona Pattison and Michelle Rutherford. The Conductive Team work to provide Conductive Education for pupils in EYFS, Key Stage 1,Key Stage 2 and Key Stage 3.
This group currently comprises of 19 pupils. We aim to expand this provision as appropriate when new children enter the school. We also provide CE sessions weekly for pupils from Key Stage 4 and Key Stage 5 to support improvement in mobility.
COMMUNICATION
Communication is an essential part of everyday life. It is also a fundamental human right. It is our primary means of accessing and conveying information and expressing our needs and wants. It is how we explain our thoughts and emotions and interpret those of others, make choices, express feelings and build relationships. It forms the basis of how we interact socially with others.
At Villa Real School we believe that becoming a competent communicator is key to our pupils/students achieving success within their school, personal and adult life. As such, communication is at the core of all our work at Villa Real and is embedded within the Curriculum and the wider school day. Developing communication skills is the responsibility of all staff and they should have the knowledge, skills, support and training to ensure that all pupils/students reach their communicative potential.
Effective communication is about more than just spoken language. It incorporates body language, facial expression, gestures and tone of voice. It may also include more formal modes of alternative and augmentative communication (AAC) including but not limited to; Makaton sign language, sign supported English, a variety of symbol communication in both low and high tech forms, some of which use voice output.
At Villa Real School we pride ourselves on providing a ‘total communication’ environment. A Total Communication Approach involves using and accepting all types of communication, not just speech, equally. This approach includes facial expression, body language, gesture, sign, sounds, symbols, written language, pictures, objects of reference and electronic aids.
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Where the method of communication being used is not the most effective or appropriate we will work with the pupil/student to develop their communication skills, whereby the adults model the appropriate strategies to ‘teach’ how and when the modes can be used most effectively. This research based strategy is called Aided Language Stimulation.
Villa Real has achieved the Communication Friendly Award in 2020, and is currently re-accrediting.
The Communication team and ELKLAN champions provide training opportunities for staff, monitor students’ progress and implement new speech and language programmes supported by a Speech and Language therapist employed by the school.
