Curriculum Intent
Newbury Manor School is passionate about delivering a creative and personalised curriculum that meets the needs of all pupils ensuring they are successful in their lives, both in the school community and beyond. The curriculum is under-pinned by a strong belief in our core values of perseverance, equality, aspiration, compassion, opportunity, courage and knowledge. Our curriculum strives for all pupils reach their full potential and develop into the most independent and successful young adults that they can be. Newbury Manor School is a strong, nurturing community, which creates a sense of belonging and celebrates individual success at every opportunity.
Provision, which is based on developing strong positive relationships, identifies the needs of each individual pupil to develop communication, independence and social skills that will equip them as adults. The school believes that working within communities and fully utilising all aspects of learning outside the classroom are central to supporting well-being and preparation for adulthood. Providing different pathways through a holistic approach allows pupils to progress on personalised learning journeys. The curriculum is reflective of pupil need, regardless of cognitive level, and seeks to build progress in a bespoke manner. It is not limited by an age-specific approach, but instead pathways are shaped by needs identified within EHCPs, including as appropriate, access to a range of qualifications and accreditations. The curriculum at Newbury Manor School is designed to develop transferable skills that equip all pupils for life beyond school including looking at career paths. Careers is embedded into the curriculum to support our young people’s futures across all ages & stages to make informed decisions and to raise aspirations and to challenge stereotypes.
Our Pathways
🟨 Yellow Pathway: Immersive
The Yellow Pathway is designed for learners who require a highly personalised, sensory-based curriculum. Learning focuses on developing communication, cognition, sensory exploration, physical development, and emotional wellbeing through engaging and meaningful experiences that help learners understand and interact with the world around them.
Curriculum Pillars
- My Communication and Interaction
- My Cognition and Challenge
- My Sensory, Physical and Independence
- My Social and Emotional Well-being
Wider offer:
- Therapeutic and Wellbeing Provision (SALT/OT/Music & Art Therapy)
- Community Visits
- Sensory Enrichment Experiences
- Physical (E.g-Swimming, trampolining)
🟧 Orange Pathway: Communication and Choices
The Orange Pathway supports learners to develop communication, make informed choices, and build greater independence. The curriculum focuses on self-determination, participation, and lifelong learning, enabling pupils to become more confident, engaged, and active in their daily lives and communities.
Curriculum Pillars
- My Communication, Language and Literacy
- My Thinking, Problem Solving and Numeracy
- My Emotional Well-Being
- My Independence
- My World
- My Physical Well-Being
- My Creativity
Wider offer:
- Therapeutic and Wellbeing Provision (SALT/OT/Music & Art Therapy)
- Independent and Life Skills Opportunities (Cooking, travel training, money awareness)
- Community and Shopping Trips
- Physical (E.g-Swimming, trampolining)
🟦 Blue Pathway: Towards Independence
The Blue Pathway provides learners with a broad and balanced curriculum while developing the skills needed for increasing independence. Alongside core academic subjects, pupils learn practical life and vocational skills, preparing them for adulthood, community participation, and future opportunities.
Curriculum Pillars
- English
- Maths
- Science
- Humanities
- PSHE
- Life & Vocational Skills
- My Physical Well-Being
Wider offer:
- Accreditation and Qualification
- Work-Based Learning
- Personal Development and Enrichment
- Travel Training and Community Trips
- Therapeutic and Wellbeing Provision
- Off-Site PE, Sporting and Enrichment Activities
🟩 Green Pathway: Employability
The Green Pathway is designed for learners working towards employment, further education, and greater independence. Through a combination of academic learning, employability skills, and real-world experiences, pupils develop the knowledge, confidence, and practical skills needed for successful adult life.
Curriculum Pillars
- English
- Maths
- Science
- Humanities
- PSHE
- P.E
- I.T
- Employability Skills
Wider offer:
- Accreditation and Qualifications (including GCSEs)
- Work experience & Careers Preparation
- Travel Training and Independent Community Access
- Therapeutic and Wellbeing Provision
- Off-Site PE, Sporting and Enrichment Activities
Numeracy across the curriculum
Literacy, Oracy, Reading and Writing Across the Curriculum
At Newbury Manor School, literacy and oracy are embedded across all areas of the curriculum, ensuring that learners develop the communication skills needed to access learning, build relationships and participate confidently in everyday life. Opportunities to speak, listen, read and write are woven throughout lessons, enabling pupils to communicate their ideas, ask questions, express opinions and engage meaningfully with the world around them.
Alongside this cross-curricular approach, we explicitly teach communication, reading and writing through timetabled daily lessons. These structured sessions provide learners with the strong foundations needed to develop language, vocabulary, comprehension, reading fluency and written communication skills, ensuring progression is carefully planned and built over time.
We recognise that effective communication is the foundation for learning, independence and preparation for adulthood. Reading is promoted across all pathways through books, stories, symbols, communication systems and real-life texts matched to learners’ individual needs. Writing opportunities are integrated throughout the curriculum, allowing pupils to record, create, reflect and communicate for a range of audiences and purposes. Oracy is equally valued, with learners encouraged to develop vocabulary, discussion skills, confidence and self-expression across all subjects.
Early phonics plays a crucial role in developing the foundations of literacy. Through systematic and structured phonics teaching, pupils learn to recognise sounds, develop phonological awareness, decode words and build the skills needed for successful reading and writing. For some learners, this involves formal phonics programmes, while for others the focus may be on developing early communication, listening, attention and sound discrimination skills that underpin future literacy development.
By embedding oracy, reading and writing throughout the curriculum, alongside delivering high-quality daily literacy and phonics instruction, we ensure that every learner is supported to become a confident communicator, an engaged reader and an independent learner, fully prepared for life beyond school.
