Baston House Lower School includes pupils from year 1 to 6.
We acknowledge that the transition from Primary to Secondary School may be a challenge to most pupils. We make the progression from Primary to Secondary as structured and predictable as possible. The school has embedded opportunities for primary and secondary phase interaction within the Lower School setting. This interaction reduces the anxieties of pupils as they progress to secondary school: an environment where they will be interacting with familiar faces and often, good friends.
Key Skills
To improve learning and performance in education, six skills areas are embedded in the subjects of the National Curriculum, from which our curriculum is based.
These are described as key skills:
- Communication
- Application of number
- Information technology
- Working with others
- Improving own learning and performance
- Problem solving
- Thinking Skills
Our pupils need to be taught the skills that are needed for learning. Thinking skills complement the six key skills and are embedded in the National Curriculum. The National Curriculum stresses that when pupils use thinking skills they focus on “knowing how” to learn as well as “knowing what” to learn. For pupils with learning difficulties, the development of thinking skills also involves:
- Sensory awareness and perception
- Early cognitive skills
- Additional priorities
In addition to key skills and thinking skills, pupils will need to develop a range of skills which may form priority areas of learning in a range of contexts. Some of these skills are cross curricular but others might be specific to individual pupils in a particular age group.
A key factor in every child’s learning and well-being is the teacher, and we have highly experienced, skilled, dedicated and committed teaching teams and support staff. These teams work together to provide flexibility in meeting the needs of all learners. Our teams work together to provide a safe and engaging environment.
Fundamental to the Baston House School approach is our commitment to personalise the curriculum to the unique qualities and needs of each pupil. Our curriculum has the flexibility to address the individual and very specific needs of each pupil, which will promote the well-being and development of the whole individual.
A range of prominent visual strategies, including highly structured work-systems, predictable changes, phase timings, engaging and appealing learning environments supports our curriculum delivery.