Curriculum & Teaching
Curriculum Philosophy
At our school, learning is about re-connection, confidence and possibility. Many of our students arrive having experienced disrupted education or barriers to engagement. Our curriculum is therefore built to reignite curiosity, rebuild self-belief and open meaningful pathways to adulthood.
We provide a broad, balanced and ambitious curriculum that mirrors the scope of the national curriculum whilst being adapted to the needs, aptitudes and aspirations of our students. Education, therapy and care are fully integrated, ensuring that progress in well-being and self-regulation sits alongside academic and vocational success.
Teaching & Learning
Teaching across all key stages is individualised and evidence informed. Teachers, therapists and support staff work together to identify each student starting point and learning style, using assessments to plan coherent, adaptive and engaging programmes of study. Teachers monitor students’ understanding and adapt their teaching in response to emerging needs.
Our classrooms, workshops, outdoor spaces and community settings provide varied and practical context for learning, helping students apply knowledge and skills in real life situations. Read more about our facilities.
We believe that every student deserves:
- An ambitious pathway, tailored to their strengths and interests.
- A skilled and nurturing team who understands their barriers and potential.
- A whole school therapeutic approach, underpinned by compassion.
- A curriculum that connects education, and life beyond school.
Whether in the classroom, forest school, vocational skills centre or outreach settings, our teaching aims to help every student feel safe, successful and seen, developing the confidence, curiosity and capability to move forward with pride.
Our Curriculum takes into full consideration:
Aptitudes, interests and strengths
Social, communication & sensory needs
Assessment of prior learning gaps
Cognitive & emotional readiness to learn
EHCP outcomes & individual targets
Personal context and aspirations for adulthood
Our Curriculum Ethos
The leadership of Raise Education and Wellbeing School have developed a curriculum that enables our team of skilled, caring and committed educators, pastoral and therapeutic professionals to create safe and nurturing learning environments where students and staff are safe, can progress and thrive.
Our Curriculum Ethos framework lays out how we map self-efficacy, self-regulation, knowledge and outcomes to our formal School Curriculum.
Assessment & Progress Monitoring
Ongoing formative assessment is at the heart of our teaching and learning. Teachers continuously check understanding through observation, questioning and small tasks, allowing them to adapt lessons in real time to meet students’ needs. This ongoing assessment ensures gaps are addressed promptly, strengths are extended, and learning is personalised helping every student make steady, meaningful progress, enabling next steps to be planned.
Termly summative assessments track academic progress and personal development. This informs future planning, celebrate achievements and ensures each student stays on track to reach their full potential.
Raise Education & Wellbeing School invests in digital and evidence-based systems to assess and monitor students’ academic progress, social emotional well-being, behaviour patterns and readiness to learn. This rich insight and identification of emerging needs, enables teachers, SENCo’s, intervention practitioners and therapist to plan targeted interventions, adjust support and celebrate growth over time. Regular reviews with families ensure that progress is transparent and every student remains supported, stretched and valued.
Personal development
Personal development is a golden thread running through every aspect of our provisions. It has been judges as Outstanding in 3 consecutive Ofsted inspections. The school’s approach combines high quality, PSHE (Personal, Social, Health & Economic), SMSC (Spiritual, Moral, Social & Cultural), enrichment, SEAL (Social and Emotional Aspects of Learning) and therapeutic input to ensure that every student develops the knowledge, skills and character to lead fulfilling lives beyond education. We recognise that many of our students arrive with interrupted educational journeys and complex social, emotional or mental health needs. Our curricula and culture are therefore designed to rebuild trust, nurture self-worth, enable students to make positive choices for their future.
Through a relational and trauma-informed ethos, personal development is not a discrete subject but a lived experience across the school day. The Circle of Adults model ensures that every student is known, valued and supported, with staff working collaboratively to address barriers and celebrate progress. The SEAL framework underpins this approach, explicitly teaching self-awareness, empathy, emotional regulation and positive relationships. PSHE and enrichment activities promote well-being, inclusion and social responsibility, while SMSC learning is woven into curriculum themes, assemblies, and community engagement.
From Key Stage 3 through to Key Stage 5, students progress through a clear developmental pathway that bills independence, resilience, and readiness for adulthood. Therapeutic and vocational experiences strengthen personal identity, confidence and purpose, ensuring that each student leaves equipped not only with academic outcomes but with the emotional literacy, relationships and self-belief to thrive in life beyond school.
Personal development pathways
Assess
Plan
Do
Review
Goal: to develop well-rounded and happy YP who are equipped to navigate the adult world.
Following our assess, plan, do, review protocol
Our Broad curriculum helps students to become:
Learners for life, developing skills and knowledge at school and beyond
Independent adults who collaborate with others whilst retaining independent thinking and problem-solving skills
Responsible citizens who make positive contributions to British society
Confident, emotionally resilient people who live safe, healthy and fulfilling lives
“A meticulously designed programme of personal development is the foundation of every aspect of school life. This includes the curriculum and the wider opportunities and pastoral care that the school provides. The school carefully identifies and provides the knowledge and experiences that will most benefit each pupil….. support for pupils’ social, emotional and personal development is carefully threaded through the curriculum. Pupils enjoy the vast array of opportunities that are a vital part of the school’s provision. This includes the school’s wilderness programme and an extensive art and music offer. Pupils are encouraged to pursue their interests through carefully tailored work experience opportunities which help to broaden their horizons”.
(Ofsted, Feb 2025)