At Cotmanhay Junior School, some pupils with more complex special educational needs or disability are not yet developmentally ready to learn the National Curriculum. In these instances, we teach a semi-formal curriculum. Children who need a semi-formal curriculum do not have the communication and interaction skills required to access age-related or large-group learning. In addition, they may have significant sensory and physical needs, cognition and learning delay and more complex difficulties with their social and emotional skills. 

We are aspirational for all pupils at Cotmanhay Junior School and have experience of supporting children with more complex needs to make phenomenal progress from their starting points whilst being included fully in the life of the school. Each child's learning journey is unique, and we therefore create bespoke plans for children who need more specialist teaching and learning, funded by their Education, Health and Care Plan or Inclusion Panel funds.

The semi-formal curriculum is more play-based and explorative, starting from the child's developmental level to build secure progress. Children are learning to be, to express, to attend and to realise. The model below gives more detail about our semi-formal pathway.