Our Intent for those who attend Evergreen
At Evergreen, our curriculum is thoughtfully designed to meet the needs of the children who join us, often during challenging periods in their educational journeys. Many of our children arrive with negative experiences and perceptions of themselves, the curriculum, and education as a whole. They come from diverse schools, academies, and settings across the city and beyond, bringing varied experiences of different curricula and expectations.
Given Evergreen’s role as a provider of short-term placements for children who are excluded, at risk of exclusion, or transitioning into the city, our initial focus is on addressing the specific reasons for their placement. This includes targeted support to improve attitudes, behaviour, and attendance. Objectives are tailored to the unique needs of each child.
To effectively support our students, teaching and learning at Evergreen must be flexible, personalised, and adaptable. Our goal is to address the wide range of needs presented by our children and prepare them for the next phase of their education, whether that is returning to mainstream schooling or moving on to specialist provision.
Our curriculum is designed to:
- Engage and Inspire
To reignite positive learning behaviours in children who have become disengaged from education. By offering contextualised teaching and learning opportunities, we accommodate children who join us at different times, academic levels, and starting points within the curriculum.
- Foster Positive Behaviours and Dispositions
To help children to build new habits and attitudes that support their academic and personal growth. By promoting progress in positive dispositions for learning and positive relationships, Evergreen prepares children to transition successfully to mainstream education or their next educational setting, better equipped with skills and dispositions needed to adapt and thrive.
- Provide an Experiential and Accessible Curriculum
Offer an enriching curriculum that encourages children to explore their world, supports a shift in their self-perception as learners, and facilitates progress from their individual starting points. Core areas of focus include English, communication, and Mathematics.
- Identify and Bridge Gaps in Learning
Assess and address gaps in knowledge, skills, behaviours, and dispositions. By inspiring, motivating, and building on the talents and skills students already possess, but may not fully realise. At Evergreen we help them re-engage with their learning.
- Accommodate Variable Placement Durations
Deliver effective teaching and learning tailored to students who stay with us for varied periods—ranging from 12 weeks or longer.
- Support Reintegration
Align our curriculum with the objectives and outcomes of the National Curriculum and the Wolverhampton Agreed Syllabus for Religious Education (RE). This alignment ensures that children are prepared for their reintegration, whether returning to mainstream education or transitioning to specialist provision.
How we Implement our curriculum.
Children arrive at Evergreen with a range of needs many working below age-related expectations, some with concerns around attendance and all with time absent from continuous learning. To best support their diverse needs, our teaching and learning approach must be flexible, adaptable, and tailored to each pupil.
While our curriculum aligns with the outcomes of the National Curriculum, its implementation is distinct from that of mainstream or specialist settings. We adapt the curriculum to address the unique needs of our children, ensuring it is accessible and effective.
Evergreen is committed to delivering a broad and balanced curriculum, even as we recognise that many of our students may not be able to follow it in its entirety due to their individual academic levels, attitudes to learning, attendance, or transitional expectations. Our focus is on re-engaging learners, inspiring and motivating them, reigniting their joy of learning, and making the most of their time with us.
Our Curriculum Implementation Strategy
To achieve these goals, we:
- Set High Expectations:
Maintain high ambitions for all pupils, regardless of their starting points. - Remove Barriers to Learning:
Address obstacles that impede learning, enabling children to engage fully and develop the skills, behaviours, and attitudes necessary for future success in their education. - Link Learning to the National Curriculum:
Deliver activities and experiences aligned with National Curriculum outcomes, ensuring children remain connected to the learning undertaken by their peers in other settings. - Enrich Cultural Understanding:
Offer enrichment opportunities that enhance cultural development and build cultural capital. - Promote Social-Emotional Growth:
Facilitate experiences that develop and challenge social-emotional skills, fostering healthy relationships and emotional well-being. - Build Resilience and Mental Health:
Provide opportunities that help children build resilience and adopt strategies to support and maintain positive mental health. - Offer Therapeutic Experiences:
Include therapeutic activities that support personal growth, helping students develop positive self-perceptions and valued citizenship. - Teach British Values:
Create opportunities for children to explore, understand, and internalise fundamental British Values. - Conduct Comprehensive Inductions and transitions:
Guide all children through a thorough induction process to assess their academic, pastoral and behavioural needs, ensuring tailored support from the outset. Then later support them through transition into the next stage of their onward learning journey. - Use Baseline Assessments:
Conduct detailed baseline assessments to identify learning gaps and personalise the curriculum to suit each child’s unique starting point.