At MMAP, we recognise that pupils who attend the school can have a wide range of emotional, social and educational needs which can impact negatively upon progress, but we are determined to offer support and encouragement to help remove any barriers to learning and ensure that all have the most inclusive education that we are able to provide.

Our curriculum has been designed to offer the highest quality provision, which is enriched with a wide range of activities and opportunities for pupils to expand their cultural capital, prepare them for adulthood and gain a wide range of GCSEs or equivalent qualifications, which will support them to secure a solid progression route and future career pathway.

The delivery of the curriculum is flexible and this enables us to provide an individualised programme of education tailored to meet the needs of each pupil. The aim is to stretch and challenge each pupil to reach the highest standards in everything they do and provide them with a sense of achievement and encouragement to exceed their potential.

Through the enrichment activities provided to support core subjects, we aim to enhance the learning of each pupil, provide re-engagement and bring enthusiasm and excitement back into learning.

With all of this in mind, it is vital that all referring schools support the curriculum, offer and, wherever possible, work with us to ensure smooth reintegration and transition.

Our Key Stage 3 provision provides short term nurture over a period of 12 weeks, with supported re-integration back into mainstream education. The focus of this programme is to assist pupils by providing them with coping mechanisms and strategies they may need to be successful in mainstream. Whilst we still deliver foundational concepts in English and mathematics to support their learning once back in mainstream, the main focus is nurture, mental wellbeing, developing resilience and concentrating on their personal development.

Pupils who are referred to the Maidstone & Malling Alternative Provision have often had significantly disrupted learning, but are not considered less academically able. We provide a fresh start in a smaller provision and our intentions focus strongly on:

• Improving Attendance.
• Progress from baseline.
• Attainment in English and Maths.
• Identifying and securing a strong progression route Post 16, ensuring that pupils remain in employment, education or training.

The curriculum offers GCSE qualifications in English Language, Mathematics, Biology and Art. We also offer BTEC Tech Award Level 1/2 in Construction and the Built Environment, BTEC Tech Award Level 1/2 in Information Technology and NCFE Health & Fitness. To enhance this further, and provide experiences in a wide range of areas. We also spend time focussing on personal and social development through offering lessons in PSHE, Careers and Wellbeing.

This strand has been designed to support pupils with their social, emotional and mental health, including their personal and social development. We devote both stand-alone time and within-subject time in our curriculum to PSHE (personal, social, health and economic education), Careers, SMSC (spiritual, moral, social, and cultural development), BV (British values) and supporting wellbeing. At KS3, pupils have weekly PSHE and Wellbeing lessons. They also have project time to help develop their teamwork and communication skills. At KS4, subjects include PSHE, PSD drop ins (1:1), Careers, careers drop ins (1:1), and Wellbeing. We ensure that pupils are exposed to interesting activities in wellbeing lessons including, archery, rifle shooting, zorbing, canoeing and raft building in the warmer months; and skiing, snowboarding and ice-skating during the winter.

The PSHE curriculum is designed to add additional support for all pupils and covers a wide range of topics including: mental health and wellbeing, developing resilience, RSA, drug and alcohol abuse, positive relationships, anger management, online safety, gang and knife crime, exploitation and consent. In Careers lessons and drop ins, pupils are supported with their CVs and next steps, whilst also studying and developing related knowledge and skills, such as interview skills, application skills and financial responsibility.

Finally, we recognise that reading is essential to achieving in school and beyond, and that gaps in comprehension must be addressed. To improve ability, confidence in, and love of reading, we have a system of reciprocal reading in place, both within the curricula and separately in tutor groups. Pupils also have reading interventions for improving comprehension and phonics when required. It is therefore in our BELIEVE curriculum strand, that all pupils are supported in their personal and social development so that they ‘believe’ that they will achieve and succeed.

We want our pupils at MMAP to succeed in their next steps and future careers. To ensure that this happens, it is crucial that our pupils achieve appropriate qualifications. This ACHIEVE strand has two elements: the vocational and core curricula. Our vocational curriculum provides a hands-on approach and compliments traditional classroom-based learning by incorporating a mixture of practical and written activities. Subjects in this strand include GCSE Art, BTEC Tech Award 1/2 in Construction and the Built Environment, BTEC Tech Award Level 1/2 in Information Technology and NCFE Health and Fitness

The core curriculum consists of GCSE English Language, GCSE Mathematics and GCSE Biology and is by our vocational curriculum. Creativity developed in Art, and reading improvement through our reading programme support GCSE English, the functional mathematics required in Construction supports mathematics studies at GCSE, and the biological components of Health and Fitness assist with the study of body systems in Biology.

All our vocational and core subjects are essential for all pupils within our school. We focus on ensuring that every pupil within our school achieves results within this strand. To further support this strand, we have included the delivery of Functional Skills in Maths English and ICT when required.

It is enough to believe in oneself and achieve one’s immediate goals, but this does not account for the enjoyment of experiencing more than this, enhancing one’s cultural capital and expanding one’s worldviews. Our curriculum goes beyond personal and social development and academia, because our curriculum has opportunities built in for our pupils to get out into the world, meet new people, and amass a collection of meaningful and unique experiences that will help shape their future learning, choices and adventures. We want to give as much as possible to our pupils, so that they develop a thirst and love for learning and adventure for their entire future lives. Our BELIEVE and ACHIEVE curricula both start them on this journey, because they have 1:1 support and discussions about their interests and desires, are exposed to various local and world issues and numerous careers, and are given opportunities to solve problems and critically think.

Our breakfast club is an opportunity not just to get ready for the day ahead, but also to discuss current events and the news. In our reciprocal reading time, we make sure to choose relevant and through-provoking books. We have farming and horse therapy programmes in which our pupils experience caring for the land and animals – developing a sense of moral obligation to our planet and its living things. Our Wellbeing adventures are plentiful and diverse, and this provides not only enjoyment of what our community has to offer, but gives our pupils opportunities to build healthy friendships with their peers – a crucial life skill. Our charitable efforts as a school also help our pupils critically think about others in need, and our pupil voice meetings are regular and ensure that pupils can share their opinions, thoughts and feelings. We have a rewards programme that celebrates successes and encourages our pupils to value their learning, and challenge themselves. A number of our pupils also participate in regular work experience, allowing them to explore future avenues for employment. We also take a number of our KS4 to Mid Kent College every Friday to participate in different areas of vocational training, including Hair and Beauty, Bricklaying, and Mechanics.

It is our EXCEED strand, therefore, that ensures our pupils are ready for their futures beyond their time at MMAP – they can make informed decisions, continue to learn and know that there are many possible adventures that await them.

Our pupils come from a variety of contexts and starting points, and no pupil is the same as another. We believe that all of our pupils need an element of bespoke support. This may mean more focus in one of our curriculum strands over others. It may mean a personalised timetable. It may mean outreach support. It may mean a different ratio of work experience and in-school learning. It may mean more external agency support. It may mean more 1:1 support. We ensure that each and every pupil has the best approach to their learning for them, given their specific contexts and needs, and this is key to our pupils reaching their best progress, attainment and successes.

In addition to being bespoke, we also recognise that our pupils need support from more agencies than ourselves, and this includes parents. We have excellent connections with external agencies that provide extracurricular support for our pupils and their families, so that our pupils can be fully supported in with SEMH, PSD, learning and preparation for their next steps both within and outside of school. We discuss all children regularly in briefings so that we can be consistent in approach and support. We communicate with parents and carers regularly and home schools to cover all aspects of personalised provision. It is only through giving our pupils this multifaceted support that they are able to achieve their personal bests.

The subject rationales and related information follow. Please note that our Key Stage Four cohorts may have adjusted long-term planning due to post-COVID gaps.