What Matters Most

• Demonstration of skills through exciting activities in lessons
• Development of long term memory
• Increased abstract learning opportunities
• Collaborative learning with peers
• Independence in life skills for the adult to come

Astronaut Pathway Intent

The Astronaut pathway caters for pupils who are able to access a subject-specific curriculum offer, and are ready to learn suitable concepts from the national curriculum. Pupils on the pathway learn through repetition and the application of skills to differing contexts.

The pupils on the Astronaut pathway have different needs, ranging from Autism Spectrum conditions (ASC), to physical disabilities. All pupils within the Astronaut pathway attend our Co-op Academy Delius BD7 site that opened from September 2021, which is co-located with Co-op Academy Princeville.

The Ambitious Curriculum for Astronaut Pathway 

The pupils within the Astronaut pathway access the national curriculum subjects. The curriculum design has taken into account the needs of the pupils within the pathway and has ensured that some elements of the national curriculum are repeated and revisited in order to ensure that pupils have the opportunity to build long term memory of their knowledge and skills. 

The curriculum is based around a 5 year plan which ensures that all pupils have the opportunity for new skills to be developed, whilst continuing to consolidate previous knowledge. 

What matters most in our pathway: 

Demonstration of generalised skills through exciting activities and lessons

Creating engaging and exciting lessons is at the heart of what we do. We believe that for pupils to fully access their learning their likes, dislikes and choices need to be carefully considered. This is why we learn through a topic-based approach, allowing pupils to work on core skills and their Personalised Learning Goals (PLGs). Pupils on our pathway access a wide range of activities that utilise different provision areas and high-quality resources so that they are able to generalise their knowledge and skills in a variety of contexts. 

Our pathway caters for a wide range of learners who learn in a variety of ways. This may be through using concrete objects, repetition of activities, or using a sensory approach which aims to meet the sensory input that our pupils may require to learn. 

Development of long term recall strategies through structured, sequenced learning activities

Structure plays a key role in the learning on our pathway. We believe that our pupils need a structured and predictable learning routine so that they are able to feel safe, happy and ready to learn. We implement our routine by offering our pupils access to their own individual timetable, travel board and activity schedule, which remains consistent throughout their education. Subject and curriculum leads have designed programmes of learning which focus upon on the development of skills and knowledge over time. Throughout each session and at the end of each lesson sequence pupils are challenged to see what skills and knowledge they can recall and apply.

Increased abstract learning opportunities

Thinking about things in different ways is important for our pupils so that they are equipped to solve any problems that they may face in the future. Pupils on our pathway initially access a wide range of high quality concrete resources to develop skills before progressing to applying their thinking, skills and knowledge to intangible and higher order concepts. 

Collaborative learning with peers and self-reflection

We pride ourselves in creating opportunities for our pupils to form strong, positive and long-lasting friendships with their peers and school staff. This is done through delivering carefully planned weekly PSHE sessions that centre on the key skills of turn-taking, following rules, and regulating emotions. Our pupils are taught the value of friendship and how to work together to reach a common goal. Within each taught session our pupils are given time to process what they have learnt, and given the opportunity to reflect upon their own learning; be that through voice, symbols or sign. Through reflecting upon their own work our pupils begin to take pride and ownership over their learning.

Independence in life skills for the next stages of their journey

The Astronaut pathway focuses on preparing our pupils with a toolbox that they can use and take with them to the next stage of their educational journey. Our pupils are given the time they need to work on key independence and life skills which are embedded within our bespoke curriculum. Pupils are allowed all the time they need to work on self-care, self-hygiene, understanding of the wider world and emotional regulation, so that they are able to independently understand and access the environment around them. We focus on embedding learning through tasks that pupils will complete in the future, for example learning to communicate through cooking sessions, or understanding time by learning to use the washing machine. 

Opportunities and access to the wider community to develop our life skills

As part of our offer, our pupils are given multiple opportunities to access the wider community so that they can develop essential life skills. Our pupils access at least one community visit weekly, this being either swimming, horse riding, or gymnastics. Accessing the community regularly allows our pupils to learn how to be safe when within the community, and through careful collaboration with our parents we can address any concerns regarding pupil safety when accessing the community with their families. We ensure that our pupils are supported to understand stranger danger, who can help us, and how to be safe near roads.