Curriculum

Our ‘24 hour curriculum’ involves young people learning through all their experiences at Witherslack Hall School.  All subjects are accredited through nationally recognised qualifications to ensure progression into college or work based learning.
 

"The curriculum is outstanding; it meets students' needs particularly well, with a good balance between academic and vocational education.  The quality of the curriculum is a major factor in students' enjoyment of school."
Ofsted

English     Maths                       Science             ICT

History     Geography                RE                    Art

PE            Citizenship                PSHE                Food Technology

Catering  Construction Skills     Motor Vehicle Engineering

Asdan      CoPE                         Environmental Studies Duke of Edinburgh Awards

Aims

We aim to raise the standards of achievement for all our school communitiy and enable our young people to develop into socially and emotionally capable adults, with the skills for lifelong learning and employment.

The school has well equipped specialist teaching areas and all courses have external accreditation recognised nationwide by employers and colleges.  The students also follow a life skills programme which involves lessons taught in the classroom and experiential learning outside the classroom and includes:

• Personal, Social and Health Education
• Citizenship
• Careers Information and Guidance
• Work Related Learning
• Enterprise
• Duke of Edinburgh  

Educational Support

Our Learning Support department is staffed by a team of Teaching Assistants, managed by the SENCO.  Some pupil require 1:1 support in class throughout the day in order to access the lesson content, for other pupils learning support takes the form of support as and when required. Children who meet the criterion for additional support are taken out of class on an extraction timetable for short, daily sessions of targeted support with a teaching assistant.

The department works closely with the Speech and Language therapist to deliver communication programmes to meet the needs of pupils idenitified with speech and language difficulties. 

The Staff

The staff at Witherslack Hall are highly skilled, and work effectively together to create an atmostphere of mutual respect.

We value staff training, and undertake regular training courses to ensure all staff excel in their role and are able to meet the individual needs of the boys.

Staff morale is high, resulting in an enthusiastic workforce who work positively with young people to improve their quality of life.

"I wasn't really confident when I came to the school, but now I'm confident as anybody because the staff have helped me" Student

Key Stage 3 & 4

We use purpose built classrooms and workshops to teach a range of academic and vocational subjects, including:

• Motor Vehicle Engineering
• Environmental Studies
• Catering
• Science
• Construction
• ICT
• Leisure & Tourism 

Post 16

Young people follow an individualised curriculum based on their specific needs. The provision usually includes attendance at a local college, alongside support from the school to ensure that the young person is fully prepared to return to their home area and progress in a positive manner onto a further education college course or into work based training.

Life skills and skills for independent living are incorporated into the curriculum as well as full preparation for transition at the end of the course.

 
"I've had lots of help from my teachers, both care and teaching staff" Student