Mayfield Chestnut

 

Chestnut Drive, Brixham.

Learning for life

 

The children who attend Mayfield Chestnut Centre exhibit a wide range of both social, emotional and mental health and educational needs, which by their nature can impinge upon their progress. As a school we work on trauma informed principles, the school provides a flexible curriculum that addresses all areas of the individual student’s needs.

The main aim of the centre is to support student to become:

  • Confident Individuals
  • Successful Learners
  • Responsible Citizens

Where possible this results in children returning to a mainstream provision or us supporting them into a specialist provision that can meet their needs. In all we do we are ambitious and hold high expectations for all children, giving them experiences in school to help raise their own ambition and cultural capital.

Staff are trained to use the PACE approach supported by therapeutic and sensory activities alongside a carefully tailored Individual access to learning Plan, we offer pastoral care to the student and their families. We are sharply focused on maximising children’s ability to read and love of reading. All children read and are read to every day with an aim of promoting reading for pleasure and to support their learning in all areas of the curriculum. We cover the requirements of the National Curriculum, providing a stimulating, broad, balanced and differentiated curriculum, which meets pupil’s individual needs.

The School Day is 0900 – 1500 (30 hours per week)

 

“Learning together to be the best that we can be.”

Curriculum

The Impact of our Curriculum

  • Confident Individuals – Our learners are guided by all staff on how to approach challenges every day. This could be on the playground, in a game or disagreement, or in class in a complex learning challenge. The impact should be that children don’t give up, are highly empowered to succeed, achieve at a high standard and are independent and nurturing.

 

  • Successful Learners – Through the curriculum at Chestnut we strive to ensure that our children reach their full potential in core and foundation subjects. We measure this carefully using a range of strategies and assessment tools, whilst always considering age related expectations and striving to close the gap. The impact of this is that children will be academically and physically prepared for life in their next school stage, in modern Britain and the wider world. Children at the high end of our provision pyramid will be provided with a bespoke provision that develops skills for learning in line with their EHCP targets.

 

  • Responsible Citizens – We want our learners to become well rounded individuals with a clear understanding of complex values like equality, friendship and trust. From this they will develop a character that prepares them for living in the community demonstrating tolerance and equality. We measure this not just by the work our children produce, but in the behaviours we see each and every day on the playground, in corridors, and in the many roles we give them. Our learners will be motivated by a strong personal sense of morality. They will make decisions for the right reasons and in the best interests of their community. They will be able to decide what is right and what is wrong and will be resilient to the influence of others.

Curriculum Intent

  • To encourage children to develop their individual potential to be happy and motivated, confident and valued members of the school and the wider community
  • To create bespoke learning and intervention for every child based on a thorough assessment of need
  • To promote a positive attitude towards learning and acquire a solid basis for lifelong learning
  • To teach children to maximise their skills in reading and to develop a love of reading
  • For children to develop and maximise skills in Oracy (increasing the breadth of vocabulary)
  • For children to develop and maximise skills in English, Maths, PSHE, PE and Computing
  • To support children to be creative and develop their own thinking
  • To provide a curriculum that is sequenced and knowledge rich
  • To actively teach pro social skills
  • To enable children to have respect for themselves and others and keep themselves safe both in the real world and online
  • We aim to promote self-esteem and to enable children to live, socialise and work co-operatively with others
  • To enable children to form positive, healthy relationships
  • To support skills for emotional regulation
  • To encourage all children to have high aspirations for themselves

Curriculum Implementation

We recognise that all children are on a learning journey and our curriculum takes into account their initial starting point, their preferred learning style and their future destination.  Whilst covering all areas of the National Curriculum, learning activities are personalised and planned to provide sequential skill and knowledge development. A sharp focus on the development of reading is key, all children are taught reading skills every day through systematic, synthetic phonics, whole word reading and reading for fluency, comprehension and pleasure. Adults read to children every day and share their love of reading. Knowledge and skills are taught through imaginative half termly themes.

 

We incorporate PSHE, SMSC, British Values and our school values into all areas of our curriculum to promote cultural capital for all children.  Embedded within all learning experiences, children are taught to be successful learners, confident individuals, responsible citizens and effective contributors. 

When topics are introduced subject specific vocabulary will be explicitly taught to enable children to access all areas of the curriculum and support the development of their knowledge. Children will be given opportunities to deepen their learning by revisiting key concepts to cement their skills and knowledge and to apply these to other areas of the curriculum and life. Themes allow teachers to plan for opportunities to challenge and extend individual learning. All teachers will ensure that sensory and physical needs are met by providing individualised sensory and movement opportunities.

Children will be given opportunities to learn on a 1:1 basis, in class groups and with a variety of teachers. The school environment is designed to ensure children feel safe enough to take risks in their learning and are conducive to optimising progress.

Baseline assessments of academic, social and emotional skills are carried out on entry to identify gaps and barriers to learning. Continuous formative assessment is ongoing through observations, questioning, marking and feedback. Summative assessments take place at the end of each term and are used to monitor, evaluate, and identify gaps within the curriculum. Progress in social and emotional development is assessed through the assessment tool Motional, Access to Learning plans and reintegration profiles. Children are encouraged to reflect on their learning and next steps.

Curriculum Overview

Foundation Topic Policy

UKS2 Topic Medium Term Plan

Maths Year – R

Maths Year – 4

KS1 Literacy – Cycle 2

UKS2 Literacy – Cycle 2

Foundation Topic Rolling Program

Maths Year – 1

Maths Year – 5

LKS2 Literacy – Cycle 1

KS1 Topic Medium Term Plan

Maths Year – 2

Maths Year – 6

LKS2 Literacy – Cycle 2

LKS2 Topic Medium Term Plan

Maths Year – 3

KS1 Literacy – Cycle 1

UKS2 Literacy – Cycle 1

Personal Development Overview

PSHE Overview

RSHE Overview

RSHE Letter to Families

Student Council

Up-to-date Minutes for 2022-23

Up-to-date Minutes for 2023-24

Teaching Staff

Sandra Wright

Sandra Wright

Head of Centre

Lisa Jordain

Lisa Jordain

Assistant Head

MaxineHarlock

MaxineHarlock

Teacher

Kaydee Prince

Kaydee Prince

Teacher

Jamie Brown

Jamie Brown

Teacher

Nicky Timmins

Nicky Timmins

Teacher

Jen Williams

Jen Williams

Teacher

Paige Spencer

Paige Spencer

Teacher (UQ)

Lou Dart

Lou Dart

Teacher

Will Young

Will Young

Teacher

Feedback

A parent expressed how amazed she was by the difference in her child after just three weeks. A child that has always hated school and never attended full time before is now sad when it is Saturday because he wants to come. She feels that we are magicians.

Parent

September 2023

“The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. Keeping pupils and students safe is a priority for the school. A kind and caring approach underpins practice”

OFSTED

2019

“Teachers establish calm, purposeful and positive learning environments. Pupils have appropriate support and well prepared equipment, so they learn successfully”

OFSTED

2019

‘We are just so pleased with his progress’.

Parent

July 2023

Just had a phone call from a new starter’s mum saying how wonderful Chestnut is. Mum thought the school would be bigger and that it may feel chaotic but she was thrilled to see small class sizes and children focused on their activities, sat learning or engaged in something creative. She described all adults greeting her and and her son with a smile and she noticed adults having lots of patience with pupils. Mum’s view has been turned around as a result of her visit and she is now looking forward to him starting somewhere that is nurturing, inclusive and where the teachers are all so invested in giving the best support possible to all pupils

Parent

June 2023

Contact Us

Mayfield School

Moor Lane, Watcombe
Torquay, Devon, TQ2 8NH

01803 328375

[email protected]

Mayfield College

Preston Down Road,
Paignton, Devon, TQ3 1RN

01803 554940

[email protected]

Chestnut Centre

Chestnut Drive,
Brixham, Devon, TQ5 0EQ

01803 857242

[email protected]

Mayfield School

Mayfield College

Mayfield Chestnut Centre

please feel free to get in touch…
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