We believe that education should be tailored to the individual needs of each child – and that's why we offer a flexible and personalised programme. Our learners are encouraged to take ownership of their learning and pursue their interests through project-based activities. This approach not only fosters a love for learning but also equips them with the skills they need to succeed in life.
Our approach is child-led, meaning that we adapt and tailor our methods to match the unique learning style and pace of each individual child. We believe that true growth and engagement happen when children are actively involved in their own education, and our project-based approach fosters a love for learning, curiosity, and critical thinking.
So what are our goals? We want Oaks Rise to:
- Feel fun, safe and neuro-affirmative
- Be engaging, so that pupils are motivated to learn
- Include opportunities to learn independently
- Foster collaboration with others, at a level that the learner is able to manage
- Promote life skills that are meaningful to the individual
- Nurture a sense of holistic wellbeing (recognising that how this looks and feels will have huge individual variance)
- Enable learners to feel part of a community
- Challenge learners in a safe, supportive way
- Allow for safe mistake-making and reflection
- Develop their sense of unique identity (What matters to them? How do they learn best? What areas do they wish to develop in themselves?)
- Incorporate individual EHCP targets, which are co-produced with them wherever possible
Our qualified teachers take on the role of learning guides rather than instructors and meet learners where their interests lie.
Key elements of the National Curriculum in English and Maths are embedded throughout all learning so that if learners choose to take GCSEs, they are not at a disadvantage.
We recognise that neurodivergent children and young people face particular challenges and vulnerabilities, which is why we have developed a unique specialised, neuro-affirming PSHE curriculum. Our PSHE curriculum helps learners to understand more about the way their brain works, and provides them with the tools they need to self-regulate and develop healthy relationships.
From the outset, we collaborate with learners and their families to understand what their educational journey might look like, beyond Oaks Rise, and start gently planning and equipping them for their next steps.
We strive to support learners to develop their interests and independent learning skills through fortnightly meetings with the Head of Learning to reflect, re-plan, set targets, and discuss what they have learned.
Our learners’ outcomes
Each child and young person at Oaks Rise has a bespoke Individual Learning Plan which reflects their unique learning and support needs, talents, strengths, and outcomes.
Where appropriate and relevant, we also aim for learners to achieve the following common outcomes:
- Understand their unique strengths and challenges as a learner
- Understand and be proud of their neurodivergent identity
- Feel confident to express their own opinions
- Engage respectfully with the opinions of others
- Pursue their own academic goals with some independence
- Plan their learning, with some support
- Understand and accept what they do not yet know/cannot do and be open to developing these areas
- Have developed confidence in asking for help from others (adults and peers)
- Have meaningful and achievable goals for the future
- Be working toward their individual EHCP goals
- Feel inspired to learn and open to making mistakes as part of the learning process
- Be working toward understanding their own wellbeing needs - emotional, sensory and social
- Feel part of a community and able to work and play alongside or with their peers comfortably
- Have the foundations to begin working toward GCSEs (if desired)