Our Curriculum
Equipping learners with social, emotional and educational skills to live fulfilled lives at home, at work, and within the community
Putting the individual first
The flexibility and breadth of our curriculum allows every student to excel according to what inspires and motivates them. The strictures of a mainstream education have proved alienating and ill-suited to the specialist needs of our students. At IMHS, we believe in adventuring beyond the conventions of the classroom, opening up the wider world along the way.
We strike a balance between formal class-based learning and practical exercises away from desks. We revel in the opportunity to be creative, innovative, and imaginative. Preparing our students to live independently as healthy, happy, fulfilled adults is the driving force behind all that we do.
Three key areas
Our curriculum comprises three areas: My Foundation, My Being, and Our World. Each area is designed to develop analytical, social, and practical skills. Each area offers the opportunity to work towards qualifications. Each area addresses an essential aspect of an individual’s existence, both in relation to themselves and to the wider community.
No area is entirely discrete; we combine them in thoughtfully devised projects that allow students to work together whilst continuing to work on the areas and interests best suited to them.
Intensive support and equal opportunity
Our student to staff ratio ensures that we work closely with individuals, adapting our educational strategy accordingly and setting attainable goals. We are able to offer flexible access to one-to-one support, and constantly review our practices, implementing changes of tack and fresh ideas when necessary.
Each area has a leader who oversees their area’s core elements and co-ordinates with the other area leaders to make sure that the different aspects of learning complement one another, providing students with a well-rounded education. Our intensive support is crucial for building trust and confidence, without which building a solid foundation for their future would not be possible.
A holistic education
The curriculum at Ian Mikardo is a ‘Needs Based, Skills Focused and Learner Centred’ model, focused on the development of skills and personal attributes that combine to equip learners with the social, emotional and educational skills to live fulfilled lives at home, in the workplace and within the community.
Our curricular approach is based on the principles of Bronfenbrenner’s ‘Bio-ecological Model of Child Development’. The model describes human development as a transactional process through which growth is influenced by interactions with various aspects and ‘spheres’ of the environment. Bronfenbrenner’s model encourages us to consider how the interaction between the individual and their environment shapes and moulds perceptions, attitudes and aspirations, as they progress through the developmental phases of their lives.
Further information can be found here.
Careers Programme
Preparing our students for working life is integral to our curriculum. From the moment they join our school our careers leader, Karen Raftery, gets to know each student’s strengths and interests. We tailor learning and activities to the individual. We seek to inspire our students, unearth vocations, and equip them with the transferrable skills necessary for realising their interests in the working world.
By embedding our careers programme in our curriculum, we ensure that careers are not thought of as some distant future separate to one’s education. All staff play an active part in preparing students to live as confident, independent adults. Over the years, we have cultivated links with a diverse range of employers. These connections provide our students with invaluable opportunities to develop skills, spark interest, and contribute to the wider community.
An overview
Our multifaceted careers programme includes:
- The application of academic skills to real life contexts
- A plethora of vocational qualifications
- A regular programme of talks given by people of industry, designed to inspire and open up a world of possibilities
- Enriching trips to workplaces within the local and wider community, including opportunities to ‘have a go’ for themselves
- Work placements and organised courses that provide valuable experience and the chance to learn new skills
- A carefully designed series of workshops dedicated to preparing students for working life
- Enterprise schemes driven by the students, building confidence in entrepreneurialism and showcasing their creative skills
All students will:
- Develop a deeper understanding of themselves, their potential and their passion
- Gain a greater knowledge of the wealth of opportunities open to them
- Understand the labour market and the requirements and expectations of employers
- Improve their employability, gaining confidence in soft skills alongside of practical skills
- Learn to prioritise their future, be prepared to weather change, and be supported through key transition periods.
Year by Year Overview
Year 7 – New Beginnings
Helping students learn about themselves, their interests and their strengths is an important part of supporting them in their transition from primary to secondary school. During this year they complete a self-assessment and self-development journal mapping the development of their skills. We also introduce crucial concepts and terminology to do with the workplace at this early stage, including discussions and lessons about tax, wage slips, and the cost of living.
Year 8 – Exploring the Workplace
At this stage, we introduce students to the mechanics of the workplace. In their exploration of the world of work, they gain an understanding of employers’ expectations and the labour market, as well as beginning to build the key and soft skills needed for employment.
Year 9 – Unearthing Vocations
In order to help students discover what types of work inspire them, we have a rich and diverse programme of courses, workshops, and visits to careers fairs to present them with a multitude of careers options. Whether it be a life course run by the London Fire Brigade or a course in coding, by drawing on our many connections to people in industry, we ensure that students have every opportunity to discover their vocation.
Year 10 – Mastering Applications
During the course of this year, students participate in a programme carefully designed to help them apply to their place or position of choice, whether that be a job, placement or college. Each will learn how to write a personal statement, a CV, and a cover letter, as well as being coached in interview technique. These practical skills will equip students to secure work placements that they will undertake in sixth form.
Year 11 – Preparation for Progression
In this year we concentrate on supporting students in making vital decisions about their future. Through a programme of education, information and one-on-one guidance, we help each seriously consider and explore their options. We present them with a range of opportunities for further learning and qualification, including sixth form, FE College, apprenticeships and school leaver programmes. By connecting with each individual, taking into account their strengths and interests, we support them in effective decision-making and plans for their future.
Year 12 – Gaining Work Experience
Students attend a work placement in their chosen field 1-2 days a week for the duration of the academic year. These placements help them to work towards a BTEC Vocational Qualification, allowing them to create a portfolio of evidence for individual units.
Year 13 – Finding Focus
In their final year at IMHS, we aim to set students firmly on their future paths. Each attends a course 3 days a week, selected on the basis of their chosen vocation. In the 2 other days of the school week, their learning and activities are geared towards developing the core and soft skills necessary for their chosen career.
Sen Support
We are a special school for young people with learning difficulties and social, emotional and mental health issues. IMHS’s provision for special needs is comprehensive. Our practice is trauma informed; knowing and understanding our students’ backgrounds is an important first step in supporting their emotional welfare and their education.
We have a dedicated specialist in communication and interaction whose expertise includes working with those with autistic disorders, Asperger’s Syndrome, and speech and language difficulties. We provide support for students with cognition and learning difficulties such as dyslexia and dyspraxia.
Building a relationship with parents and carers is crucial to helping our students progress. We have a range of strategies designed to cultivate these relationships and to ensure an individual’s education is supported outside of school. We also take an active interest in the welfare of students’ parents, and have a dedicated Welfare and Family Support Practioner who lends a helping hand and understanding where needed.
