The David Ross Education Trust

David Ross Education Trust schools create a rich and exciting learning environment that inspires students to become their confident, academic best.

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Eresby Special School

Eresby Special School maintains a caring and happy atmosphere where pupils can feel safe and are encouraged to achieve their personal best. Enabling them to leave school as confident, happy and independent as possible.

Physical Development 

Physical Development is a fundamental subject that underpins vital foundations across all areas of the curriculum. Within the curriculum it supports and promotes our three key drivers: Independence skills, Preparation for Adulthood and Communication. We recognise that Physical Development can offer our students essential skills for future life including teamwork, communication and recognising the value of health. We believe that Physical Development can have a positive effect on pupil’s wellbeing; both physically and mentally. We adopt an inclusive approach to ensure all our pupils have access to an engaging and enriching curriculum which is adapted to support the pathways approach. Across all pathways we implement SAQ (Speed, agility and quickness). Initially we start with early essential movement patterns such as rolling, crawling, and pushing and pulling actions for example. Whilst the curriculum is taught in pathways, students are given opportunities to participate in inclusive activities and games within school and across the trust and the wider community. 

The pre-formal pathway is student centred and delivered using an adaptive approach that incorporates individual therapy plans including physiotherapy, occupational therapy, and sensory impairment plans supported by the NHS. Sessions can be taught daily depending on the needs of the students and these are often delivered in a cross curricular way. Some pre-formal classes, where appropriate, have daily access to continuous provision that aims to promote physical development. The main focus within the pre-formal pathways is to develop early essential movement patterns and locomotor skills to promote independence skills and functional movements.

In the formal pathway the curriculum is taught through encountering and participating in various individual and team games. They will begin sessions recalling and demonstrating early essential movements using the Horizon Five strategy. Throughout lessons students will develop their skill-based techniques through a Skill Development Focus and will then be expected to apply these to individual or team games with a portion of the lesson having a Skill in Game Development Focus. Our curriculum enables our pupils to develop their co-ordination, teamwork, motor skills and communication skills. We offer a wide-ranging curriculum that allows our pupils to experience invasion games, dance, swimming and team games.

The primary semi- formal pathway is delivered similarly to the pre formal pathway with the aims of developing early essential movements and encouraging social skills by engaging in physical activities alongside peers. The secondary and post-14 semi-formal pathways take a similar approach to the formal pathway with structured physical development sessions taking place weekly, with Skills Development Focus and Skill in Game Development Focus aspects of sessions. The proportion of the lessons assigned to each aspect, is adapted and catered to the students within the class.

Our curriculum aims to ensure that our students:

  • Enjoy participating in a wide range of sports and physical activities
  • Develop essential values include teamwork and sportsmanship
  • Develop their own skills within individual sports
  • Recognise that exercise can help them lead a healthy and active life
  • Develop communication skills with peers and staff
  • Develop independent life skills including changing, personal hygiene and taking responsibility for own belongings

 

The school participates in sporting competitions such as rounders and athletics against other special schools and charity challenges.

We are also extremely lucky to have an outside bike track and a wide range of bikes accessible to all our pupils, which is used by students at playtimes and during certain lessons.

The benefits of cycling are:

  • Crucial for physical and mental health
  • Healthy body
  • Fun way to exercise
  • Breathing and blood circulation
  • The digestive system and quality sleep
  • Trunk control and balance
  • Cognitive development
  • Visual perception
  • Social acceptance