Lighthouse

The Lighthouse Specialist Support Base (SSB)

Curriculum Intent

The Lighthouse is a Specialist Support Base (SSB) within Seaton Sluice First School. Our provision supports children aged 4–9 with an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) who have been allocated specialist provision by Northumberland County Council.

At The Lighthouse, we believe that every child can learn, achieve and flourish when provided with the right environment, support and opportunities. Our curriculum is carefully designed to meet the unique strengths, needs and aspirations of each pupil, enabling them to develop the skills, confidence and independence required for their next stage of education and life.

We recognise that our pupils learn differently. Many of our learners think in concrete ways and may experience difficulties with communication, attention, executive functioning, emotional regulation, sensory processing and working memory. Some pupils may find it challenging to understand abstract concepts or retain information when learning is presented through traditional methods.

Therefore, our curriculum is designed to make learning accessible, meaningful and achievable. We reduce cognitive overload by using clear routines, familiar structures, visual supports, practical experiences and regular opportunities to revisit learning. This enables pupils to develop secure understanding, retain knowledge more effectively and apply skills in a range of contexts.

We recognise that pupils learn at different rates and in different ways. Progress is measured against each child's individual starting point, ensuring that all achievements are valued and celebrated. Our ambition is for every pupil to experience success and make meaningful progress, regardless of their level of need.

For some pupils, learning is primarily developmental and focuses on communication, emotional regulation, independence and functional life skills. For others, who demonstrate readiness and appropriate behaviours for learning, access to elements of the National Curriculum is provided through adapted teaching within the hub and, where appropriate, alongside mainstream peers. This ensures that every pupil receives an ambitious curriculum that is appropriately matched to their individual stage of development.

In The Lighthouse, we strive to equip our pupils with the communication, confidence, independence and resilience needed to flourish within their communities and the wider world.

Our Curriculum Aims

Our curriculum aims to:

• Enable every learner to become as independent as possible in preparation for their next stage of education and adulthood.
• Develop functional communication skills, ensuring each child can effectively express their needs, choices, feelings and ideas using their preferred communication method.
• Equip pupils with essential life skills that promote confidence, resilience and participation in everyday activities.
• Foster emotional regulation, self-awareness and social understanding, enabling pupils to build positive relationships and engage successfully with others.
• Provide a safe, nurturing and structured environment where pupils feel secure, valued and ready to learn.
• Develop confidence, curiosity, resilience and a lifelong love of learning through practical and meaningful experiences.
• Prepare pupils to participate as actively and independently as possible within their families, communities and future educational settings.

Curriculum Implementation

Our curriculum is highly personalised and rooted in each child's EHCP outcomes, developmental needs, interests and aspirations.

Learning is delivered through meaningful, engaging and practical experiences that promote communication, independence and functional skills across all areas of development. Staff use ongoing assessment, observations and professional recommendations to ensure that learning remains responsive to pupils' changing needs.

The curriculum follows a spiral model, where key concepts, skills and experiences are revisited regularly with increasing levels of challenge. This allows pupils to consolidate learning, strengthen understanding and apply skills across different contexts.

Teaching is implemented through:

• Structured and predictable routines.
• Clear visual supports and communication systems.
• Practical, sensory-rich learning experiences.
• Small-step teaching and personalised targets.
• Explicit modelling and repetition.
• Play-based and experiential learning.
• Real-life opportunities to practise and generalise skills.
• Community-based learning experiences.
• Embedded therapeutic approaches.

Our staff work closely with families and a range of professionals, including Speech and Language Therapists, Occupational Therapists and Physiotherapists, to ensure a consistent and holistic approach to supporting pupils.

Learning takes place through:

• Developmental curriculum pathways.
• Adapted National Curriculum learning.
• Continuous provision.
• Adult-led teaching.
• Targeted interventions.
• Communication and social interaction opportunities.
• Life skills and independence activities.
• Outdoor learning and community experiences.

Weekly visits to local parks, beaches, woodland areas and community facilities provide valuable opportunities for pupils to apply learning in meaningful real-world contexts. These experiences support communication, social understanding, independence, emotional regulation and community participation.

Therapeutic approaches are embedded throughout daily practice and may include:

• Speech and language strategies.
• Occupational therapy programmes.
• Sensory regulation support.
• Physiotherapy recommendations.
• Social communication interventions.
• Emotional wellbeing and co-regulation approaches.

Developmental Curriculum Pathway

Pupils who are working within the earliest stages of development and are not yet ready to access a traditional subject-specific curriculum follow our Developmental Curriculum Pathway.

This pathway provides an ambitious and meaningful curriculum that focuses on the foundational skills required for lifelong learning, independence and wellbeing. Learning is delivered through themed projects and rich practical experiences.

The developmental curriculum focuses on seven key areas:

Problem Solving

Developing early mathematical understanding, cognitive skills, attention, reasoning, cause and effect, and problem-solving abilities.

Literacy and Communication

Supporting communication, language development, early literacy skills, understanding, expression and pupil voice.

Physical Movement

Developing gross motor skills, fine motor skills, coordination, sensory processing and physical confidence.

Our World

Encouraging exploration, creativity and curiosity through sensory experiences, expressive arts, music, play and environmental awareness.

Social, Emotional and Mental Wellbeing

Supporting emotional regulation, resilience, self-awareness, relationship-building and social understanding.

Activities of Daily Living

Developing practical life skills including cooking, cleaning, community access, travel, transitions and participation in everyday routines.

Personal Activities of Daily Living

Promoting independence in dressing, eating, drinking, toileting and personal hygiene.

This pathway ensures that pupils experience a rich, meaningful and aspirational curriculum that supports holistic development and prepares them for future learning and life.

Assessment and Monitoring

Assessment within The Lighthouse is personalised, holistic and continuous.

Progress is monitored through:

• Ongoing teacher assessment.
• Daily observations.
• EHCP outcomes.
• Individual learning plans and targets.
• Cherry Garden Framework assessments.
• Therapy recommendations and professional reports.
• Engagement and participation measures.
• Pupil voice and family contributions.
• Annual Review processes.

For pupils who are not yet ready for subject-specific learning, progress is assessed using developmental and engagement-based approaches that recognise small but significant steps in learning.

We recognise that progress is not always linear. For some pupils, success may be evidenced through increased engagement, improved communication, greater independence, enhanced emotional regulation or increased participation in learning. These achievements are valued equally alongside academic progress and are celebrated as important milestones in each child's development.

Regular progress meetings and multidisciplinary reviews ensure that provision remains responsive to pupils' changing needs. Assessment information is used to adapt teaching, interventions and support strategies to maximise progress and participation.

Curriculum Impact

The impact of The Lighthouse curriculum is demonstrated through the progress pupils make towards becoming confident, independent and successful learners.

We expect pupils to:

• Develop increasingly effective communication skills.
• Become more independent in daily routines and self-care activities.
• Improve their ability to regulate emotions and access support when needed.
• Develop positive relationships with peers and adults.
• Increase engagement, attention and participation in learning.
• Apply skills across different environments, including home, school and the wider community.
• Build resilience, confidence and self-esteem.
• Make meaningful progress towards their EHCP outcomes and individual targets.
• Develop the knowledge, skills and behaviours needed for their next stage of education and life.

Impact is measured through:

• Progress towards EHCP outcomes.
• Individual learning plan reviews.
• Ongoing formative assessment.
• Cherry Garden Framework assessments.
• Observational evidence.
• Therapy reviews and professional reports.
• Family feedback.
• Pupil voice.
• Annual Review processes.
• Engagement, communication and independence measures.

Success at The Lighthouse is not measured solely through academic attainment. We recognise that pupils begin their journey from different starting points and progress at different rates. For many of our learners, the most significant outcomes are increased independence, improved communication, greater emotional regulation, enhanced social understanding and the ability to participate more fully in everyday life.