Woodland Pathway At Southgate

Learners in this pathway will often have extremely high levels of anxiety and benefit from trauma informed approaches. Their primary need will usually be their social, emotional and mental health. These pupils will also have complex learning and communication needs.

These pupils require smaller group sizes, higher staffing ratios, and a flexible approach to learning activities. This will be led by the pupil’s interests and passions. They often have very ‘spikey’ profiles and may excel in certain areas. At the earlier stages, learning is delivered through play and project work which may take place out of the school environment. 

As relationships develop through conversation and shared experiences, learning objectives become more explicit and structured activities can take place. The academic ability of these learners is very variable, and some will access the Semi-Formal Curriculum and others the Formal Curriculum. This may be delivered through a personalised curriculum, more ‘formal’ class-based learning or a combination of both.

The approaches used are collaborative in nature and require good working relationships with all important people in pupils’ lives. As pupils progress through their journey, it may be appropriate for them to transfer to another pathway within school or to remain within the Woodland pathway whilst following a more structured class-based timetable.

We seek to ensure all pupils are equipped with the skills they need to access appropriate Post 16 provision and beyond, including community activities and pursuing their interests beyond Southgate School.