The Dorothy Goodman School aims to provide for all students a curriculum that is broad, balanced and relevant: that meets their individual, prioritised needs: that includes the National Curriculum - thus enabling all pupils to develop their full educational and social potential.

To provide a secure and stimulating environment that will encourage all of our pupils to contribute positively to home, school and community life.

To provide an environment within which our pupils are able to develop their communication skills to the full, and which will encourage positive self-image, self-expression and personal advocacy.

To ensure that all pupils have access to appropriate Integration opportunities with their peers and with others, both in school and within the local community.

To provide opportunities for students to work towards independence and social competence: and to encourage students to make real choices, whilst at the same time understanding and considering the needs of others.

The Curriculum

The Dorothy Goodman School aims to provide a safe, stimulating and caring educational environment, in which all children are able to learn and develop their social, creative and academic skills. We provide access to a broad, balanced and relevant curriculum, with a wide range of learning experiences available. Also we recognise the need to offer specialised educational work, depending on the identified needs of the pupils.

Throughout the curriculum, students are encouraged to have an understanding of themselves and the world about them, enabling them to become self-confident young people and to develop skills in a setting, which is both structured and caring.

Our curriculum is made up of core subjects: English (including communication), Maths and Science. Additionally we consider Personal Social Health & Economic education (PSHE) to be particularly important for our pupils.

We also provide full access to the National Curriculum Foundation Subjects: Information and Communication Technology, Art and Design, Physical Education, Music, History, Geography, Design Technology, Modern Foreign Languages and Citizenship. 

Furthermore, we offer access to some Non-Statutory subjects including: Religious Education, Careers Education and Work Related Learning.

The work is made relevant and interesting through careful planning and a programme of thematic work, which links the subjects together and makes them meaningful to our pupils. A wide range of resources support the curriculum including a central library, comprehensive audio-visual material, computer software, CD ROMs and Internet access, in addition to AAC (Alternative and Augmentative Communication) resources. All classes, with the exception of the 16-19 year olds follow the Literacy & Numeracy frameworks, although the emphasis remains very strongly on individualised programmes of work.

Post-16 Curriculum

Our post-16 students are working towards living a more independent life, and have acces to an adapted Bungalow, adjacent to - and linked to - the school. The Bungalow is fully wheelchair-accessible and offers a distinct curriculum.  Our Post 16 students focus on:

• Life Skills, e.g. personal hygiene, cooking own meals
• Practical Skills, e.g. the use of money
• Community experience, e.g. travel training, shopping
• Work Experience
• Enterprise work
• College courses (at North Warwickshire & Hinckley College and Leicester College)

All students are enabled to participate, through setting individual targets.  Additionally all students work towards nationally accredited qualifications, either through ASDAN or OCR.