Our Curriculum
“Understanding People”
Curriculum at Bridgelea Primary School
Welcome to the Bridgelea Primary School Curriculum page. As a maintained Pupil Referral Unit (PRU) and specialist school for SEMH, we provide specialist education tailored to children with Social Emotional and Mental Health Difficulties (SEMH) across Key Stages 1 and 2. Our curriculum is designed not only to meet statutory requirements but to nurture every child’s development, supporting their emotional well-being alongside academic learning.
Our Curriculum Philosophy
At Bridgelea, we believe every child learns and develops at their own pace. Our curriculum reflects this understanding, underpinned by our status as a National Nurturing School accredited by Nurture UK. This nurturing approach ensures teaching and learning meet children where they are developmentally, creating a safe and supportive environment for growth.
Our curriculum is built on the foundation of our school values:
| Children’s learning is understood developmentally. We all learn in our own way. | The classroom offers a safe base. Our school helps us to feel safe to learn and take risks. |
| Language is a vital means of communication. We learn to listen and use words to talk about our feelings and share what we think. | The importance of transition in children’s lives. Everyone has changes in their life and nurture helps us to learn how to cope with these changes. |
| All behaviour is communication. Our behaviour is telling you something. | The importance of nurture for the development of wellbeing. Nurture helps us feel good on the inside and understand our feelings. |
Curriculum Structure and Coverage
You can explore detailed curriculum information for each subject area through the Curriculum tab.
Our curriculum is carefully sequenced to ensure progression and repetition, helping children know more, do more, and remember more. We organise learning into three key Mileposts:
- Milepost 1: Years 1 and 2
- Milepost 2: Years 3 and 4
- Milepost 3: Years 5 and 6
Each phase is tailored to the needs of our pupils, with class sizes kept small to provide focused, individualised support.
Rights Respecting and Global Citizenship
We are proud to hold Rights Respecting Gold Accreditation, embedding the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child throughout our policies, practice, and culture. Through assemblies, theme weeks, visits, and our pupil-led Article 12 Squad, children learn about their rights and develop as global citizens. Classroom charters, created by pupils, highlight the specific rights they focus on each term, reinforcing our commitment to respect and inclusion. We also love learning about rights through the Right of the Week, Outright and the new Rights Around the World.
Language and Communication Support
Bridgelea is an Elklan Language Friendly setting. We understand that strong literacy and communication skills are vital for academic success and lifelong opportunities. Our staff are trained in ELKLAN approaches, using visuals, extended processing time, and structured scripts to support pupils’ communication needs effectively.
Language is the key to understanding and expressing emotions and ideas. We challenge negative self-beliefs and build resilience through tailored communication strategies, ensuring every child can thrive.
Developing Essential Life Skills
In partnership with The Skills Builder Partnership, we integrate Manchester’s Skills for Life into our curriculum, focusing on five key skills:
- Communication
- Problem-Solving
- Self-Belief (including resilience and motivation)
- Self-Management (including accountability and organisation)
- Teamwork (including leadership)
These skills are embedded through structured opportunities for practice, recall, and application, preparing our pupils for life beyond school.
Supporting Learning and Behaviour
All staff are Team Teach trained, ensuring a safe, respectful approach to managing challenging behaviour. Our eight in-house tutors support staff in using de-escalation techniques and positive handling to reduce risk and promote repair and reflection.
We recognise that behaviour is communication and take a whole-school approach to nurture well-being and resilience. This aligns with our vision to help children, families, and communities understand themselves and others better.
Enriching Learning Experiences
We offer a broad, enriching curriculum that goes beyond the classroom, including:
- Specialist Music and Art teachers, with regular performances and exhibitions for families
- A developing digital curriculum enhanced by technology partnerships
- Opportunities for visits, visitors, and cultural experiences that reflect the diversity of Manchester and the wider world
- Strong SMSC (Spiritual, Moral, Social, and Cultural) and PHSEC (Personal, Health, Social, Emotional, and Citizenship Education) provision
Assessment and Monitoring
Assessment at Bridgelea is ongoing and integral to learning. Teachers use a range of formative and summative methods to assess progress, tailoring feedback to be:
- Manageable for teachers
- Meaningful for pupils
- Motivating to encourage further effort and achievement
We use tools like Learntrek alongside professional judgement to track each child’s development. Termly pupil progress reviews and half-termly subject reviews by senior leaders ensure continuous improvement and curriculum quality assurance.
Partnership with Families
We believe parents and carers are vital partners in their children’s education. We warmly welcome family involvement through:
- Open afternoons
- Sharing achievements in assemblies, newsletters, and social media
- Progress meetings with teachers and senior staff
Together, we celebrate improvements in learning, behaviour, confidence, and attendance, building a strong community around our children.
Summary
At Bridgelea Primary School, our curriculum is much more than academic content — it is a nurturing, inclusive, and rights-respecting framework designed to develop confident, resilient, and aspirational learners. We equip our pupils with essential skills, emotional support, and memorable experiences to prepare them for a successful future.
Thank you for visiting our curriculum page. Together, we strive to help every child thrive and build a better future for themselves and our Manchester community.
Useful Links
https://www.manchesterlco.org/services/childrens-community-services-citywide/healthy-schools/
https://www.unicef.org.uk/rights-respecting-schools/
https://www.nurtureuk.org/news/national-nurturing-schools-programme