Our students take real qualifications. Small does not mean narrow, and a difficult start does not mean low expectations.
The curriculum is broad and sequenced deliberately, so that each stage builds on the one before rather than jumping around to fill time. Learning is matched to the individual student, which is possible because we teach in very small groups and in one-to-one so we know each young person well.
English and maths first
Most students join us having missed a great deal of school, with bigger gaps in English and maths than we would expect for their age. Those two subjects come first. Students work on them between 3-5 days per week depending on needs.
Students work towards NCFE Functional Skills in English and maths at the level that matches where they are, from Entry 1 to Level 2, and move up when they are ready. No one is put on a level because of their year group.
Every student at Pledge2Learn follows a curriculum that gives them experience across all seven areas of learning expected of an independent school. The table below sets out where each area is covered.
| Area of learning | How we cover it |
|---|---|
| Linguistic | NCFE Functional Skills English from Entry 1 to Level 2, covering reading, writing, and speaking and listening. Students rehearse sentences aloud before writing. Reading is promoted across the school through a programme led by our Lead Teacher, including partnership work with North Lincolnshire Council and regular visits from the mobile library, which comes on site so every student can borrow books. |
| Mathematical | NCFE Functional Skills mathematics from Entry 1 to Level 2. Everyday arithmetic and practical problem-solving, extended into personal finance, budgeting and managing a bank account through our Independent Life Skills programme. |
| Scientific | Practical science taught through cross-curricular themed modules, so students meet scientific ideas in real situations. Nutrition, food science, hygiene and kitchen safety are covered in cooking. Human development and health are covered in Sports, Projects, and in Health and Social Care. |
| Technological | Students work on laptops across the curriculum, producing written work and carrying out their own research. This builds practical digital skills, online safety awareness and the ability to find, judge and use information — skills they carry into college and work. Design and practical technology are developed through food preparation and enterprise projects. |
| Human and social | Humanities brings history, geography and social context into core projects at a level every student can access. PSHCE covers mental wellbeing, resilience and self-regulation, and includes taught units in religious education, ethics, cultural awareness and community diversity. Health and Social Care looks at how people are supported in their communities. |
| Physical | Physical education and sport does much for mental health and supports the development of teamwork and communication. It is also accredited through NCFE from Entry Level to Level 2, delivered on the full-size pitches and facilities of our site at Bottesford Town Football Club. Students also develop practical independence through travel training. |
| Aesthetic and creative | Art and design, alongside creative work within enterprise projects and themed modules. |
Our full curriculum policy is available on our Policies page, and we are always happy to talk through how the curriculum would work for an individual student.
How lessons are designed
Lessons are built to support students engagement and achievement. Success is engineered deliberately at first, because students who have failed repeatedly need evidence that they can succeed before they will risk trying.
Life skills and independence
Alongside academic work, students learn to cook and to travel independently. These are not enrichment extras – for many of our students they are the outcomes in the plan, and the skills required to support access to post-16 education and success in adulthood.
Careers guidance
We have a fully qualified careers adviser supporting our students to research their careers options in further education, training and employment, so that decisions in Year 11 are informed rather than rushed. We have regular visit to local colleges where students meet with careers guidance teams and visit areas of interest.
This work, along with visits to employers, supports our students exploration in to wider career options and supports successful transitions in to post-16.
Ask us
Named contacts: Our Lead Teacher or Careers Lead
Telephone: 01724 454377
Email: admin@pledge2learn.co.uk
