Curriculum

Curriculum Pathways

Learners can work towards Qualifications in NCFE Occupational Studies for the Workplace. This can be done at entry, level 1, 2 and 3.
Depending on the amount of time learners are placed at The Lodge they can either gain:

• Exploring Occupational studies – 3 credits – 30 GLH
• An Award in Occupational Studies – 6 credits – 60 GLH
• A Certificate in Occupational Studies – 13 credits – 130 GLH
• A Diploma in Occupational Studies – 370 GLH
  

Occupational Studies in the Workplace (for key stage 3 and above)

	Entry Level	Level 1	Level 2
Animal Care	➔ Building confidence with working with animals ➔ Check that a small animal is healthy	Course change
Land Based Activity	➔ Introduction to Propagation of plants ➔ Introduction to garden horticulture ➔ Introduction to garden maintenance skills ➔ Environmental improvement ➔ Developing skills for using and maintaining garden hand tools	➔ Developing Skills in Garden horticulture ➔ Sowing and growing techniques ➔ Cultivating compost and soils ➔ Cultivating herbs	➔ Principles of woodlands, forestry and ecology ➔ Garden horticulture skills ➔ Understanding how to grow fruit and vegetables
Employability & Social Development	➔ Working as a volunteer ➔ Working in a team ➔ Problem solving skills for work ➔ Improving own confidence	➔ Problem solving at work ➔ Working in a team ➔ Time management skills ➔ Improving own learning and performance ➔ Undertaking and enterprise project	➔ Problem solving in the workplace ➔ Working in a team
Cookery	➔ Basic cooking ➔ Basic food preparation ➔ Food hygiene and safety	➔ Basic food preparation and cooking ➔ Maintenance of a safe, hygienic and secure working environment	➔ Developing cooking skills ➔ Cooking with meat, fish and vegetables ➔ Developing good practice skills for use in the kitchen

Jigsaw in the Outdoors

The Lodge staff are schools in the ALP chain follow the Jigsaw PSHE curriculum in both primary and secondary years. New to 2023 Jigsaw offer an extension of the PSHE curriculum known as Jigsaw Outdoors. This forms the basis of our primary education at The Lodge. It gives young people the opportunity to develop their knowledge of the outdoors with fun activities related to physical activity, social experiences and healthy living.

Outdoor Learning & Forest School

Forest School is a child-centered inspirational learning process that offers opportunities for holistic growth through regular sessions. It is a long-term program that supports play, exploration and supported risk taking. It develops confidence and self-esteem through learner inspired, hands-on experiences in a natural setting.

Outdoor learning helps and facilitates more than knowledge-gathering, it helps learners develop socially, emotionally, spiritually, physically and intellectually. It creates a safe, non-judgemental nurturing environment for learners to try new activities and take risks. Outdoor Learning helps participants to become healthy, resilient, creative and independent learners.

Forest schools at The Lodge offer numerous benefits for children:

1. Connection with Nature – Forest schools provide children with the opportunity to explore and connect with the natural world, fostering a deeper appreciation for the environment. Taking part in activities from the Woodland Trust and are a Green Tree Award school.
2. Physical Health – Outdoor activities at forest schools encourage physical movement, promoting fitness and overall health. We have an outdoor pool, trampoline, swings, and obstacle course and more to encourage physical activity 
3. Emotional Well-being – Spending time in nature has been linked to reduced stress levels and improved mood, contributing to better emotional well-being for children.
4. Social Skills –  Forest schools activities and group projects foster teamwork, communication, and social skills.
5. Creativity and Imagination – The outdoor environment stimulates creativity and encourages imaginative play and ideas allowing children to develop their creativity and problem-solving skills.
6. Risk Management – The Lodge provides opportunities for children to assess and manage risks in a natural setting, helping them develop resilience and confidence.
7. Environmental Awareness – Through hands-on experiences in nature, our learners develop a greater understanding of ecological concepts and the importance of environmental conservation. 
8. Independence and Self-Regulation – The Lodge promotes independence and self-regulation as learners engage in exploration. They learn to make decisions and manage their own activities and projects.

Overall, The Lodge’s outdoor learning offer is a holistic approach to education that nurtures physical, emotional, social, and cognitive development in our learners

To recognise progress in outdoor learning learners attending the Lodge work towards forest school badges via our Forest Explores Award

This allows each key area of forest schools to be recognised and rewarded at different levels of ability (Sapling, Growing and Maturing). The key themes covered in Forest Explores are:

• Fire skills
• Tool Skills 
• Den and Shelter Building 
• Woodland Cooking 
• Nature Observing 
• Environmental Skills 
• Woodland Craft

Swimming

Our STA trained swimming teacher certificates vocational qualifications across a range of swimming teaching, lifesaving, first aid, health and safety and pool plant disciplines. These accreditation designed to meet both legal requirements and national occupational standards for various industries. We deliver STA’s International Learn to swim awards.

Occupational Studies in the Workplace (for key stage 3 and above)