Curriculum Pathways

Here at ALP The Lodge, we offer a variety of different curriculum pathways to suit each individual learner. We help each student to achieve their full potential, offering the following pathways-

Jump to section:

• Outdoor Learning & Forest School
• Occupational Studies in the Workplace
• AQA Awards
• Jigsaw in the Outdoors
• Swimming
• Duke of Edinburgh Awards

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

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

Learners can work towards Qualifications in NCFE Occupational Studies for the Workplace that are specific for the outdoors and the Lodge facilities . This can be done at entry level 3, level 1 or level 2. 

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 

To achieve the qualification learners will complete a variety of pathways as indicated below:

	Entry Level	Level 1	Level 2
Animal Care	➔Building confidence with working with animals  ➔Check that a small animal is healthy  ➔Animal Care short course (Asdan)	*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

AQA Awards

The Unit Award Scheme (UAS) is a unique way to record learner achievement. Its ‘can do’ approach is used to boost student confidence, engagement and motivation. Key areas of study include:

• Wildlife  
• Conservation and nature
• Craft skills
• Environmental Studies 
• Gardening and horticulture
• Outdoor Activities and Safety 
• Pets, Farm and Zoo animals

Jigsaw in the Outdoors

Jigsaw offers an extension of the PSHE curriculum known as Jigsaw Outdoors. The Lodge staff work alongside our school’s PSHE staff to deliver this. It forms the basis of our primary PSHE education at The Lodge but can also be used to complement the secondly PSHE puzzle pieces. 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.

Swimming

At ALP Lodge we have an outdoor heated swimming pool which is used during the late spring and summer terms. Our swimming lessons are taught by a trained swimming teacher and follow the Safety Training Awards. Learners can gain swimming awards on an 8 stage progressive programme which meets the objectives of the National Curriculum.

The swimming ability of our ALP learners are assessed in their first lesson in the pool. Our programme is designed to build water confidence, water safety skills, stroke development and swimming technique. We also offer additional certificates in vocational qualifications in lifesaving, first aid, health and safety around water, and pool plant disciplines.    

    
We work towards the STA swimming schools main aims which are for every child to be safe and confident in the water and to demonstrate at least two recognised strokes, with the ability to swim 25m unassisted to a high standard. The government has recognised the importance of teaching our young people swimming and water safety.

The three key outcomes within the physical education curriculum all children are expected to achieve are:

Duke of Edinburgh Awards

We are proud to be able to deliver the Duke of Edinburgh Award (DofE). This programme offers a life-changing experience where learners can have a fun time with friends. An opportunity to discover new interests and talents. A tool to develop essential skills for life and work. A recognised mark of achievement; respected by employers.

It is offered to our learners 14-24 year-olds and has three progressive levels which are the Bronze, Silver or Gold Duke of Edinburgh’s Award.

There are four sections* to complete at Bronze and Silver level and five at Gold. These are Volunteering, Physical, Skills and Expedition, with an additional Residential section at Gold level. Each involves helping the community/environment, becoming fitter, developing new skills, planning, training for and completing an expedition and, for Gold only, working with a team on a residential activity. For our learners at the gold level part of their expedition will be an overnight stay at the lodge where they will pitch and sleep in a tent, cook their food on the campfire and explore and navigate the local rural area. Achieving an Award isn’t a competition or about being first. It’s all about setting personal challenges and pushing personal boundaries.

Through a DofE programme young people improve their self-esteem and build confidence, which can boost their mental health and wellbeing and help them face and overcome personal challenges. They gain essential skills and attributes for work and life, such as resilience, problem-solving, team-working, communication and drive, enhancing CVs and university and job applications. 

When our learners do the DofE programme they’ll develop the skills and attitudes they need to become more rounded, confident adults. Through the DofE programme we expect our learners to develop in the following areas: 

• Leadership and teamworking skills.
• Self-belief and self-confidence
• A sense of identity
• Initiative and a sense of responsibility
• A real awareness of their strengths
• New talents and abilities
• The ability to plan and use time effectively
• Learning from and giving to others in the community
• Forming new friendships
• Problem solving, presentation and communication skills