Recovery Curriculum

Aims for Greenfield Primary School Recovery Curriculum:

• To build trust and relationships
• To learn how to socially interact with peers
• To begin to follow a structure and routine
• To learn how to co-regulate or self-regulate emotions and behaviours.
• To learn how to manage emotions
• To engage in learning

What is the Recovery Curriculum?

When the children return to Greenfield Primary School in September after a long period away, we as a school are following an approach that will support the children’s wellbeing as they begin their re-engagement with learning - ‘The Recovery Curriculum’

Greenfield Primary have put children’s wellbeing at the centre of our thinking. We acknowledge that the children will have had different experiences during this time. However, the common thread running through their life experiences is loss. This could consist of loss of routine, structure, friendship, opportunities and freedom. The Recovery Curriculum will support the mental wellbeing of children and develop confidence, which will therefore encompass and support the academic expectations.

Professor Barry Carpenter has developed the Recovery Curriculum in response to the losses described above. It is a way for school to help children return to school life acknowledging the experiences they have had. We want children to be happy, feel safe and able to engage in their learning. We have decided the best way to achieve this is to acknowledge the importance of helping children lever back into school life following 5 levels of recovery.

What does this look like in Greenfield Primary school?

Lever 1: Relationships – As always at Greenfield Primary school, relationship building will form a significant part of what we do and an element that has remained throughout lockdown.  Our first priority is to ensure we support, repair and build upon any relationship breakdowns. During the first stages of pupils’ recovery, reaching out and reconnecting with pupils will be critical. The consistency of staff and approach will be critical to rebuilding these relationships once again.

Lever 2: Community – Discussions with pupils and families regarding personal experiences as well as surveys will contribute significantly to us understanding each pupil’s individual needs. Our mental health first aider and pastoral officer will be on hand if extra support is needed to help individual children move through these levels.

Level 3: Transparent curriculum - Taking into account pupil views and what is important to each individual child, staff teams will plan their reintegration. Learning expectations, content and intentions will be shared with pupils to offer that ‘transparent curriculum’ that pupils need.

Lever 4: Metacognition – Greenfield Primary’s Recovery Curriculum has been specifically designed to focus on and support the development of key learning skills that are likely to have been effected in recent months, e.g. listening, maintaining their attention, sensory regulation and social communication and interaction.  The Recovery Curriculum will be key to developing pupil’s confidence, self-esteem and resilience.

Lever 5: Space – Involving pupils in discussions and identifying pupil’s engagement factors will be key.  Space will also be a central element for our pupils, including outdoor learning, breaks, break out spaces and PE. As well as other creative elements of the curriculum such as creative arts.

Below is a link to a podcast for more information:

https://www.evidenceforlearning.net/recoverycurriculum/#mentalhealth

To make this clear with staff, pupil and parents we have combined these five levels into 3 clear areas:

Relationships

Routines

Re-engagement