Empowering every learner: Adapting a knowledge-rich curriculum for students with a wide range of needs at Maplewell Hall School

Kasia Glinka, Associate Headteacher, Maplewell Hall School, UK

Rebecca Ryman, Assistant Headteacher, Maplewell Hall School, UK

Context and rationale

Maplewell Hall School is a specialist setting catering to students with a wide range of special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), including communication and interaction difficulties, cognition and learning challenges, and social, emotional and mental health needs. Many of our students arrive with a history of disrupted education and low prior attainment, yet they also bring strengths, interests and a capacity for academic achievement when appropriately supported.

In response to national policy developments, including the OfstedThe Office for Standards in Education, Children’s Services and Skills – a non-ministerial department responsible for inspecting and regulating services that care for children and young people, and services providing education and skills education inspection framework (2019) and the Department for Education’s SEND Review (DfEDepartment for Education - a ministerial department responsible for children’s services and education in England, 2022), we recognised a sector-wide shift towards higher expectations and increased access to academic pathways for students with SEND. The SEND green paper (DfE, 2022) particularly emphasised the need for more ambitious, inclusive curricula that do not restrict learners with education, health and care plans (EHCPs) to lower-level qualifications.

For several years, we had been re-evaluating the structure and purpose of our curriculum to ensure that it provides meaningful academic challenge for all learners. Sector-wide developments have validated our direction of travel, affirming that our commitment to academic rigour, subject-specialist teaching and high expectations was not only appropriate but essential.

Seeking to embed a curriculum that was both aspirational and inclusive, our central question became:

How can we design and implement a knowledge-rich curriculum that offers academic rigour while remaining accessible to students with a variety of needs?

As Ofsted moves towards its new report-card model from November 2025, this case study provides practical insights into how schools can embed ambitious, inclusive curricula that meet evolving expectations.

Curriculum design and theoretical frameworks

Drawing on Young and Muller’s (2013) concept of powerful knowledge – knowledge that takes students beyond their everyday experiences and equips them to engage critically with the world –we restructured our curriculum to emphasise coherent disciplinary knowledge while incorporating scaffoldingProgressively introducing students to new concepts to support their learning to enable access. Our aim was to ensure that students experienced the same rich curriculum as their mainstream peers, while recognising the need for adapted delivery.

We prioritised subject integrity. Rather than dilute content, we rethought instructional methods, drawing on the Education Endowment Foundation’s guidance on modelling and scaffolding (EEF, 2021) and on Barak Rosenshine’s (2012) principles of explicit instruction and retrieval practice to reinforce long-term memory. Techniques such as repetition, modelling and low-stakes quizzing were used to secure long-term understanding. For example, in science, we retained core concepts such as cell biology and chemical reactions, delivering them through visual learning aids, multi-modal texts and frequent knowledge checks.

Our pedagogical choices were also deeply influenced by Paulo Freire’s (1970) critique of the traditional ‘banking model’ of education, where students passively receive information. Instead, Freire’s model of problem-posing education – emphasising dialogue, critical thinking and learner agency – aligned with our goal of delivering a curriculum that is rich in knowledge and accessible to all students.

While our curriculum remained grounded in disciplinary knowledge, we also recognised the benefits of meaningful interdisciplinary connections. Freire’s emphasis on relevance and reflection encouraged us to link subjects in ways that deepened understanding. For instance, scientific knowledge was reinforced through historical enquiry into medical advancements, and mathematical concepts were applied in vocational and technological contexts. These were not superficial integrations but strategically planned connections designed to support schema-building and long-term retention.

This dialogic approach extended to assessment, where we were guided by Dylan Wiliam’s (2011) work on formative assessment and responsive teaching. Moving beyond linear testing, we adopted formative methods that encouraged metacognition and reflection. By blending the rigour of a knowledge-rich curriculum with Freirean pedagogy, we created a learning environment where students could think critically, ask questions and engage meaningfully with knowledge.

Pedagogical approach and implementation

To enhance accessibility and relevance, we introduced technical vocational qualifications, such as the design, engineering and construction (DEC) qualification, creating pathways aligned with students’ interests and future aspirations. In parallel, we strengthened subject-specialist teaching and implemented small-group delivery models that integrated therapeutic strategies, including speech and language support and the Zones of Regulation (Kuypers, 2011). This dual focus ensured that both academic and personal development needs were met in a cohesive, supportive learning environment.

We actively engaged in local and national collaboration with both specialist and mainstream schools, including through our role as a host school for the Exemplary Leadership Programme. These partnerships enriched our curriculum review by facilitating the sharing of effective practices, joint professional development and reflective dialogue, in doing so providing valuable professional challenge.

We also used a range of diagnostic assessments, including measures of cognitive ability (GL Assessment, 2023), reading progress (NFER and GL Assessment, 2023) and national benchmarking data (Fischer Family Trust, 2024), to identify knowledge gaps, inform teaching strategies and monitor progress. This helped to provide a more nuanced understanding of student need, moving beyond surface-level attainment data. Decisions regarding GCSE entry tiers – whether foundation or higher – were guided by this evidence and triangulated with teacher judgement and student readiness.

Impact and student voice

The outcomes of our approach have been transformational. In 2024, science students achieved the highest proportion of GCSE passes at grades 9–4 among core subjects, surpassing internal benchmarks and external expectations. Mathematics also demonstrated notable improvement, with increased student engagement and attainment.

Students achieved qualifications that had previously been considered beyond their reach. One such student returned to deliver a whole-school assembly to our Year 11 cohort, sharing her experience of studying A-levels at a local college. Now pursuing a degree in film production at university, she reflected:

The teachers gave me the tools to enable me to go to university and study with students who do not have EHCPs and went to mainstream schools.

Another Year 11 student spoke about his transformation in literacy and self-belief:

I used to hate writing essays. But when we started using “knowledge maps” and talking through ideas first, it clicked. Now I can structure an argument – and I actually enjoy it!

Both of these journeys exemplify the powerful intersection of high expectations, personalised support and meaningful curriculum access. These successes highlight the lasting impact of evidence-informed teaching, while reinforcing the moral imperative to challenge deficit narratives surrounding SEND and academic potential.

Reflections and implications

Our experience at Maplewell Hall demonstrates that, with moral clarity, strategic planning and inclusive pedagogy, it is entirely possible to provide rigorous academic pathways to students with diverse needs. Key lessons from our journey include:

• holding high expectations for all learners, regardless of starting point
• grounding curriculum in coherent, cumulative disciplinary knowledge
• using diagnostic assessments to inform instruction and support
• collaborating across settings to enhance professional learning and practice.

We hope that our knowledge-rich approach inspires educators across both specialist and mainstream settings to think boldly, plan inclusively and teach with the unwavering belief that every student can succeed.