Stepping Stones Curriculum

What is Stepping Stones?

Stepping Stones is a curriculum pathway designed for pre-formal learners with who are working below P4 yet beyond the sensory curriculum created for our PMLD learners. It acts as a bridge between our sensory curriculum and the subject-specific Key Stage curriculum accessed by our semi-formal and pre-formal learners.

Stepping Stones recognises that pupils at this stage of development learn best through highly engaging, practical, sensory-rich experiences that prioritise communication, engagement, and early learning behaviours. Learning is carefully structured to support pupils in developing the skills needed to access more formalised learning pathways over time.

Curriculum Intent

The Stepping Stones curriculum is designed to provide pupils with a broad, meaningful, and developmentally appropriate curriculum that promotes engagement, communication, and readiness for learning. The curriculum recognises that pupils working below P4 require learning opportunities that focus on foundational developmental skills while exposing them to a wide range of curriculum experiences.

Learning is delivered through themed units which act as a vehicle for development across the five areas of engagement: exploration, realisation, anticipation, persistence, and initiation. Through these highly motivating and sensory-based experiences, pupils are introduced to early concepts in English, Mathematics, and wider curriculum subjects in accessible and meaningful ways.

The curriculum reflects the school’s values of learning, respect, equality, and independence, ensuring that every pupil has opportunities to develop communication, interaction, thinking skills, and early independence in a way that recognises their individual developmental stage.

Curriculum Implementation

Stepping Stones provides a structured pathway that blends developmental learning with subject-specific experiences. Learning is delivered through immersive and engaging themed units that incorporate:

• Early English, Mathematics and wider curriculum learning through practical and sensory experiences
• Explicit opportunities to develop the five areas of engagement
• Highly personalised learning adapted to pupils’ communication, sensory and cognitive profiles
• A Total Communication approach including visuals, objects of reference, AAC, signing and spoken language
• Multi-sensory activities designed to encourage curiosity, participation and interaction

Alongside the themed units, PSHE and PE are taught throughout the year, with new themes introduced on a half-termly basis to ensure pupils experience a broad and balanced curriculum.

Assessment and outcomes are informed through a combination of the five areas of engagement, Routes for Learning, and developmental outcomes within the Early Years Foundation Stage Framework. Progress is measured through observation, engagement, interaction, and individual developmental milestones and recorded on our Evidence for Learning tracker.

Impact on Pupils

The Stepping Stones curriculum supports pupils to:

• Develop communication and interaction skills
• Increase engagement and readiness to learn
• Build curiosity, exploration and participation
• Develop early literacy, numeracy and subject-specific understanding
• Strengthen emotional regulation and independence skills
• Develop skills across the five areas of engagement
• Build foundations for future learning pathways

Progress is recognised through individual achievements and developmental growth rather than solely through academic measures.

Why This Curriculum Matters

Stepping Stones provides pupils with an essential bridge between sensory learning and more structured curriculum pathways. By recognising pupils’ developmental needs and prioritising engagement, communication, and meaningful experiences, the curriculum lays the foundations for future learning and independence. It ensures pupils develop the skills, confidence, and readiness needed to access increasingly complex learning opportunities while celebrating progress at every stage of their journey.