SSAT’s Four Pillars of Principled Curriculum Design – Special Schools and Specialist Settings

SSAT has long advocated a principled approach to curriculum design. Dylan Wiliam’s Principled Curriculum Design, written as part of SSAT’s Redesigning Schooling series, is considered by many to be a definitive publication in this area.

Special schools and specialist provision are as varied and complex as their learners. No one size fits all and indeed no one curriculum will meet the needs of all learners. Understanding and being able to articulate why curriculum decisions for individual learners or groups of learners are being made is crucial.

This resource has been produced in collaboration with SSAT’s SEND steering group. It does not attempt to tell you what your curriculum should look like, rather it poses the questions that you need to ask and be confident in answering.

We recommend that you work through the questions, initially as a senior team, and then in discussion with your whole staff, your learners, governors/trustees and all stakeholders.

Highlight any areas that you need to look at in more detail and use these as the basis for the ongoing review of your curriculum.