Willow Tree Provision

The Willow Tree classes (WT1, WT2 and WT3) support children with a range of additional needs, including autism and other complex learning, communication, sensory, and developmental needs. All children are working below age-related expectations and require adapted provision to access learning successfully.

All children within the Willow Tree provision:

Have an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) or are in the process of assessment for an EHCP
Have individual learning plans based on their needs, strengths, and starting points
Require high levels of structure, consistency, and adult support
Access learning that is adapted to their developmental level, rather than chronological age

Sensory Regulation and Readiness to Learn

Across all Willow Tree classes, children begin the day with sensory circuits and regulation activities. These are a core part of the curriculum and support children to:

Regulate sensory needs
Improve attention and focus
Develop body awareness and emotional regulation
Prepare for learning throughout the day

Inclusion and Mainstream Access

Inclusion is a key principle of our provision. Some children access mainstream provision where this is appropriate and beneficial to their needs and skills. This may include:

Short periods of free-flow or classroom learning
Specific lessons such as PE, assemblies, or group activities
Social opportunities alongside mainstream peers

These experiences are carefully planned, supported, and reviewed to ensure they are positive, meaningful, and support the child’s development.

Children in WT1 and WT2 access a developmentally led curriculum adapted from the EYFS framework, alongside the Engagement Model. Learning is based on each child’s developmental stage, not age.

The curriculum is delivered through:

Practical, hands-on activities
Repetition and overlearning
Visual supports, symbols, AAC, and objects of reference
Adult modelling and scaffolded support
TEACCH-informed classroom structures

In Literacy and Maths, many children access learning through individual or small-group workstations, which:

Reduce sensory and cognitive overload
Promote independence and task completion
Allow learning to be broken into small, achievable steps

Progress is measured through the Engagement Model, focusing on exploration, persistence, initiation, anticipation, and realisation, alongside progress towards EHCP outcomes.

Children in WT3 are Key Stage 2 pupils who are working towards the formal National Curriculum, often significantly below their chronological age. All children have individual targets that reflect their current needs and abilities.

Some children have an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP), while others are supported through individual learning plans and may be in the process of assessment for an EHCP. Targets are set to ensure learning is personalised, achievable, and appropriately challenging.

Learning plans and EHCP targets focus primarily on Literacy and Maths, alongside independence and engagement where appropriate. Targets are reviewed regularly and adapted to ensure progress from each child’s individual starting point.

Teaching to support learning plan targets includes:

Individual, adult-led Literacy and Maths teaching
High levels of adult support, reflecting the complexity of pupils’ needs
One-to-one or closely supported learning rather than group-based activities
Practical and visual approaches to support understanding
Targeted support linked directly to EHCP outcomes or individual learning plan targets

Progress is measured through:

Progress against adapted National Curriculum objectives
Ongoing assessment of Literacy and Maths skills at the child’s working level
Observations of engagement, independence, and task completion
Review of progress towards EHCP outcomes or individual learning plan targets