Building a Curriculum for Children with Complex Needs

Rachel Sawford

• 02 september 2026
• 9781041119098

Samenvatting:

This book introduces a user-friendly curriculum designed to support primary aged children with complex needs and Profound and Multiple Learning Disabilities. Complete with topic and lesson plans, it is an essential resource for both mainstream and special school staff, including SENCOs, classroom teachers, and senior leadership teams.

This book provides a clear, user-friendly curriculum designed to support primary aged children with Severe Learning Disabilities (SLD) and Profound and Multiple Learning Disabilities (PMLD).

Drawing upon the Communication at the Heart of the School (CATHS) approach, the curriculum is based on the premise that children learn when they are engaged. It provides practitioners with the skills and knowledge to personalise and create lessons that will engage their children according to their assessed levels and considers how activities can be adapted to meet many different learning needs. The book includes:

• A quick screening assessment to supplement the complete CATHS assessment
• A curriculum framework
• Discussions on how to select appropriate curriculum objectives
• A long-term activity planning map with National Curriculum links
• Advice on how to plan lessons which engage and challenge
• Individual topic plans as well as full lesson plans
• Guidance on how to resource classrooms

Above all, this curriculum is realistic and is based on a practical formative assessment which enables children to be taught in groups and allows teachers to focus on creating both engaging and challenging lessons. It is an essential resource for both mainstream and special school staff, including SENCOs, classroom teachers, and senior leadership teams.