Pre-Phase 1: Building Essential Life Skills

The Pre-Phase 1 pathway at Hedgewood School is specifically designed to support our most complex pupils. Our curriculum at this stage has a primary focus on developing pertinent life skills that significantly improve their quality of life.

We utilise the "Necessary 9 Skills" as outlined in Patrick McGreevy's Essential for Living (EFL) curriculum. This evidence-based curriculum focuses on teaching fundamental skills that increase communication and reduce behaviours that challenge. These life skills have a direct positive impact on the child and their family's quality of life.

Recognising the challenges some pupils face with generalisation, these essential skills are taught within functional contexts. This approach aims to enhance their responsiveness and application of skills, with the goal of generalisation across different people, contexts, and settings.

Pupils in Pre-phase 1 at very early levels of development (pre-subject specific learning). The Pre-phase 1  curriculum is focused on expressive communication, providing methods for children who cannot yet speak to communicate their wants and needs effectively, often using 'Alternative Methods of Speaking' (AMS) such as basic signs, idiosyncratic signs, or picture exchange systems. The curriculum also focuses on receptive communication, teaching children to understand and respond to directions, especially those related to safety.  Building tolerance for everyday situations like accepting 'no', waiting, sharing, and taking turns is a key aspect of this phase of the curriculum. Independence in daily living skills such as dressing, washing, and eating is also fostered. Pre-phase 1 approaches to learning enables pupils to develop a sense of security in the school environment, which is comprehensible and meaningful to them. The curriculum acknowledges what learners can do by supporting and developing their strengths and abilities. It is defined both developmentally and through generalisation of skills and is finely stepped so that progression can be plotted, measured and acknowledged. The curriculum focuses on developing the learner’s understanding both of the world around them, and of social interactions and relationships. It values the process as much as the achievement and it is flexible in order to be responsive to the needs of the individual learner. It is delivered in an integrated manner incorporating learning, therapy and health needs. All pupils will be given maximum opportunities to achieve the highest level of independence possible.

 

Watch  Pre-phase 1 curriculum in action: 

 

 

Other Resources

Read Case Study

Essentialforliving.com

read below some of parent quotes for Pre-Phase 1 curriculum. 

“I never thought he would be able to wear his glasses”

“He is putting his socks and shoes on in the morning before school now without any help from me at all. I can’t believe it!”

“This is amazing for him to request a song. Thank you so much for your amazing help and support.”

“now he is asking for everything very independently, if he is hungry he is asking for a sandwich If he wants water he will give us the picture of water, if he wants a fizzy drink he will show us the picture from his belt. He knows very well what he wants. He is even showing us a photo of the park if he wants to go out”

Watch and listen to parent talk about the impact of the Pre-phase 1 curriculum.