#WhereEveryStoryMatters
At Fable House, we believe that students learn best when they feel safe, understood and able to engage with education in ways that are meaningful to them.
Our curriculum combines academic learning, practical skills, personal development and preparation for adulthood within a flexible, project-based approach. It is designed around our three overarching goals: supporting every student to become Happy, Healthy and Independent.
Every student's journey through the curriculum is personalised, shaped by their starting point, learning profile, interests, needs and aspirations. Students are not expected to learn in isolation: wherever appropriate, learning takes place within very small groups, providing opportunities to collaborate, share ideas and learn alongside others while retaining the flexibility and individual support each student needs.
Full-time school students access the breadth of the Fable House curriculum within very small cohorts, learning together wherever appropriate while receiving the individual support they need. Our project-based approach allows students following the same programme to explore their own interests, work towards individual goals and demonstrate their learning in different ways.
Students attending through our Alternative Provision may access selected elements of the same curriculum as part of a wider educational package.
Whichever route brings a student to Fable House, learning is purposeful, progressive and ambitious.
Our curriculum pathways provide structure and progression while allowing us to respond to the individual student.
Maple provides our Entry Level pathway, developing the foundations students need for learning, everyday life and increasing independence.
Beech builds upon these foundations through a broad programme of Level 1 and Level 2 learning. Students continue to develop academically and personally while working towards nationally recognised qualifications and preparing for their next steps.
Alongside these broader pathways, our + programmes provide opportunities for vocational exploration and specialism.
Maple+ introduces vocational learning at Entry Level, allowing students to explore an area of interest and begin identifying where their strengths and aspirations might take them.
Beech+ specialist Level 2 vocational pathways linked to further learning, employment and future aspirations. Beech+ can be studied alongside the wider Beech curriculum or as a more focused programme in its own right
Maple is our progressive Entry Level curriculum, designed to build confidence, develop essential knowledge and skills, and create strong foundations for future learning and independence.
Maple 1
Maple 1 is a one-year programme providing a broad introduction to learning at Entry Level. Students explore independent living and community skills, travel, physical and mental wellbeing, hospitality and catering, conservation, digital skills, science, and creative and performing arts.
Learning is delivered through our project-based curriculum, allowing students to make connections between subjects and apply their knowledge through practical, creative and meaningful experiences.
Maple 2 & 3
Maple 2 and Maple 3 form a two-year programme that builds on these foundations, with students progressing predominantly into Entry Level 3 learning.
Students continue to develop across a broad curriculum while taking increasing responsibility for their learning and applying their skills more independently. This includes developing greater independence in areas such as travel and community participation, practical skills, communication, problem-solving, wellbeing and self-advocacy.
Students work towards nationally recognised qualifications throughout Maple, with achievement embedded within their curriculum learning.
Maths and English are taught alongside Maple at the level appropriate to each student.
Maple+ gives students the opportunity to begin exploring vocational learning at Entry Level and discover where their interests and strengths might take them.
Students choose a specialist pathway in one of the following areas:
Through practical learning and nationally recognised Entry Level 3 qualifications, students gain an introduction to their chosen area and experience learning within a vocational context.
Maple+ is designed as an opportunity to explore rather than requiring students to make an early commitment to a particular career. It can help students discover what they enjoy and whether they would like to develop that interest further, including through our Beech+ pathways.
Beech is our two-year programme for students working towards Level 1 and Level 2 qualifications. It builds on the foundations developed through earlier learning while providing increasing depth, challenge and opportunities for students to develop their own interests.
Beech 1 & 2
Across Beech 1 and Beech 2, students follow a broad programme incorporating science, conservation, catering, physical health and mental wellbeing, alongside a chosen creative pathway.
Creative pathway choices include:
Learning continues through our project-based approach, allowing students to explore shared themes and curriculum content through their own interests while working collaboratively within very small groups wherever appropriate.
Across the two years, students build knowledge and practical skills while developing greater independence, communication, teamwork and confidence in applying their learning.
Students work towards nationally recognised Level 1 and Level 2 qualifications, creating a strong foundation for further learning, vocational specialism, employment and adult life.
Maths and English are taught alongside Beech at the level appropriate to each student.
Beech+ allows students to develop greater depth in a vocational or specialist area linked to their interests, strengths and future aspirations.
Students can work towards a Level 2 Diploma through a choice of pathways including:
Each pathway combines specialist knowledge with practical experience and wider skills for future learning and employment.
Students develop transferable skills including communication, teamwork, interpersonal skills, personal and social responsibility and preparation for employment.
Beech+ can be completed over two years alongside the wider Beech programme or followed separately as a more focused vocational pathway.
For some students, it builds upon an area first explored through Maple+. Others may move directly into a Beech+ specialism as their interests and aspirations develop.
Maths and English are central to every student's curriculum at Fable House and are taught alongside our Maple and Beech pathways.
We predominantly offer Functional Skills qualifications in Maths and English from Entry Level through to Level 2. Functional Skills enable students to develop secure, transferable skills that can be applied to everyday life, further learning and employment.
Teaching includes dedicated Maths and English learning alongside opportunities to apply these skills through projects, vocational learning and real-life situations.
Students work from an appropriate individual starting point and are given the time and support needed to develop secure understanding and confidence as they progress.
While Functional Skills form our primary Maths and English qualification pathway, we recognise that some students may specifically want or need to work towards a GCSE.
Where GCSE study is appropriate to a student's aspirations and learning pathway, we can support this and arrange access to GCSE examinations through an external partner provision and examination centre.
This allows a student for whom GCSE is the right qualification to pursue it while continuing to benefit from the Fable House approach to learning.
For students who are ready to progress beyond Level 2, we can offer opportunities to continue their learning at Level 3.
Access to Higher Education
Our Access to Higher Education Diplomas provide a pathway towards university for students who may benefit from an alternative to a traditional sixth-form or college route.
We deliver Access programmes over two years, providing additional time for students to develop their subject knowledge, academic skills, independence and confidence.
Courses are built around the individual student wherever possible, with units selected to create a coherent programme reflecting their interests and intended progression. Current and previous pathways include Access to HE Diplomas in English, Art, and Film & Creative Digital Media.
Access to Higher Education Diplomas are provided through Open Awards and regulated by the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education (QAA).
Level 3 Study
Alongside Access to Higher Education, we can offer other Level 3 qualifications where suitable programmes are available through Open Awards and we have the appropriate specialist expertise to deliver them.
This enables us to consider individual programmes for students who are ready for advanced study but for whom an Access to HE Diploma may not be the most appropriate route.
Students can continue to access Maths and English alongside advanced study where required.
Our aim is to help students identify a progression route that makes sense for them, whether their next step is university, further specialist study, training or employment.
Our curriculum is designed around a simple ambition: to support every student to become Happy, Healthy and Independent.
We recognise that many of our students have experienced barriers to learning or periods when education has not successfully met their needs. Our first priority is therefore to create the safety, trust and sense of belonging that allows learning to happen.
From there, we provide an ambitious curriculum that enables students to make meaningful progress, develop their strengths, achieve recognised qualifications and build the knowledge and skills they need for life beyond Fable House.
Happy
We want students to feel safe, valued and confident in who they are.
Our curriculum provides opportunities to develop positive relationships, communication, self-esteem, emotional literacy and a sense of belonging. Through meaningful and interest-led learning, we aim to rebuild positive relationships with education and help students recognise themselves as capable learners.
Healthy
We want students to develop the knowledge, skills and strategies they need to understand and support their own physical and emotional wellbeing.
Health and wellbeing are embedded throughout the curriculum through physical activity, emotional literacy, relationships and sex education, self-care, regulation, nutrition and understanding healthy choices.
Independent
We want students to develop increasing confidence and independence in learning, everyday life and their wider community.
Students develop practical life skills, self-advocacy, communication, travel, money management, cooking, digital skills, community participation and employability. As they progress, they are supported to make informed choices and take increasing ownership of their future.
Preparing for the Future
Being Happy, Healthy and Independent will look different for every student.
Our aim is not to move every learner towards the same destination, but to help each student achieve greater independence, recognise their strengths and leave Fable House prepared for their own next step.
At Fable House, personalisation does not mean learning alone. We provide a structured and progressive curriculum while remaining flexible about how each student accesses it.
Learning Together
Wherever appropriate, students learn within very small groups alongside others following the same curriculum programme. This provides opportunities to share ideas, collaborate, communicate and develop relationships while benefiting from high levels of individual support.
Readiness for group learning varies between students and may change over time. Teaching can therefore include individual, paired and small-group learning according to the needs of the student and the nature of the activity.
Project-Based Learning
Project-based learning sits at the heart of our curriculum.
Students explore meaningful questions and themes over time, making connections between different areas of learning and applying their knowledge through practical, creative and real-world activities.
Students working on the same project do not need to produce identical work. Our approach allows students to follow their interests, make choices about how they approach a task and demonstrate their learning in different ways while still working towards shared curriculum objectives and individual outcomes.
Personalised Learning
Teaching begins with an understanding of each student's starting point, strengths, needs and aspirations.
We adapt the level, pace, teaching approach and support provided while maintaining appropriate challenge and expectations. Relevant EHCP outcomes can be incorporated into everyday learning so that academic, personal and developmental progress are not treated as separate parts of a student's education.
Learning Through Experience
Practical activities, vocational learning, community engagement, creative work, cooking, conservation, physical activity and everyday problem-solving provide opportunities for students to use their knowledge and develop confidence beyond a traditional classroom environment.
As students progress, these experiences increasingly connect learning with preparation for adulthood, further learning and employment.
A Communication-Friendly and Trauma-Informed Environment
Our approach recognises that a student's ability to engage with learning is influenced by how safe, understood and regulated they feel.
We provide predictable, supportive learning environments and adapt communication to individual needs. Visual supports, sensory strategies, co-regulation and appropriate adjustments are used where needed to reduce barriers to participation.
Relationships are central to our practice. Staff take time to understand each student, respond to communication and behaviour with curiosity, and provide the consistency and flexibility students need to engage successfully.
Our aim is to provide enough structure for students to feel secure, enough flexibility for them to succeed, and increasing opportunities to become confident and independent learners.
Personal development is woven throughout the Fable House curriculum rather than taught only as a separate subject.
Through PSHE, relationships and sex education, physical activity, project-based learning, community experiences and everyday opportunities for developing independence, students build the knowledge and skills they need to understand themselves, navigate relationships and participate confidently in the wider world.
Understanding Self and Others
Students are supported to develop emotional literacy, communication, self-awareness and self-advocacy.
Learning explores friendships, families and other relationships, personal boundaries, consent, identity, online relationships and staying safe. Students develop strategies for communicating their needs, recognising the perspectives of others and managing the challenges that can arise within social situations.
Health & Wellbeing
Students develop their understanding of physical and emotional wellbeing and the choices and strategies that can help them care for themselves.
This includes learning about physical health, mental wellbeing, nutrition, personal hygiene, relationships and sexual health, self-care and healthy lifestyles.
Our Get Moving programme provides regular opportunities for physical activity, with students encouraged to explore different ways of being active and develop positive relationships with movement and exercise.
Students also develop an understanding of their own regulation needs and the strategies that can support them to participate successfully in learning and everyday life.
Independence & Preparation for Adulthood
Opportunities to practise everyday skills are embedded throughout the curriculum and may include cooking, travel, money management, digital skills, accessing the community, communication, problem-solving, decision-making and self-advocacy.
As students progress, these increasingly connect with vocational experiences, employability, further learning and participation in the wider community.
Understanding the Wider World
Through projects, discussion and real-world experiences, students explore different cultures, beliefs and perspectives alongside social and environmental issues.
They are encouraged to ask questions, form and express their own views, listen to others and understand that people may experience the world differently.
British Values
The fundamental British Values of democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty, mutual respect and tolerance of those with different faiths and beliefs are embedded throughout school life and the wider curriculum.
Students experience these values in meaningful contexts: having a voice in decisions that affect them, understanding rights and responsibilities, making informed choices, learning about boundaries and consequences, encountering different perspectives and participating in their community.
Our aim is not simply for students to be able to name these values, but to understand how they relate to their own lives, relationships and responsibilities as members of a diverse society.
Assessment at Fable House helps us understand what students know, what they can do, the progress they are making and what they need to learn next.
Our approach combines ongoing assessment within everyday learning with formal assessment and nationally recognised qualifications. This allows us to recognise progress from each student's individual starting point while maintaining clear expectations and appropriate challenge.
Understanding Starting Points
When a student joins Fable House, we take time to understand their existing knowledge, skills, previous learning and individual needs.
Baseline assessment, information from previous settings, EHCP outcomes and our own observations help us establish an appropriate starting point and identify priorities for learning.
We recognise that students may not always be able to demonstrate everything they know immediately, particularly while becoming familiar with a new environment and building relationships with staff. Assessment is therefore ongoing and responsive.
Assessment Through Learning
Staff use questioning, discussion, observation, practical activities, written work, project outcomes and student reflection to understand progress and identify next steps.
Our project-based approach also allows students to demonstrate their knowledge in different contexts and apply skills across subject areas.
Progress is regularly reviewed so that teaching, support and individual targets can be adapted as students develop.
Building Evidence of Achievement
Many of our qualifications are assessed through portfolios of evidence built through everyday curriculum activity.
Evidence may include written or practical work, photographs, recordings, presentations, discussions and staff observations, depending on the requirements of the qualification.
This enables students to demonstrate their knowledge and skills in meaningful ways while ensuring that assessment remains securely linked to the requirements of the qualification being studied.
Formal Qualifications & Examinations
Students work towards nationally recognised qualifications at the level appropriate to their pathway.
Where examinations form part of a qualification, students are prepared carefully and appropriate access arrangements and reasonable adjustments are put in place where required.
Qualifications provide meaningful recognition of achievement and support progression into further education, higher education, training, employment and adult life.
Recognising Progress
Progress at Fable House is broader than qualifications alone.
Alongside academic achievement, we recognise and monitor development in areas such as independence, communication, confidence, self-advocacy, engagement with learning, relationships and preparation for adulthood.
For some students, these developments can be significant milestones in their educational journey and provide the foundations from which further academic and vocational progress becomes possible.
Our trauma-informed approach recognises that wellbeing, communication, sensory needs and emotional regulation can all affect a student's ability to access education successfully.
Support for these needs is embedded within everyday practice at Fable House, alongside access to specialist therapeutic input where this forms part of a student's individual provision.
Regulation & Everyday Support
All students can access support and activities that help them regulate and engage successfully with their day.
Depending on individual need, this may include:
Students are supported to develop an understanding of their own needs and, over time, to identify and use strategies that help them regulate, communicate and participate with increasing independence.
Specialist & Therapeutic Support
Where identified as part of a student's individual needs or provision, we can work with families and other professionals to facilitate access to a range of specialist and therapeutic support.
This may include:
Some support may be provided in-house and some through external professionals, according to the needs of the individual student and the arrangements in place for their provision.
We work collaboratively with families, professionals and placing authorities to support outcomes identified within each student's EHCP and promote consistency between education and other areas of support.
Supporting Access to Education
Therapeutic and specialist support does not sit separately from education at Fable House. Where appropriate, advice and strategies from professionals inform how we communicate, structure learning environments, support regulation and remove barriers to participation.
Our aim is to help students develop greater understanding of themselves, communicate what they need and build strategies they can take with them into adult life.
