The Rivers Pathway (Semi-formal pathway 2) continues to promote learning through curiosity but develops additional subject specific skills. Pupils are taught to experiment, challenge and extend. This pathway follows the expectations of the National Curriculum (though below age related expectations), and pupils will understand and test their place within the world to develop their resilience and love of learning.  Pupils on this pathway follow a thematic curriculum that is adapted so pupils are exposed to deeper content and expected to make more independent meaningful connections.

Pupils will be taught to develop their understanding of the wider environment through opportunities to experience different environments, different cultures and different ways of working. Learning is increasingly formal but continues to give pupils the chance to be self-led so they can be supported further through a more structured approach. Rivers pathway does not expect that pupils will make all connections themselves, but they are encouraged to do more so by staff who know how to engage and extend their thinking to build new knowledge, skills and content. Tasks and experiences are designed to build on previous knowledge, understanding and experience (formal or informal), developing thinking skills and resilience.

On the Rivers pathway, pupils will participate and engage with learning opportunities that are designed to enable progress throughout the whole curriculum, through self-led and more formal learning. All pupils will have the opportunity to:

• Becoming confident hydrotherapy pool users, including consolidating swimming skills.
• Develop to prepare pupils as much as possible for adulthood and independence.
• Develop personal, social and health skills alongside life skills such as problem solving, questioning and curiosity will be interwoven throughout the curriculum, as well as taught discreetly.
• Gain insights into the purpose behind learning, such as comprehension skills, writing for intention and applying mathematical thinking to real life that support their future. Literacy will be taught through texts, stories and experiences that enable links with PSHE to ensure a fully purposeful, enriched learning offer.
• Access a practical, hands-on approach in learning core subjects to encourage meaningful problem solving, mathematical thinking and scientific enquiry through activities through cooking, building, role play and exploration and situational learning.

Communication and language (pupil voice) continues to be important access and progress on the Rivers Pathway and is our golden thread to that connects learning activities, to learning, to retention. Communication in this pathway progresses single word communication through Intensive Interaction, to speaking and listening skills and developing reading and understanding skills. Pupils will have access to opportunities to build communication skills through appropriate AAC support in lessons and the environment, Blanks Level Work and Attention Autism approaches.