ASDAN Training

Fortes were delighted to invite a representative from ASDAN UK to conduct an intensive 2 day training for our staff. Representatives from every tier within the school, including governors, leadership, teachers, support staff, and parent advisers attended the training. The speaker commented that, as the international co-ordinator, this is the first team she has ever seen such a high level of involvement in a training, and that this is clear evidence of our commitment to inclusion.

ASDAN is an internationally accredited curriculum provider, offering alternative and augmentative curriculum options for students with Special Educational Needs, as well as those who demonstrate leadership potential and would benefit from further extension. The ASDAN curriculum options are highly adaptable, and so can be tailored to meet the needs of individual students at any level. With a strong focus on functional academics, independent living skills, workforce readiness, and leadership qualities, these programs suit a wide range of learners. Favouring project-based learning, and portfolio assessment over formal testing, ASDAN meets our brand promise of Multi Smart Learning.

As a newly registered ASDAN centre, we will be focusing on developing the New Horizons program this year. This will be used as an augmentative curriculum option for select Key Stage 2 learners, who find the mainstream curriculum quite challenging. New Horizons focuses on developing personal, social, health and emotional awareness. It builds awareness of yourself, the other people around you, and your own place and role within the community. These topics can be used to make clear cross-curriculum links, such as measurement when learning about your own height/weight, or map skills when learning about where you live. Due to the flexible nature of the curriculum, these topics can be explored in as much detail as is appropriate for the individual learners, and can serve to develop maths, literacy, communication and teamwork skills. The program is intended to span over two years, and will be moderated by the UK-based organisation before awarding certificates of completion to each student.

We are very excited to offer this unique learning opportunity, and are keen to explore the other ASDAN programs available. By continuing to adapt and modify our curriculum options, we tailor the Fortes education to suit the needs of a wide range of learners, and continue to break down barriers to inclusion.