Our Three Learning Pathways

At Cribden House School, our curriculum is ambitious, inclusive and built around three progressive pathways: Being, Doing and Thinking. Each pathway provides meaningful, engaging learning experiences that support academic, social, emotional, physical and life skills while ensuring every child makes measurable progress.

Being Pathway

The Being Pathway supports our youngest learners. The curriculum is based on the Early Years Foundation Stage and delivered through a three-year rolling programme of exciting, topic-based learning. Children learn through play, exploration and sensory experiences, both indoors and outdoors. Lessons are flexible and personalised, using a multi-sensory approach to ensure there are no barriers to progress. Children also receive targeted interventions, such as Attention Autism and Intensive Interaction, to help close gaps and support development. At the end of Reception, children transition to the Doing or Thinking Pathway based on their progress and readiness.

Doing Pathway

The Doing Pathway is a semi-formal curriculum designed for children who benefit from practical, hands-on learning. It focuses on functional skills, communication, emotional well-being, confidence and independence. Children learn through rich, purposeful experiences and topic-based work, covering English, Maths, PSHRE, Communication, PE, Knowledge of the World and Expressive Arts. Learning is broken into seven progressive ranges, so every small step forward is recognised and valued. Some pupils will later progress onto the Thinking Pathway once they have achieved all the Doing Pathway objectives.

Thinking Pathway

The Thinking Pathway is a formal curriculum for children who are ready to access National Curriculum learning. Instead of following a traditional age-based model, children learn at the level that is developmentally right for them. The curriculum is taught through a two-year cycle of engaging cross-curricular themes, helping children make links between subjects and apply their knowledge in different contexts. Topics are carefully adapted to meet individual needs, with opportunities for repetition and over-learning to secure long-term understanding. This pathway builds academic skills, independence, problem-solving and prepares children for secondary learning and beyond.

Find out more about our Learning Pathways here: