Examinations & Qualifications: Currently offering GCSEs or Entry Level Courses in; English, Maths, Science, ICT, PE, Product Design,  Working to a 3D brief, Homecooking skills, Art & Design, Photography, History, RE, Creative Arts and PSE. These examinations and qualifications are tailored to the individual groups and their areas of strength and interest.

 

Other Curriculum Areas: Sex Education, Careers Education, Study Skills, Science workshops, PSHE and ASDAN CoPE.

 

Support Time: This is time allocated to the pupils to support their curriculum work. Teachers identify key aspects of their subject which require support to the Speech and Language Department, such as new concepts and new vocabulary. This is then delivered in the support time by a Speech and Language therapist.

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ASDAN CoPE Bronze & Silver Awards: ASDAN Personal Development Programme: This programme is delivered throughout the curriculum in both Speech and Language therapy sessions and lessons. The programme offers imaginative ways of developing, recording and certificating a wide range of pupils’ personal qualities, abilities and achievements, as well as introducing them to new activities and challenges.

 

Duke of Edinburgh Award: This is a widely recognised award by employers and people involved in education. Some of the benefits to young people include developing self-confidence and self-reliance; gaining a sense of achievement and a sense of responsibility; discovering new skills, interests and talents and developing leadership skills and abilities. They can also discover exciting opportunities; make new friends; experience teamwork, problem-solving and decision-making; increase their motivation; enhance their self-esteem and develop their communication skills.

 

Sports Leadership Award is a nationally recognised award which uses sport to help people develop vital skills for life such as planning and organising oneself and others, teamwork, communication and organisation. It can also be used as a stepping stone to employment, further education and training.

 

Careers advisers provide support, advice and information for the pupils in making choices for what they would like to do after leaving this school. They visit the pupils throughout Years 9 to 11 to establish a rapport and identify and support their transition into further education. Please see our Upper Phase careers overview below:

Upper Phase careers overview

 

Link Days for pupils to carry out lessons or activities at other colleges to broaden their experience and confidence in college life alongside developing skills.

 

Travel Training to develop skills in successfully planning and using transport systems on regular routes. This is a list of the assessment resources used in the travel training programme.

• Initial

• Road Safety

• Bus Training

• Tube, Train, Tram Training

• Final

 

Speech & Language Therapy Speech & Language Therapy: Group SLT sessions (Life Skills) are planned and delivered by onsite SLTs. Life Skills sessions take place twice a week and are 45 minutes each. The SLT therapy programme includes the ASDAN PDP award as well as needs-led therapy such as: developing pupils understanding and use of language skills, developing pragmatic language abilities, developing functional language skills and supporting the pupil’s ability to access the National Curriculum. The comprehensive Self Awareness Programme aims to support the pupils in identifying their strengths and difficulties and how this will impact upon their futures. 

SLTs work alongside teachers and support in subject lessons to promote communication friendly learning environments, access to the national curriculum and modified language support, as well as specific vocabulary or exam support where needed. SLTs and teachers plan together in order to provide a curriculum whereby the academic demands are supported and reinforced by the Speech and Language therapy team.

SLTs are attached to form groups where they are able to offer language, pastoral, social and emotional support to individual pupils as well as needs-led PSHE sessions. Pupils who require 1:1 SLT input are seen on a needs-led basis or in line with their EHCP requirements.
 

There is a Speech & Language therapist assigned to each class group, who is able to provide advice and assistance to teaching staff as and when required. In addition, this key therapist is able to provide therapy, advice and assistance to pupils on a needs-led basis. Speech and Language therapists and teachers plan together to provide a curriculum whereby the academic demands are supported and reinforced by the Speech and Language therapy team and the Life Skills Programme is delivered throughout the curriculum. This helps generalise these skills into different contexts and reinforce key vocabulary.

 

Individual Speech & Language Therapy in addition to the group provision, some pupils may receive individual/paired speech and language therapy according to their needs. (see Speech and Language Therapy)

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Occupational Therapy: Our occupational therapy team provide both individual and group therapy on a needs met basis. We carry out the Alert programme throughout the school which includes proprioception and vestibular rich movement activities. The team also provides teacher support and environmental adaptation for the pupils as needed. Equipment and sensory strategies are provided to help pupils access the curriculum. (see Occupational Therapy and Physiotherapy)

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Supporting Educational Visits to support curriculum learning alongside trips to develop life skills and learning from the Speech & Language Therapy.

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Functional Skills: Speech and Language therapists and Occupational therapists work collaboratively to deliver functional skills lessons to pupils in Key Stage 3 and 4. These joint sessions aim to develop pupil’s social skills, expressive and receptive language and overall independence. Topics include communicating with the outside world, integrating into the community, self-care, organisation, health and well-being.  The interdisciplinary approach enables therapists to combine their expertise, ways of delivering the curriculum as well as tailor it to meet the pupil’s needs. Working together, therapists have the opportunity to plan, deliver and assess tasks which are differentiated to the needs of the pupils. Using an interdisciplinary approach supports pupil’s awareness of the meaningful connections that exist among the two disciplines and link the skills, knowledge and strategies they have learnt to every day functional tasks, furthermore, this will support them to generalise the range of skills they have learnt to other settings.

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Group Reward System: System for rewarding pupils for their participation, organisation, cooperation and respect, carried out across the curriculum and in registration and lunchtimes.

 

Individual Targets: Throughout Key Stage 4 the pupils work on targets in their registration times, morning and afternoon. These targets are to help build and support key life skills.

 

Weekly Positive Feedback is given to the pupils both verbally and in written form to recognise achievement from the previous week. The pupils are encouraged to recognise their positive achievements and how it is valuable to them as an individual and to the class as a whole.