Post-16

Pre-requisite

Pupils who stay on in Mill Water's post-16 provision:

    • are unable to work independently
    • require high levels of personal care
    • may display behaviour that challenges to a level that requires a therapeutic approach

Intent

The Key Stage 5 (Post-16 Education) curriculum is linked to the 'Preparing for Adulthood' Framework, with student outcomes centred around Education and Future roles, Independence, Community Inclusion and Health. Students have access to a sensory and therapeutic curriculum offer. This programme provides a rich curriculum that uses sensory exploration to engage students with the world around them. This curriculum offers the opportunity to maximise communication skills and focuses strongly on students specific learning intentions, directly linking to the outcomes in their EHCP. The curriculum aims to support and maintain physical wellbeing by providing the practical and therapeutic resources, and support necessary, to meet needs.

Implementation

The curriculum focuses on the four areas of ‘Preparing for Adulthood’ (PfA): Preparation for Employment (future), Preparation for Independent Living, Preparation for Community Participation and Preparation for Good Health in Adult Life. As a school we have created an Independence Skills Framework to assess pupils progress towards achieving independence with tasks; pupils are assessed against the level of support they require to complete a task (Supported, Prompted, Independent).

Preparation for Employment/Future
All students are given equality of opportunity in learning. This will involve countering disadvantage by providing a relevant curriculum and learning tasks that are accessible to, and meet the needs of, all students. Students will develop their communication skills (using a total communication approach), functional skills in English, Maths & ICT and enhance their social skills.

Preparation for Independent Living
All students are given opportunity to develop their life skills. This will involve specific task based learning involving everyday scenarios such as cleaning, cooking, tidying, washing, management of self and using everyday items safely. Students will be encouraged to make healthy choices, stay safe and positively contribute.

Preparation for Community Participation
All students engage with a curriculum that reflects their place in their local community. It gives them opportunities to learn about the place, people and values in which they have grown up. Students will access their community through trips to local shops, cafes, leisure centres and natural environments. Students will be encouraged to value and respect themselves, others around them and the environment they live in.

Preparation for Good Health in Adult Life
All students are supported to manage their own health as they move into adulthood. Health professionals use person-centred approaches and work in partnership with education and social care professionals as part of the EHC planning process. Students are encouraged to live healthy lifestyle at Mill Water by staying safe in a variety of contexts, communicating their needs (likes and dislikes), follow a healthy lifestyle (access to a swimming pool in the community, trikes, rebound) and participation in daily physical activity.

Impact

Our post-16 curriculum provides our students with transferable skills to living as independently as possible. We provide our students with exposure to different settings and context. We encourage our students to make choices and continue to develop their communication skills. Post-16 is assessed through our Post-16 assessment system, which is adapted from the BTEC Entry Level Independent living award and allows small steps of progress to be recorded and celebrated.

Learning is evidenced on Evidence for Learning and is linked to our assessment system and individual pupils Personal Learning Goals (PLG’s).