Vale of Evesham School 6^th Form

The Vale of Evesham 6^th Form provides a Key Stage 5 Progression route for young people with an Education Health and Care Plan who are seeking a pre-entry level, entry level or level 1 pathway.

Goal

Irrespective of their educational starting point, a successful school-leaver strives to demonstrate these attributes and attitudes:

• I perform a regular purposeful activity such as paid employment, voluntary work or programme of valued activities (or I participate in education or training to prepare for this).
• I look after myself in a home environment – personal hygiene and health, cooking, home care, paying bills, accessing online resources, setting boundaries and maintaining relationships with neighbours, other occupants and professionals.
• I look after myself within my local community by using shops, health facilities and community resources. I travel locally from place to place safely and with confidence.
• I pursue an interest.
• I maintain an active and healthy lifestyle.
• I continue to gain skills, knowledge and understanding eg by accessing college, apprenticeship, training or a programme of meaningful and challenging activities.
• I deal with an emergency or crisis by taking appropriate actions or seeking appropriate help.
• I make informed and appropriate choices about relationships with others, including sexual relationships.
• I understand how I connect to my household, my local community, the wider community and the rest of the world (including in a political, cultural and religious sense) and I demonstrate some engagement within these settings. I have the cultural capital that I need to support this engagement.

The aim of the Vale of Evesham 6^th Form is to prepare students for those key aspects of adult life, through developing:

• Functional communication and numeracy skills
• Life-skills for the home
• Life-skills for the community and beyond
• Life-skills to support further education, training and employment
• Resilience, determination, independence and confidence
• Understanding of ourselves, our community, country and world

6^th Form Curriculum

Students will follow a curriculum suitable for their attainment level, and supporting their transition needs and personal goals.

Complex learners:

Students on this curriculum pathway use sensory approaches to develop communication, awareness, engagement and autonomy in a wide variety of settings including the local area and community beyond school.

In common with Key Stage 4, the programme addresses 4 key areas – Cognition, Communication, Physical and Sensory. Progress in these areas is regularly assessed, and the pupil data tracked in order to support the delivery of challenging and meaningful learning opportunities. For 6^th Form students there is an increased emphasis on learning off-site and within the community. The purpose of this is to prepare for transition from school to other educational and non-educational settings.

Semi-formal learners and Formal learners:

Those who enter the 6^th Form with Pre-entry level, Entry Level 1 or Entry Level 2 accreditation (or who have not achieved accreditation but are working at an equivalent level) follow the OCR Life and Living programme, which includes units for communication, numeracy, personal skills, world of work, horticulture, home management, environment and community.

Students who enter 6^th Form with Entry Level 3 or Level 1 accreditation follow Level 1 and 2 English and Maths programmes in addition to the appropriate units of the OCR Life and Living Entry Level or ASDAN Certificate of Personal Effectiveness at Level 1. Vale of Evesham School 6^th Form offers Edexcel Level 1 and 2 Functional Skills English, AQA Level 1 Maths and AQA GCSE Maths. Under most circumstances, learners following Level 2 programmes would be directed to local college provision for their 6^th Form, however Level 2 courses are provided to cater for learners with a spiky profile or those whole make rapid progress during their time in the 6^th Form.

Students also work toward Duke of Edinburgh Award in the four sections: skill, physical, volunteering and expedition, or the Junior Award Scheme for Schools.

Students access local colleges on a weekly basis in a College Link session supported by Vale of Evesham staff.

Learning environments and weekly lessons:

Students access learning in classrooms, glasshouse and horticulture area, café and retail space, home-skills area, local businesses and voluntary organisations, the pupil transport network, Evesham town community and Worcestershire countryside.

The weekly programme consists of:

• English/Communication
• Maths/Numeracy
• Café – a setting where Communication and Numeracy skills can be rehearsed and embedded in addition to skills relevant to the work-place. Food and retail are major local employers, so skills developed here can be applied directly in work experience placements and are relevant for post-school employment.
• Horticulture – a setting where Communication and Numeracy skills can be rehearsed and embedded in addition to skills relevant to the work-place. Nurseries, and businesses related to the horticulture and gardening sectors and major local employers, so skills developed here can be applied directly in work experience placements and are relevant for post-school employment.
• Community – this includes safe and effective travel and access to local services for health, leisure and support.
• Self – PSHE, RSE, Citizenship
• Home – Independent living skills
• College Link – a sample programme at Pershore College supporting effective transition to post-school education and training provision. This link has been successful in improving retention rates for school leavers entering local college provision.
• Duke of Edinburgh Award and Junior Award Scheme for Schools. These programmes develop resilience, engagement, active lifestyles and leadership. Young people develop the attitudes and skills required to tackle challenges and work in teams. These skills are transferrable to work-place, educational and community settings, as well as representing a significant achievement directly comparable to that of other young people across the world. Another focus of these programmes is the development of pupils’ interests, talents and abilities.
• Assembly – an opportunity for reflection, celebration and belonging.

Entry into 6^th Form

Students who wish to join Vale of Evesham 6^th Form from Vale of Evesham KS4 or from other schools should apply using an application form which is available on request from the school office. Where possible, the young person should fill in as much of the application form as they can, with help as required.

• All 6^th Form students must have an Education, Health and Care Plan.
• Post-16 transition must be discussed at the Annual Review meetings from Year 9 onwards. A member of the 6^th Form team or the Careers and Transitions team will willingly provide written material to support this discussion on request.
• We would encourage all potential students and their parents and carers to contact the 6^th Form team to arrange a visit and discussion about what we offer. We recommend that similar contact is made with other local providers for comparison purposes.
• The local college provision at Warwickshire College Group (Evesham and Pershore Colleges) may be more suitable for some learners, for example, students who have achieved at Entry Level 3 or Level 1 and wish to follow an accredited pathway or access vocational training at a higher level.
• Students preparing to join Vale of Evesham 6^th Form are invited to join us for a transition day in the summer term.