***The Post 16 Programme of Study is currently under review***
Because of the enhanced physical provision in our extended building we now have Post 16 unit, including a Common Room space, catering for the range of pupils who attend Ash Lea School. We also welcome pupils who transfer from mainstream settings and less frequently other special schools. This has expanded the range of learning needs within this cohort of learners.
Vision Statement
Our vision is for all pupils to have a purposeful and aspirational planned route through their final years at Ash Lea to equip them to live a fulfilled and autonomous life.
By the end of Post 16 pupils will:
Have the skills they need to access the next stage of their aspirations. This may include:
Qualifications that enable them to access their next stage of education
Communication Skills that enable them to make personal choices
Physical Skills that enable them to access their chosen pathway
Vocational Skills that enable them to work towards paid or voluntary employment
Experience that enables them to make informed choices for the future
Opportunities and provision we will provide in order to achieve this:
Pupils follow a ‘Study Programme’. This programme has three strands; Core Subjects, Life after Ash Lea and Personal and Social Enrichment. Each pupil follows their own bespoke ‘Study Programme’ with appropriate elements from each strand.
Furthermore, as with all pupils at Ash Lea, post 16 pupils have an Individual Education Plan (IEP) with targets based on their EHCP outcomes.
EHCP reviews consider transition to life after Ash Lea from Year 9 onwards and each element of ‘Preparing for Adulthood’ constructs a ‘Transition Plan’ for each pupil, which is reviewed at each annual review meeting. This may also inform EHCP outcomes and in turn IEP priorities and the construct of each individual’s Study Programme. The preparing for adulthood sections are and names that we use for this at Ash lea are; Community Participation, Autonomy, Employability / Further Education, Independent Living, Good Health and Communication. We offer accredited courses for each strand of the Study Programme where this is meaningful and relevant. Below are links to the accrediting bodies that we currently use.
https://www.asdan.org.uk/courses/courses-for-your-setting/send-provision
https://www.aimawards.org.uk/learners/about-us/ https://www.aqa.org.uk/
Study Programme
Core Subjects
These broadly cover English, mathematics and communication at a level that is meaningful and functional. All pupils have an accredited pathway for these core subjects and are accessed through sessions and activities that are appropriate for each learner. Core subjects are applied and embedded within and without the school community.
Life After Ash Lea
In Post 16, pupils have numerous transition opportunities to appropriate Post 18 settings. Transition events are held with Post 18 providers and the school’s transition lead, who facilitates an annual meeting with transitions representatives and pupils and their families, with a view to signposting them to the right agencies at Year 9.
The school has a Careers Strategy that has three strands dependent on learning needs and EHCP aspirations. Work experience opportunities are offered both internally and externally. We have good relationships with external partners who support us to provide exciting and relevant vocational experience. We actively encourage choice making, ensuring that pupils are key participants in making everyday decisions as well as those about their futures. We recognise the importance of building on interests and provide leisure opportunities as well as ample socially inclusive opportunities to develop relationships with peers both within and outside of school. We offer accredited courses which cover vocational and employability skills. All pupils leave Ash Lea Post 16 with an exciting portfolio of qualifications to demonstrate their strengths and achievements to their next providers.
We work with future destinations for a smooth and successful transition and the success of these placements is testament to this.
Personal and Social Enrichment
We recognise the importance of enrichment and of the arts to broaden pupils’ horizons and provide experiences to support personal growth and creativity. We offer Performing Arts, Art, Music, PE, Cooking, Swimming as well as Hydrotherapy, discreet physiotherapy sessions supported by physiotherapists, sensory processing support and emotional regulation groups led by the school’s OT.
Preparing for Adulthood and Transition Planning
EHCP reviews consider transition to life after Ash Lea from Year 9 onwards and each element of ‘Preparing for Adulthood’ constructs a ‘Transition Plan’ for each pupil, which is reviewed at each annual review meeting. This may also inform EHCP outcomes and in turn IEP priorities. The ‘Preparing for Adulthood’ sections are ‘Employment’, ‘Friends, Relationships and Community’, ‘Independent Living’ and ‘Good Health’ and names that we use for this at Ash Lea are; Community Participation, Autonomy, Employability / Further Education, Independent Living, Good Health and Communication.
