Key Stage 5

To view or download a copy of our Key Stage 5 Transition Information Booklet, please click HERE.

Overview of Post-16 provision at Maplewell

We have prepared this booklet to support you and your young person in considering your options at Maplewell, but also to begin thinking about your future beyond. Some of the information is relevant now, but it is important to begin to think further about your young person’s future, as this will enable us to support in the progression towards this during annual reviews.

Throughout Key Stage 4 your child has worked hard to complete a range of qualifications that recognise their success in school. The next steps at Post-16 are about: –

  • Continuing with academic progression that will support next steps to college, employment or supported living centres
  • Developing further skills and strategies as your child is becoming an adult
  • Preparing your child for the future and seeking opportunities that will enhance and promote these experiences as part of their day
  • Providing vocational learning to develop employability and independent living skills

Pupils at Maplewell are already at different places in making their next steps from our special school. This is absolutely fine and we embrace this fact. Examples of progression from Maplewell include: –

  • Joining Year 12, but upon realisation of results from Y11 qualifications, are ready to move to college to focus on a specific course. This transition can occur at any time throughout a year group and we will work together to support your child in these next steps.

 

  • Completing all of Year 12 and developing skills for independence, confidence in being prepared for college, along with travel training and the mindset that they are capable of completing a course of their choice. Annual reviews for K5 occur at the beginning of each academic year to discuss next steps, along with the pathway reviews that are completed with your child throughout the year. We will support during the process of applying to college, transition visits and meetings during this time.

 

  • Completion of Year 12 and 13 at Maplewell and entering paid employment or apprenticeships. We support pupils in applications for a range of jobs (some have paid work in the evenings or weekends) and this is encouraged to promote independent living skills. Pupils can leave education at the age of 18 into employment and this is classed as a successful outcome.

 

  • Completing 3 years at Maplewell with transition into college or an independent specialist provision. Pupils will be able to complete the employability qualifications with ourselves and then can study specific programmes or continue learning. We will need to work closely as a team in any applications to independent specialist provisions due to compiling evidence to request that your young persons-needs require this additional input.

The above are just a selection of the range of fantastic outcomes that pupils are able to achieve. Over the next year we will also be developing further: –

  • Work placements, work experience and volunteering opportunities
  • Liaison with FE colleges to identify apprenticeship opportunities and internship opportunities that provide valuable experience
  • Links with adult training providers that provide employability development and support for young adults Post-19
  • Close links with SENA to support a pathway planning approach in supporting young people with aspirations and developing confidence in working towards these aims

There are many opportunities that we are constantly sourcing to provide your child with the best experience, skill development, understanding of the world and community around us, independence, academic qualifications and many more experiences that will support their development into successful young adults. We use the word ‘outcomes’ a lot more in our planning and our aim is to provide successful outcomes that can be evidenced in many forms.

Person Centred planning- My Pathway Tool

Within this pack is a planning tool that we will use in school to ensure, where possible, we secure the desired positive outcomes for your child. The pathway is used to support and plan different tasks, skills and strategies that your child will need to develop to aim for their desired target. Your child will need support in securing the learning opportunities, not just through school, but also from a variety of people around them. The other people that should be supporting your child can include parents/carers, siblings, other relatives, medical professionals, social care and any other support that they require. We then all work as a team collaboratively to support your child along their path.

The Pathway tool is able to be adapted at any time, and hopefully this will happen as your child begins to understand themselves about their capabilities. Your child needs to understand that it is very beneficial to have aspirations and that them as an individual have the potential to provide their skills to colleges, employers and beyond. We need to teach them self-belief during this pathway as all staff at school believe in their potential.

 

Ideas of Pathways

 

Instructions on completing ‘My Pathway’

Download (PDF, 336KB)

Core subjects

In Post 16 we continue to provide English and Maths due to these subjects being an integral part of becoming a successful young person and support in securing places at college or in employment. Pupils will continue to progress and their teachers will identify the correct pathway to secure them the best possible outcome.

Currently we offer Entry 3, Level 1 and Level 2 qualifications in each area, alongside the possibility of further study in GCSE’s. This secures the best learning experiences and final outcome in each core subject area. Your child’s subject teacher will flag the course that they will follow through their reports and parents evening. Plus, you are able to discuss this at any time if you contact us.

If pupils complete their core subjects at their personal highest level, they will then have the opportunity to complete Units that will form part of the Employability course or the Themed Awards. This covers a range of topics that are integral in preparing for adult life. These topics include budgeting, telling the time, reading everyday information, CV building, application forms etc. There really are a lot of topics that will keep your child engaged in these subjects to ensure that they have mastered or are beginning to practice the functional skills of life in preparation for adulthood.

We are constantly reviewing your child’s progress within these subjects. There will still be the opportunity of after school tuition and revision sessions.

 

Maplewell Pathways for Key stage 5

Download (PDF, 573KB)

Pupils will be able to move between the pathway’s as all subjects will be taught as units that enables pupils to complete the number of credits to gain the qualifications. Any pupils leaving before the qualification is completed will still attain credits from the Units completed.

Employability/Preparation 4 Adulthood (P4A)

The employability qualification is made up of a range of subjects that include: –

  • Preparation for Adulthood Units of work
  • Employability units of work

Examples of units of work the compulsory subjects cover: –

 

  • PSHE
  • Citizenship
  • Independent living skills
  • Travel training
  • Volunteering
  • Budgeting
  • CV building
  • Confidence and self-awareness
  • Interview skills
  • Employability skills
  • Diet and exercise
  • Work experience
  • Enterprise
  • Careers
  • Relationships
  • Diversity and society
  • Finances
  • Social skills
  • Science
  • Preparing for college

 

 

This is just a general overview of the Units covered. There are many elements to these topics that build up the Units to achieve the qualification. We will use pupil’s individual pathways to support learning towards their targets by identifying the key Units that will develop their skills and understanding.

 

In addition to these subjects, pupils can choose options during their time in Post 16. The options will vary each year to provide pupils with a range of skills and learning experiences in obtaining their qualification.

Each subject will have a range of units that they will cover. Each Unit of completion is awarded credits and over time these are accrued to achieve the final Level 1 or 2 award/certificate or diploma. The subjects that the qualification can currently cover are and will be optional subjects over the coming years: –

 

  • Animal care
  • Administration
  • Building and construction
  • Business management
  • Construction
  • Child development
  • Engineering
  • Environmental
  • Hospitality and catering
  • Horticulture and forestry
  • History
  • Health and social care
  • IT
  • Media and communication
  • Performing arts
  • Retailing and wholesaling
  • Hair dressing
  • Sport, leisure and recreation
  • Transport and maintenance
  • Painting and decorating
  • Warehousing
  • Enterprise
  • Travel and tourism
  • Land based studies- gardening/horticulture/floristry skills

If option subjects complete their units quicker, we will be sending out an additional options form during that academic year. In other cases, more units can be studied in each subject. If not all subjects are able to do this, then we will cover more units within that subject.

Throughout each year and term, we will look at the subjects that we offer. This will allow more flexibility and choice for your child, alongside ensuring they hopefully get their preferred choices at some point during their time in Post-16. This is always quite tricky and when we get the option choices back we do spend time looking at what options will be available based on the timetable. In some cases, subjects may not run as we do not have a sufficient group size to warrant this, but with a rotational option choice throughout each academic year and each new school year, we will be able to offer more subjects than what has been previously offered.

In some cases, pupils may wish to transition to college or work so they may not complete the qualification. In these instances, pupils are still able to use the credits accrued from any work submitted to recognise their achievements in these subjects. This is an advantage in comparison to other courses, as it gives pupils the flexibility to make different decisions about their pathway for the future, along with gaining accreditation for all work completed.

All qualifications will come from the City and Guilds qualification suites and/or the NCFE qualification suites. Both are recognised by employers and colleges and enable pupils to continue studying them in more detail if they wish, after they leave Maplewell

Duke of Edinburgh

All pupils will cover D of E during their time in Post-16 as it enables pupils to develop the vital skills in preparing for the wider world. It covers a variety of skills including volunteering, outdoor education, household skills, basic cooking, travelling within the community, this is all alongside developing confidence and resilience. All pupils are able to complete the qualification at Bronze, Silver or Gold level. The Award is widely recognised amongst colleges and employment and is an ideal practical qualification that develops the vital skills for adulthood. More information can be found here: https://www.dofe.org/

Work Placements/Experience

We encourage all pupils to gain the valuable skills of a work experience or placement during their time with us in Post 16. Pupils are able to access a variety of experiences with or without the support of an adult. All pupils who wish to gain the Traineeship qualification will need to complete a work placement.

Work experience enables pupils to: –

  • Get to know how people work together, how things get done and how work differs from school or college
  • Find out if a job is as you imagined, whether it would suit you and the training needed to get into it
  • Find out which work activities you enjoy, and which you don’t
  • Can help you set some career goals

Travel Training

All pupils gain the support from staff in learning the vital skills of being able to use public transport. This is fully supported by staff to ensure safety of pupils. As pupils become more independent we ask for a permission slip to be completed to change how we differentiate supervision based on a pupils needs.

Within these sessions we will also visit the different colleges around the county to help prepare your child for their future. We also encourage parents/carers to complete this too during their open days to gain a better insight into what is available in further education.

We also visit career fairs, volunteering events, museums, hospitals and many more opportunities so that pupils develop their confidence with their social and independent skills. Some visits will also be outside of the county too. Please ensure that you complete the permission slip so that these lessons can begin right at the beginning of the term.

 

Additional information and support for the future

Preparing for adulthood can be an exciting time for young people as it is full of new opportunities. However, it can also be a worrying time as young people move on from familiar people and places and face new challenges. At Maplewell our Post-16 provision is about developing the skills, strategies and resilience in preparing pupils for young adulthood and beyond. We continue to support pupils through a structured environment, but provide the opportunities for each pupil to thrive in their emotional and personal development for their future.

Our curriculum offer has been developed to continue vocational and academic learning to provide the stepping stones into college, work or employment. Pupils will be able to achieve a qualification at the appropriate level, alongside continued support in progressing towards a higher outcome for English and Maths. All of these subjects will ensure that pupils gain opportunities in life skills, understanding of the world around them, developing further independence and confidence, along with the many other valuable skills of becoming a successful adult.

The transition from childhood to adulthood can be a stressful time of change for all young people and their families. It can lead to anxiety and questioning about who they will become as adults and how they will make their way in life and achieve their aspirations. For young people with disabilities and special needs this period can be even more daunting. They need to prepare for:

  • Higher education and/or employment
  • Independent living
  • Participating in society, including having friends and supportive relationships, and participating in, and contributing to, the local community
  • Being as healthy as possible in adult life.

It can be particularly difficult for a young person in developing strategies to prepare for their future. The aim is to begin early and achieve the transition to a new set of circumstances as smoothly as possible, and in the process to develop the young person’s skills and abilities. While education, health and care plans now reflect the view of the child from an early age, the focus from age 16 must be on the young person and their wishes and aspirations for their future.