6th Form Pathway
Across the pathway there are four classes; Safari, Adventure, Odyssey and Quest. Due to the pathway being age-related as opposed to academic ability or area of need, across the pathway our classes specialise in different types of learning best suited for the individual young people. Students in Wyvern 6th Form currently access three years of education, from Years 12-14, which span the ages of 16-19.
Class sizes are: 7 students in Safari, 11 students in Adventure, 12 in Odyssey and 11 in Quest
Who our learners are:
SAFARI – Sensory/STEPS
The students in Safari class transition to 6th Form from the STEPS and the sensory pathways. As such, these young people benefit from a high level of 1-1 support the majority of the time.
Learning style – Safari class use a TEACCH approach to support their learning; they learn best by completing short bursts of meaningful activities, with time to regulate between each activity. Safari students tend to have complex sensory, social and communicative needs, and require an individualised programme, planned to address this.
Post-19, the majority of Safari students access supported living facilities, day provision and support to access the community.
Teaching staff: Iesha Coleman, Amy Mitchell
ADVENTURE – Thematic Life Skills
The students in Adventure class transition from the Secondary Thematic Life Skills pathway. These students, like Safari, have complex social, communication and sensory needs but are able to attend to tasks for longer periods of time, with a greater degree of independence.
Learning style – Adventure students can attend to teacher-led activities and can work together in small groups, although some require a great deal of individualisation. The students require frequent, short, learning breaks to regulate their emotional and sensory needs.
Post-19, the majority of Adventure students access day provision, with some accessing the supported learning programme at Folkestone or Canterbury College.
Teaching staff: Jess Hyder, Beryl Wilkinson
QUEST AND ODYSSEY – Thematic Life Skills/ CLICK
The students in Quest and Odyssey class transition from the Secondary Thematic Life Skill and CLICK pathways. These students can typically attend to learning tasks for extended periods, with a higher level of independence. Students in these classes do require time to regulate their emotional and sensory needs, but are generally more able to do so independently and generalise these skills to different contexts.
Learning Style – Quest and Odyssey students typically follow structured, extended, teacher-led lessons. Learning activities are differentiated for ability, and students tackle their activities with independence. Post-19, the majority of Quest and Odyssey students go on to access the supported learning programme at Folkestone or Canterbury College, supported internships via Kent Training and Apprenticeships, with a small number moving on to day provision.
Teaching staff: Catherine Spencer, Rob Wood, Beryl Wilkinson
PREPARATION FOR ADULTHOOD
Preparation for adulthood lies at the core of the 6th Form curriculum. The KCC core standards have served as a guide in our curriculum development to ensure that our young people are as ready as possible for their lives beyond Wyvern.
https://www.kent.gov.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0003/124167/Preparing-for-Adulthood-core-standards.pdf
Preparation for adulthood concerns four key areas; employment, independent living, good health and friends, relationships and community. In 6th Form, all of our learning relates to these areas.
EMPLOYMENT
The notion of employment is different depending on the class across the pathway. For some of our sensory learners, who require a greater amount of support, future ‘employment’ means the meaningful activity, which our students will be going onto when they leave school. For our thematic learners, employment relates to being prepared to enter their post-19 destination with readiness and confidence. For our
CLICK learners, some may enter supported internships and gain employment in the future.
Work experience
All students in 6th Form have the opportunity to engage in work experience, both internally in school or with external providers.
Internal work experience includes:
- Working in our Primary classes, supporting learning and being role-models for younger students
- Delivery of groceries throughout the school
- Class based jobs e.g. class librarian, lunchtime helper etc.
- Helping to look after our ICT equipment in the department
- Supporting with administration tasks
- Being part of the student ‘Ground Force’ helping to look after the school site.
- Providing a laundry service for the hydrotherapy team
External work experience includes:
- Working with Lily’s Kitchen, a community interest company. Students work in their café developing hospitality and cookery skills
- Working with Brogdale CIC, a post-19 provision, developing skills in horticulture and animal care
- Work experience with Confidance, an inclusive dance company where students have the opportunity to work on their dance and creativity skills, photography, digital marketing and administration skills
- Completing a Motor Vehicle Maintenance course at Goldwyn School
As part of our careers offer in school, students also access in 6th Form:
- Careers interviews at year 13 with an independent careers advisor Encounters with employers and work places via careers talks
- Attending an annual ‘Moving On’ event with local service providers and post-19 colleges and settings in attendance
INDEPENDENT LIVING
Across all the classes in 6th form we strive to ensure that our students are becoming independent young adults across all areas of the framework. 6th Form students are able to practice life skills in the 6th Form flat.
GOOD HEALTH
All students are supported in having good health and wellbeing throughout their time in 6th Form. All classes follow the PSHE curriculum objectives which covers all aspects of health – physical, emotional, keeping safe and healthy relationships. As part of cooking lessons all students explore healthy food and consider how to make healthy food choices.
Sports and physical development
SAFARI |
ADVENTURE |
QUEST AND ODYSSEY |
Safari and Adventure follow the Wyvern Physical Development long term plan and curriculum objectives. This is followed in an individualised way so that students can develop at a rate suited to them.
Some students also access hydrotherapy and follow their individual physiotherapy programmes. |
Quest and Odyssey access sports activities in the community via community outings to leisure facilities including local recreation areas and gyms. |
FRIENDS, RELATIONSHIPS AND COMMUNITY
Learning about the community
SAFARI |
ADVENTURE |
QUEST AND ODYSSEY |
Safari access the community on an individual basis, to develop their personal safety and confidence in accessing community settings. Safari follow individual transition programmes; these are agreed upon in annual reviews to support transition to post-19 settings. |
Adventure access the community to develop their confidence in accessing leisure activities, develop their understanding of using community facilities, to practice their functional English and Maths skills and to prepare for transition to post-19 settings. |
Quest and Odyssey access a range of community settings to develop the use of their functional skills across different contexts. The students access the library, the gym, supermarkets and a range of leisure settings. |
All classes have weekly, timetabled, PHRSE sessions where students will learn about:
- Relationships and consent
- Sex education
- Online safety
- Money management
- Stranger safety
We follow the National PSHE association framework.
MOVING ON FROM THE PATHWAY
6th Form students move on from the pathway when they transition to their post-19 setting.
There is a range of post-19 settings for our students to transition to. These include:
Educational Settings
- Folkestone and Canterbury College
- Ashford College
- Brogdale – Craftworks College
- Beacon Plus
- Romney Resource
Day Provision
- Mount Lodge Farm
- Karoben Farm
- The Shed
- Canterbury Oast Trust
- Kent Autistic Trust
- Wood n Ware
- Brogdale CIC
- Touchbase
- Aartvark
Pathways to Employment
- Supported internships through Kent Supported Employment
- Lily’s Kitchen
- Confidance
This list is not exhaustive as some students move on further afield, but these are some of the typical placements our young people move on to.
CURRICULUM INTENT
The 6th Form Curriculum - preparing our students for life after school
The 6th Form Curriculum runs in 3 cycles to give the students opportunities to gain credits towards accreditations, and for our sensory learners to have repeated opportunities to make small steps of progress across key skills for life.
English
Phonics
All classes follow Fresh Start as their phonics programme. Students who are secure readers will move on to developing their comprehension of functional texts, which will prepare them for adulthood. All classes have completed baseline phonics assessments, and these are used to individually prepare the learning tasks students need.
Functional English
Functional English is hugely important in 6th Form as we work towards preparing our students to applying their skills in the world beyond Wyvern. Students working pre-entry level will use objectives from the Wyvern Reading, Writing and Communication Frameworks. Students working beyond Entry 1 will access the NOCN Functional English qualification
Maths
In 6th Form we aim to ensure that our learning involves securing our students knowledge, developing their mathematical skillset and applying what they already know across different contexts in the community. Students working pre-entry level will follow the Wyvern Maths Framework. Students working at Entry Level 1 and beyond will access the NOCN Maths Functional Skills Qualification
PHRSE
Across all of our classes in 6th Form we follow the 6th Form PHRSE Curriculum Framework. These objectives are progressive so that they are accessible for all of our learners. The framework was informed by the National PSHE Association, the Autism Education Trust framework and the Wyvern Sensory Life Skills curriculum framework.
EMPLOYABILITY
Employability is an important curriculum area in 6th Form, as it supports our young people in thinking about their futures, what they are interested in and preparing them for life after school.
Students in Safari have opportunities embedded into their curriculum to access meaningful work opportunities. In Adventure they have work certified by ASDAN Life Skills Challenge. In Quest and Odyssey students follow the NOCN Preparing for Further Learning or Employment accreditation.
LIFE SKILLS, INCLUDING COOKING
Life skills is essential in ensuring that our students are prepared for life after school. The content of these sessions is dependent on the class and the individual student. Life Skills learning is underpinned by the NOCN Preparation for Adulthood framework, along with being certified by either ASDAN Life Skills Challenge or accredited by the NOCN Independent Living qualification.
The Flat
All students across 6th Form have use of the 6th Form flat. This is a dedicated learning space where students are able to put their life skills learning into practice, developing independence and preparing them for adulthood. All learning is linked to the NOCN Preparing for Adulthood framework, and work in the flat is used towards accreditation for NOCN Independent Living.
Sports and Physical Development
All students in 6th Form access a sports and physical development curriculum, which is adjusted for their needs within the pathway. Safari and Adventure students follow the Wyvern Physical Development Framework so they can progress through to their next steps. Quest and Odyssey students apply their physical development skills by thinking about what they can access when they leave school; this involves community visits, such as attending a gym.
Options
Students across the pathway are given the opportunity to choose a subject to study related to their interests. These subjects were chosen to cater for individual interest, to link to post-19 activities and settings and to give the opportunity for students to earn credits towards NOCN Independent Living or earn an Arts Award (encounter, discover, bronze or silver).
Religion and Ethics and SMSC
In 6th Form, we apply what we have learned about Religion and Ethics earlier in the school to our work in the community. We have school trips to places of religious and cultural importance where we can apply our prior learning in the real world.
This also links to our daily reflection sessions.
Pathways to Adulthood
All students in 6th Form follow the Pathways to Adulthood programme of study. All students have individual goals to work towards across different aspects of Preparation for Adulthood, which are assessed three times a year. This is completely personalised to the student.
Example of the Pathways to Adulthood assessment document:
CLASSROOM ENVIRONMENTS IN 6TH FORM
Visual Supports
- Visual timetables, displayed horizontally (using the consistent symbols created by SALT)
- Students should have easy access to communication boards, symbols and communication books where appropriate
- All symbols need to use the language through colour system to support our students understanding of the meaning
Resources should be labelled with symbols so that they are accessible for all students
Displays
- Every class needs a daily reflection display area, to be updated weekly in-line with the daily reflection plans
- All classes must have safeguarding information up in classes, including up-to-date photographs of the designated safeguarding leads
- Student EHCP targets should be displayed in the classroom
- Classroom doors need to have the class sign on them along with photographs of the students and staff
Reading Corner
- Every class must have a reading space for students to encourage students to engage in reading, both independently and with staff
- The reading corner needs to have a selection of books appropriate for the engagement and reading level of the students
Regulation Space
- Classes need to provide an area of sensory regulation as and where appropriate to support students to remain calm and happy at school. These will look different across the classes to suit individual student need.
Example Timetable
IMPACT
Assessment
Accredited courses in 6th Form
Our results
Accreditation and Certification Results
Functional English and Mathematics Results