Post Sixteen
Curriculum, Implementation and Impact.
The Post 16 curriculum consists of vocational and academic subjects.
Academic Curriculum:
For the core academic subjects of English, Maths and ICT, we group pupils by ability across the age groups.
The pupils are streamed by ability into a Functional skills pathway or a sensory exploration pathway.
OCR Functional skills pathway; Literacy, Numeracy and ICT
Sensory exploration pathway; that embeds a total communication approach throughout, with elements of numeracy, English and ICT being delivered through practical life skills activities such as shopping or cooking. (OCR Life and living skills)
Vocational Curriculum:
For all other subjects delivered in post 16, the groups are of mixed age and ability and have been put into a focused theme of, ‘The explorers groups’ with the ideology being that all pupil in post 16 are at the self- discovery part of their lives where they are mapping out and developing an idea of who they are and transitioning into life as an adult.
The curriculum offered in post 16 is there to facilitate and be guided by their interests and needs. For example in the world of catering or horticulture
Post 16 students are also given the opportunity to participate in a range of creative arts as part of a whole school production.
Qualifications and Accreditation
Pre Entry level- level 1 English and Maths
OCR functional Maths, English and IT Entry 1, 2, and 3
OCR Life and living skills
Art G.C.S.E
AQA accreditation units
ASDAN new horizons
ASDAN Transitions into adulthood.
ASDAN bronze, silver and gold.
ASDAN enterprise (short course)
Playmakers Sports Leadership Award
Wider curriculum
Our varied enterprise activities are delivered within the framework of BEC (Beechcliffe Enterprise Community). BEC operates a sublimation printing facility for mugs and flatbed printing onto t-shirts and other fabric products. We also manufacture a range of craft products for sale at various school events and at cafes. Alongside operating a weekly staff lunch business and a staff take away service.
Our Horticulture programme operates at the school’s double sized allotment. We also have a kitchen garden adjacent to our cooking room and within an area of the school grounds that we are developing as a Forest School.
As with pupils in key Stage three and Four, pupils in post 16 have the opportunity to attend a wide range of music groups which includes; sing and sign, samba and percussion and 1-1 peripatetic music lessons.
Throughout the year there are sporting events that we encourage our students to take part in. It is our aim for all pupils to represent the school in at least one sporting event throughout the year.
Pupils are encouraged to take part in raising money for charities and enterprise activities leading up to school fairs.
Post 16 aims and Intent
It is our aim in post 16 to offer a broad and balanced curriculum for all our pupils. The pupils are following a curriculum, aimed at preparing students for the World of work and supporting personal development for their next stage of life and living.
Pupils have access to engaging and exciting lessons which will build on their current skills set and allow each pupil to pursue areas of interest to them by broadening their horizons.
Building on the skills and development made in key Stage Four, we encourage pupils to continue to explore the areas that are of interest to them, and we try to match their interests to qualifications and accreditation so that they can be as skilled as possible for when they enter their adult stage of life.
Post 16 at Beechcliffe is a three-year programme, catering for years twelve, thirteen and fourteen. This means that most of our students do not leave until the end of the academic year of their 19th birthday.
In post 16 we deliver the government’s curriculum strategy of 14-19 Study Programmes and the Preparation for Adulthood pathways.
We aim to offer our pupils a programme of study that stretches and engages them, prepares them for adulthood, and supports their progression into work or further study.
Our programme features academic learning, vocational study and personal development. Beechcliffe School provides a range of appropriate learning opportunities in each of these areas.
Each school day commences with a pathways group meeting. These activities include a wake up shake up group, hospitality group, registration, guided reflection on the Thought of the Week, and an opportunity to watch and discuss a daily news programme, this is an opportunity to read that day’s newspaper or to discuss with staff and peers, topical events.
For our sensory learners a multi-sensory daily calendar and welcome to the school day. Targeted to develop individual skills such as speaking and listening, awareness of the world around us and it’s significance to us, independence and life and life and living skills.
Students participate in Relationships & Sex Education lessons supported by the Special Needs School Nursing Team (SNSNT) and using materials from Ur Choice Plus.
Every year we offer all our students the opportunity to attend a residential trip to the Yorkshire Dales. For many students, this is their first time away from home.
We also offer Independent Travel Training for many students through Bradford Council
Careers and enterprise
Careers enterprise and work experience is of course an integral part of the post 16 offer. We offer three main strands of study in the areas of Hospitality & Catering, Horticulture and Enterprise activities.
As a continuation and building on prior skills, pupils entering post 16 are first given the opportunity to participate in school based work experience, work experience in the local secondary school, and local community such as the local church hall and offices in the local town centre.
In years 13 and 14 pupils are given the opportunity to attend college workshops where the students are given the opportunity to make an interest led choice of vocational subjects, which are tailored around preparing for a range of work based environments. Pupils are given the opportunity to undertake individual work experience placements such as working in a Café, Fuel for schools shop, garden Allotments and weekly lunch service at school, broadening their experiences and interests in the wider world.
In post 16 we have our own established Enterprise business which enables all explorer groups to apply their developing skills and knowledge in the following areas; Advertising, market research, budgeting, using money, designing, communication, ICT and of course skills for life.
Please CLICK HERE for a printable versions of our post 16 curriculum.
Please do not hesitate to contact our Post 16 leader Margaret Allwood if you require further information. Contact through the school. Details are on the school contacts page.