14-19 Department

The 14-19 curriculum named "The Branches Curriculum" at Ivy House School is constructed from a series of core life skills content that build into a coherent, personalised offer for each learner. Most importantly it is meaningful to each young person and their family in preparing them for life after school and into adulthood. It empowers our young people to have increased confidence to make realistic and critical decisions about their future.

Our curriculum embeds skills to support future destinations and independence; supports our young people to develop core literacy and numeracy skills for adult life; has an explicit focus on communication skills, embeds engagement within the wider community, the development of friendships, confidence, health and wellbeing and supports healthy living. We start with the ‘end in sight’ (Destination).

Each programme has a focus on the skills, EHCP and Preparation for Adulthood (PfA) outcomes required by each learner to support them to prepare for a meaningful adulthood as contributing citizens. The ‘Core Life Skills’ frameworks are a context (or ‘vehicle’) for learning – actual learning content is guided by each learner’s EHCP, PfA, skills needed, Personal Learning Goals and planned destination/s.

Learners may ‘Bridge’ between ‘core life skills’ programmes or depending on the learner, may complete a broad set of skills within one ‘core life skills’ programme, covering or reinforcing different skills. Final “Core life skills” can also be assigned at the end of the programme depending on the Individual Learning Journey, progress and learning.

The 4 main core life skills grids are then broken down into specific key knowledge and skills as follows:

Health & Wellbeing

Express and manage emotions
Share experiences and interact with others
Experience a range of positions and movements
Develop body and spatial awareness
Develop sensory awareness
Show awareness of healthy food
Engage in exercise to maintain and maximise range of movements
Take part in hygiene routines
Make choices using preferred method
Develop self-esteem and confidence
Enjoy and achieve new skills in holistic therapies
Listen and respond using my preferred communication method
Develop fine and gross motor skills
Communicate needs and wishes

Communication, community and friendships

Develop understanding of times and schedules
Develop strategies to help cope with change
Communicate needs and feelings and make choices.
Listen and respond to others
Work with others in turn taking sessions
Develop physical skills and way of expressing yes and no in order to access communication systems
Develop and use personalised AAC systems including the use of technology
Explore a range of community facilities to develop life skills and confidence
Interact positively with others in the 14-19 Department and / or community
Communicate with others in the 14-19 Department and / or community using personalised systems
Transfer skills to new and different environments and settings
Contribute to different community focussed-organisations/charities.

Skills for Life

Communicate needs and wishes
Respond to and give instructions
Develop awareness of food, shopping, cooking and eating
Learn more about the natural world
Express preferences and make choices
Develop fine and gross motor skills
Work and interact with others
Develop an understanding of time
Use equipment, including technology to improve day to day life
Develop literacy
Develop numeracy

Creativity, contributions and choices

Use tools, equipment, materials and techniques
Develop fine and gross motor skills
Work collaboratively to achieve a group goal
Have fun and build meaningful memories
Discover places and activities which bring joy
Be creative
Engage with different surroundings and the wider world
Show appreciation of the work of others
Show awareness and pride in own creations
Follow and give instructions
Consider next steps and develop necessary skills
Take part in enterprise projects

In addition to the ‘Core Life Skills’ Grids above the Top Key Skills run throughout the all curriculum areas which are focussed on or required when planning outcomes and destination requirements in ‘Preparation for Adulthood’ and future aspirations/impacts.

Top Key Skills:

Communicating my needs
Understanding time; next; then
Solving a problem
Working with others
Being aware of others
Using technology
Perseverance and motivation
Making choices

The 14-19 department mix class groupings for based on the lesson or session being delivered. This enables year 10 and 11 learners to have identified personalised outcomes towards the "develop literacy" and "develop numeracy" objectives, and also allows more transition opportunities for those students who are in their final year of school at Ivy House.

‘Planning with the end in sight’ is core to Teaching & Learning Plans throughout the year and at every stage of the learner’s journey.

The young people following the Branch Curriculum are split into three groups for most sessions:-

Years 10 to 11 (14-16 year olds) each young person will have identified personalised outcomes towards the ‘develop literacy’ and ‘develop numeracy’ objectives in the area of Skills for Life.
Years 12 and 13 (16-18 year olds)
Year 14 (18-19 year olds) for the young people in their final year at Ivy House School, the focus throughout the year is on transition and the skills/knowledge/planning needed to ensure a successful transition. However, the final half-term will have an explicit focus on finalising individual next step preparation for all learners: whether planning for their next year in a College, further training, Personal Assistant care, or adult social care/ Residential or Day Care provision.

Assessment

Recognising and Recording Progress and Achievement (RARPA) is the process Ivy House School uses to ensure the quality of non-accredited learning programmes and learning opportunities across our curriculum offer within the 14-19 department. It provides an educationally sound framework for planning and delivery of courses which are learner-centred and ensures personal learners’ goals are recognised and counted towards their success. It is not a qualification but a process (or structure) which has at its core ensuring each young person has the right ‘Core Life Skills’ programme to meet their needs and support progress.

RARPA is a five-stage process that we use to measure how well learners are making progress towards their identified chosen destinations. It is based on person-centred values, keeping the learner at the centre of the process so they can achieve their aspirations and long-term outcomes’.

Preparation for Adulthood (PfA)

Learners will have multiple learning opportunities to develop key skills and/or independence skills over the year. We focus on destinations, key skills and/or independence skills the ‘core life skills’ offer, these are what our young people will need as they progress into adulthood.

‘Life After School’ Event

The ‘Life After School Event’ each year (Spring Term 1) should be planned into all T&L Plans.

‘Core Life Skills’ Supported Living Pathway (SLP)

The SLP programme provides complete flexibility to build on Key Life Skills focussed around the individual needs, levels and interests of each learner.

Workplace settings / trips and visits

The experience of the workplace can be supported through trips and visits. Where possible link with an employer, to plan a trip (e.g. to a supermarket or shop) so that learners get input and opportunities to practise skills as part of the visit.

Internal Work Experience

The School provides a range of internal work experience opportunities – helpful where a learner is not ready for Work Experience in the wider community. These include the kitchen, library, Tuck Shops, Cafes, Reception, Admin Support and supporting the Site team.

The Gatsby Benchmark standards is taken into account and considered as appropriate to our individual learners.