Individual programmes

One of the most important roles of CYCES is to re-engage pupils in learning.

The Access Team play a key part in re-engaging disaffected pupils and delivering their individual programmes. The team are creative and flexible in their responses and explorations to meet pupils’ needs.

The complexity of individuals’ needs can be such that their profile shows they have:

• Been hard to place
• Often have been excluded from other special schools
• May have been out of school in some cases for up to two years.

We can provide 1:1 intensive personal support to re-engage with education, help manage behaviour and develop more positive relationships. Attainment on entry is most often very low which can be the result of long periods out of school. Most of those in need of an individual bespoke programme have a history of failure at school involving permanent exclusion or risk of permanent exclusion.

To make the best judgements about suitable provision we assess the actual starting point on admission. This takes account of the effects of any trauma or mitigating life event. Information is gathered and collaboration with other agencies can be used to assess and inform the planning of future learning and progress.

Pupils’ stating point for progress is baseline assessed in the first two weeks of CYCES involvement. A range of strategies is used and then periodically reassessed throughout their time. Information is gathered from tests and assessment tasks, practical tasks, written tasks, observation, questioning, individual and group discussion.

Pupils are placed in the most suitable situation or if necessary, a setting is created. As needs change, so does the planned provision to meet them. Pupils are prepared for changes and moves, then they move on to the next most suitable group or programme.

At CYCES we believe the prerequisite to learning is for the learners to feel safe. Our objective is to provide clear consistent boundaries within the personalised curriculum provided at CYCES. We have an emphasis on curriculum themes that have a track record of engaging hard to reach pupils. They include art, drama, food tech, dance, sports, and outdoor pursuits. The activities often provide an alternative teaching environment.

There is also the opportunity to catch up on basic educational skills with intensive literacy support. Then there can be a supported return to local authority schools or access to accredited courses, including five GCSEs through CYCES. Opportunities are also available for alternative education and vocational programmes.