Welcome to the Heath Farm School 6th Form Provision
Located just 3 minutes walk from Ashford town centre, our 6th form stands in its own site with off-street parking to both front and back.
It has the facility to manage up to 12 students on varied timetables in conjunction with vocational courses at colleges and external providers. Linking to the academic work, which is directly provided at the centre.
Our vision, as in the rest of Heath Farm School, is one of:
A place where students can thrive in an environment whereby their personal wellbeing and development is shown through unconditional love, regular and effective interventions, therapies and support.
A place where students can exceed expectations through a well-chosen, appropriate, challenging and relevant programme of study with levels of challenge and resilience to promote the very best outcomes.
A place were students are expected to rise to the challenge of a variety of enrichment opportunities, visits and activities which aim to promote high levels of perseverance and resilience in preparation for a successful adulthood.
In the 6th Form provision we firmly believe in the equality of wellbeing, academic and personal development. This is reflected in the fluid nature and connectedness of each daily schedule whereby the students have it often reiterated that all aspects of their time with us have equal importance in giving them the very best life chances.
The Programme of Study
In Year 12 the students follow a Programme of Study, (PoS), which comprises of the courses detailed below. Where appropriate students can re-sit or work towards resitting English or Maths GCSE.
Level 2 Certificate of Personal Effectiveness
Students study the following Units:
- Independent Living
- Health & Fitness
- The Environment
- Culture & Beliefs
Level 2 Certificate of Employability
Due to the age of the students this course offers an incredibly relevant and wide range of challenges surrounding knowledge and understanding of the working world and provides a platform to develop, promote, improve and refine their skills to gain and maintain employed or voluntary positions in their future lives.
The units the students study are as follows:
- Career Exploration
- Applying for a Job
- Learning Through Work Experience
- Communicating with others at Work
- Overcoming Barriers to Work
- Participating in an Enterprise Activity
- Rights and Responsibilities in the Workplace
- Team Working
Maths Short Course
Students complete the following units to achieve their accreditation:
- Probability and Statistics
- Money
- Numbers
- Geometry and Measure
English Short Course
The students complete a variety of challenges from the following units:
- Developing Communication Skills
- Speaking & Listening
- Reading and Writing
- Reading for Pleasure
Personal Finance Short Course
This course is allowing students the opportunity to learn essential knowledge to equip them with skills to be financially sound in their choices in the future. The course is challenging as much of the learning is complex both mathematically and requires high levels of literacy. Much of the terminology is technical especially when looking at items such as all aspects of tax, mortgages and savings to name but three areas of study. Units students study challenges from are:
- Money In and Money Out
- Keeping Track
- Looking Ahead
- Choices, choices
Preparation for Adult Life Sessions
Every Friday morning the students have a ‘Preparation for Adult Life’ session. This is a responsive curriculum which ensures students have access to information which is age appropriate and current in order to help them develop a toolkit of life advice.
The programme is flexed and if situations arise the sessions are tailored to incorporate immediate learning in order to respond to current national or international issues. Typically the students will have a programme of sessions including:
- Sex and Relationships
- Addiction and substance misuse
- Crime
- Exploitation
- Gangs
- Knife crime
- Healthy physical wellbeing
- Healthy mental wellbeing
- Global current affairs
- National current affairs
- The government and voting
- Positive citizenship
Teambuilding and Wellbeing Group Sessions
Every Friday students have a group team-building & wellbeing session led by the Wellbeing Lead. This work includes building relationships, social skills, valuing oneself and others, team building exercises and discussions surrounding mental and physical health.
Preparation for Adult Life Activities
Friday afternoons are used to promote whole group adulthood skills. The 6th Form Centre does not use the Main Site Rewards structure as it is not relevant to our post 16 learners.
Students either choose from a range of activities or they have group activities arranged for them to test their resilience, challenge them and expose them to new experiences.
Timetable Personalisation in Year 12
Timetables are personalised dependent on each student’s need. Some students will have Work Experience (WEX) opportunities, whilst others may have more therapeutic interventions such as half days engaged in a range of alternative activities building mental and physical health, resilience and increasing readiness for life.
All student timetables have set times for speech and language therapy, occupational therapy, wellbeing 1:1 time and further therapies where required. These timetables can be seen on the students’ desks so that students are very clear about the structure of their day.
All 6th Form staff forge the academic, wellbeing and opportunities together to bring a provision ethos and philosophy that values love, commitment and opportunity equally.
Year 13 & 14
In Year 13, (and 14 where appropriate), students continue their studies in Maths and English. The Programmes of Study become more adaptive to suit the students next steps and interests.
This means students may study a variety of BTEC, NCFE or GCSE courses for part of their provision in specific subject areas to match their career aspiration. This may involve learning off site, for example we are linked to a farm, or they may learn from a visiting lecturer or attend an FE College on a part time basis.
Year 13 and 14 timetables are created during the spring terms of the academic year when students have had two careers interviews and have plenty of opportunities to discuss where they feel their future life aspirations are taking them.
However, the key components as discussed in the Year 12 PoS remain in place in Year 13 and 14 such as the Friday programme of delivery, the plans are further developed and increased as the students age and experience increases.
The Environment
6th form will replicate the business-like, professional approach of the the adult world and as such the students can wear their own clothes, will abide by the Code of Conduct devised by students and be expected to take a full and mature responsibility for their learning, wellbeing and engagement in opportunities.
The students will be expected to take on board a different style of relationship and attitude to their daily programme of study. The ability to manage portfolios and meet tight deadlines will be supported and developed throughout the autumn term.
Students are encouraged to cook fresh food for lunch as part of their transition to adulthood alongside fully engaging in activities, events, trips and other opportunities to increase their skill set for life.
The transition to being a young adult is always going to be a challenge, however, the complete equality between the ‘love, commitment and opportunity’ aspects of their provision combined with a strong team and clear leadership will provide a secure grounding for the next stage of their lives.
The 6th Form Centre is currently a small provision in a building near Ashford town centre. The Centre is a professional working environment with a respectful ethos. The student Code of Conduct was devised by the students and as such represents the Love, Commitment and Opportunity within which they live their daily lives at the centre.
The end of each day has a ten minute ‘housekeeping’ slot so that the students take responsibility for tidying up, washing up and ensuring they are leaving the centre ready for the next day.
The Timings of the Day
The timings of the 6th Form day differ from the day for students in Year 1 through to Year 11.
The students have intensive sessions in three periods as specified below:
9 – 9.30am – Arrival and settling ready for the day, including breakfast
9.30am – 11am – Session 1
11am – 11.30am – Break (Ashford students can go into town)
11.30am – 12.45pm – Session 2
12.45pm – 1.30pm – Lunch (Ashford students can go into town)
1.30pm – 2.15pm – Session 3
2.15pm – 2.25pm – Reflection
2.25pm – 2.30pm – Tidying 6th Form Centre and departure
As stated earlier, these timetables are then personalised across the week to fit in student therapies, WEX and alternative learning.
If you have any queries surrounding the Heath Farm School 6th Form provision please contact Sharron Humphrey on shumphrey@heathfarmschool.org.