Students leave Lampard Community School at the end of Year 11. In England young people must stay in education or training until they are 18. This does not mean they have to stay in school. Young people will be able to choose from:

• full-time education (e.g. at a school or college)
• an apprenticeship or traineeship
• part-time education or training combined with one of the following:
  • employment or self-employment for 20 hours or more a week
  • volunteering for 20 hours or more a week.

 

Leaving school and going to college can be a very exciting time in a young person’s life. However, we also understand that this can be a challenging time for our students and their families and we hope to give you the information, guidance and support that you need though this transition.

Post-16 Education & Training Options

There are different options available to young people for post 16 education and training.  Providers of post 16 education and training must ensure that they give the right support to their students with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).  Support should be aimed at preparing young people for adulthood by promoting students’ independence and enabling the young person to make good progress towards employment and/or higher education, independent living, good health and participation in their community.

Broadly speaking, options for Post 16 provision include the following;

• FE COLLEGE: Most young people with SEND and/or an EHCP can expect to have their needs adequately and appropriately met in a local and mainstream Further Education (FE) College.  Some Colleges offer a range of courses at Foundation, Entry Level and Level 1.  Under the revised SEND Code of Practice an EHCP or other form of SEN Support may continue into FE.
• SIXTH FORM: Some special schools in the county have Post 16 Units (PSUs) which offer provision from age 16 to 19.
• Independent Specialist Providers (ISPS): There are some Independent Specialist Providers, both schools and colleges, who may cater to the needs of a young person with significant and/or highly specific SEND.  The Local Authority has a decision-making process in place to decide on admissions for both ISPs and PSUs.
• Training Options: Some young people may choose a more vocational route via a Training Provider; e.g. an employer-based apprenticeship or supported internships/traineeships.

Young people entering post 16 education and training should be accessing provision which supports them to build on their achievements at school and which helps them progress towards adulthood.  The amount and type of support that a student needs will vary according to their individual needs and the courses they have selected to study as a full or part time student.  It is anticipated that the majority of learners’ needs will have been identified prior to Post 16 study and that educational providers will be able to build on successful interventions already used 0-16 through careful transition planning.  For those young people with Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs) these should be amended to name the new Post 16 placement by the end of March in Year 11.

Support and Advice:

From year 9 onwards the focus of each EHC Plan is on preparation for adulthood and what each child/young person wants to achieve in their education. This will be talked about at the annual reviews. CSW attend the Year 11 annual reviews to offer further support through this process. Petroc college are also invited to Year 11 annual reviews to answer your questions about support and provision.

The careers team at Lampard Community School can help to sign post you to the information and support that you need. We can make Post 16 applications on behalf of families if they would like us to (we send letters home about this in December of Year 11). Students will receive in-house and external personal careers, advice and guidance during their time at Lampard Community School.  As a school we will keep you informed of any Post 16 open evenings, transition events and taster sessions.  We invite CSW and FE colleges to our parents’ evenings and hold a Post 16 transition event in May so that you have opportunities to gather information and support.

CSW Group provides advice and support to young people and their families on all aspects of choosing post 16 education. Our link CSW Career Development Consultant contacts students and families from Year 9. They talk to students and families again in Year 10 to talk about options in at post 16 and then attend the Year 11 annual review to make the final decisions.

The deadline for applications is 31^st March in Year 11. We recommend that you and your families visit the provisions available as early as possible to help you make informed decisions about post 16.

For further help and support, you can talk to an impartial advisor at the National Careers Service on 0800 100 900.

Information:

Information about apprenticeships can be found:  www.apprenticeships.gov.uk 

Information about Post 16 Transport can be found: What are my options? - Education and Families (devon.gov.uk)