Welcome to Ifield Sixth Form
Please click this link to view our Ifield Sixth Form Vision Statement
Ifield Sixth Form is for students aged 16-19 years of age and is based at The LINK Centre (Learning with Ifield and North Kent College) on the North Kent College Gravesend Campus. Ifield Sixth Form share the building with LINK19 College, a Post-19 Specialist College.
Our History
Ifield Sixth Form was established in 2006 as “Ifield at NWKC” with a single year cohort. Initially, the small group of students and staff were accommodated in an older building within what was known as North West Kent College. The provision was immediately popular with students and their families and Ifield Post 16 grew steadily over the next three years. In September 2009, Sixth Form moved into the newly built accommodation of ‘C’ Block. The relocation provided students with better access to high quality ICT facilities. Ifield Sixth Form worked alongside North West Kent College’s own Supported Learning provision and staff and students from the two provisions became familiar with sharing the facilities and occasionally held joint events.
Since 2009 Ifield Post-16 changed its name to Ifield Sixth Form and North West Kent College has become North Kent College. The next phase of college development proved even more transformational when the Supported Learning provision, Gateway, moved from Dartford to the Gravesend Campus. Another move was required and ‘H’ block, previously the home of the Hair and Beauty Faculty at North Kent College, was identified to accommodate Ifield Sixth Form and Gateway students in one building. Ifield Sixth Form moved into their new accommodation known as The LINK Centre (Learning with Ifield and North Kent). This collaboration has resulted in students having access to four classrooms, a Sensory Room, Salon, Health Care suites, a Kitchen, Life Skills Flat and the LINK19 Café led by learners from LINK19 College, as well as accessing and maintaining a garden area for outside learning.
Transition
At the end of Key Stage 4 students move onto a variety of different further education courses, and for most of our students this means that they choose to continue their learning journey at Ifield Sixth Form. The majority of students transition from Ifield School, however some students transition from other specialist provisions.
Transition for students in Year 11 begins in Term 5 and 6 of each academic year and, students are provided with the opportunity to engage in two half day transition sessions, enabling students to meet their class teams and other students whilst experiencing the Sixth Form learning environment. For students who have more profound and complex needs more regular transition sessions take place throughout Term 6.
Sixth Form host an Open Evening during Term 1 of each academic year, so that students can visit The LINK Centre alongside their parents/carers.
Quality of Education
Learning is personalised for each student in line with their individual Education Health and Care Plan, so that learning is directly related to their aspirations and interests, and prepares them for adulthood.
Learning pathways at Sixth Form have a clear focus on each student’s intended destination which may include supported employment, further education, and supported or independent living. Some students attend Ifield Sixth Form for a single year before moving on to another further education provision, whilst other students remain at Ifield Sixth Form for two or three years. Such flexibility accommodates the specific requirements of each individual student.
There are four classes at Sixth Form which link to students identified curriculum pathways:
Diamond Class – Explore Curriculum Pathway
Emerald Class – Discover Curriculum Pathway
Sapphire – Discover and Innovate Curriculum Pathway
Amethyst – Innovate Curriculum Pathway
A key focus of learning at Ifield Sixth Form is preparing all students for adulthood, developing their independence, accessing their community and ensuring that they achieve their aspirations in order to experience a fulfilling future.
For some of students this means developing independent life skills, self-help and self-regulation skills for others the development of Functional English, mathematics and digital skills at a level appropriate to the student. All students work towards a qualification at their appropriate level. Each student is assigned to a class along with other students who are following a similar curriculum pathway.
Students also engage in work related learning and life skills. The study programme is ambitious and designed to enable independence at a pace that provides sufficient challenge for each student.
Break and lunch times allow individual choice with a number of areas and opportunities for students to socialise beyond their learning group taking part in activities such as craft, social games, sensory garden, playing pool or using the LINK19 College café or shop to develop their life and communication skills, such as using and handling money.
Functional English and mathematics are incorporated into all learning including vocational lessons such as weekly food technology lessons.
Forest School
Students at the Sixth Form have access to the Forest School, placing a strong emphasis on problem solving, working as part of a team and developing independence. Forest School is a person-centred inspirational learning process, that offers opportunities for holistic growth through regular sessions. It is a long-term programme that supports play, exploration and supported risk taking. It develops confidence and self-esteem through student inspired, hands-on experiences in a natural setting. Forest School supports students to develop socially, emotionally, spiritually, physically and intellectually. It creates a safe, non-judgemental nurturing environment for students to take risks, explore, and enjoy the wonder and beauty of the natural world.
Therapy Team Support
Ifield Sixth Form students and their families have access to dedicated members of the school’s Speech, Language, Interaction and Communication (SLIC) Team. The Speech and Language Therapist, in collaboration with teaching staff, plan interventions and embed approaches to be delivered as part of the curriculum. The Speech and Language Therapy Team upskill class teams by providing training in strategies and approaches to further enhance students’ communication and interaction skills. Strategies are personalised for the individual and include Social Stories, Colourful Semantics, Attention Autism and Visual Supports.
Students with Occupational Therapy needs are referred to the Occupational Therapy team based at Ifield School. Therapists visit students termly and implement programmes to develop fine and gross motor skills, as well as supporting co and self-regulation. Zones of Regulation is used in classrooms to enable students to identify emotions and understand when they are becoming dysregulated, staff organise check-ins and Visual Supports, identify triggers and build a toolbox of regulation strategies. Strategies are personalised for the individual and include Sensory Circuits, Therapeutic Brushing, Quickshifts music, access to the swing, weighted blankets or jackets, sensory calming resources and regular movement breaks.
The Special Schools Nursing Service regularly visit Ifield Sixth Form to train and support staff to ensure students with medical needs are fully supported. Ifield School’s Medical Assistant ensures processes are being followed to ensure safe administration of medication.
Sensory Support
The Sixth Form’s Sensory Room is used by many students to extend their learning experience. Students broaden their understanding of themselves and the world around them in ways that are engaging and enjoyable.
The Sixth Form’s Sensory Circuit Room allows students to access a form of sensory integration intervention. It involves a sequence of physical activities that are designed to alert, organise and calm. The Sensory Circuit aims to facilitate sensory processing to help students regulate and organise their senses in order to achieve optimum level of alertness required for effective learning.
The freestanding platform swing provides students with a safe and comfortable sensory experience that promotes balance, coordination, and sensory integration as it is used as a tool for regulation and sensory feedback.
Pastoral Support
Each student is assigned a Class Teacher, who has access to a range of services to remove barriers to learning and support progress. A student’s Class Teacher will liaise regularly with the student and their family during any given academic year and will facilitate the Annual Review of the student’s Education, Health and Care Plan.
Students’ benefit from our Multi-Disciplinary Team, which consists of Speech and Language Therapists, Occupational Therapists, a Medical Assistant and a Continence and Toileting Co-ordinator to ensure students’ holistic needs are met.
The team of Teachers at Sixth Form is led by an Assistant Headteacher responsible for Sixth Form and is overseen by the Headteacher of Ifield School.
Preparing for Adulthood
Students in all pathways access their learning within the local community one morning per week. Educational visits are linked to topic themes and specific learning intentions, so that students are able to develop their independence, an understanding of personal safety and responsibility, life skills and develop confidence in communication and interaction. Educational visits include, local shops, Bluewater shopping centre, local parks, work related learning visits and historic places of interest.
Careers Information Education Advice and Guidance
Students access a range of opportunities to gain information, including completing “My Employability Passport”, a careers programme for young people with SEND. Class Teachers work one to one with each student to ensure that their needs are supported in developing a personal career pathway, by working together to find out each students’ skills, strengths and aspirations. Weekly Preparation for Adulthood lessons ensures careers curriculum links to learning are explored and discovered.
An Independent Careers Advisor visits Ifield Sixth Form twice per academic year in order to complete a group workshop session and individual personal guidance for students within the Discover and Innovate curriculum pathways. Students at Ifield Sixth Form have a variety of opportunities to gain information, advice and guidance relating to their future destinations.
In class, students routinely learn about work and life as part of their curriculum. Functional English, mathematics and digital skills not only develop skills that will help students to negotiate work, home and leisure activities, enrich their life experiences but also incorporate learning about options that they might consider in their future lives.
Local information from career and labour market information is provided by a range of activities such as welcoming outside visitors and offsite educational visits coordinated by the Construction Youth Trust who offer exciting programme of employer engagement to raise awareness of the career opportunities in the construction and built environment sector.
Joint Enterprise events with LINK19 College learners takes place throughout the academic year, which includes the Christmas Bazaar, Easter Fayre and Summer Fete. Parents, carers and families are invited to join events which provide learning opportunities such as planning, budgeting, advertising, organising and selling products created.
Work Experience
Ifield Sixth Form works with outside agencies, local businesses and Ifield School community to provide appropriate work experience placements for each student. All agencies involved in work experience share a joint philosophy enabling students to achieve their very best, through expectations that are realistic and challenging. Employers in the local area welcome students and Ifield maintains a positive reputation in the community.
Work experience placements usually take place one day each week over a designated period of time, for example a term. Each placement is chosen by the student with the support and guidance of staff, in consultation with parents and carers to match the specific interests, aptitudes and skills of individual students. Each work experience placement is risk assessed by the Assistant Headteacher at Sixth Form. All students are accompanied by a Teaching Assistant when taking part in work experience placements.
Employers value Ifield’s commitment to supporting work experience. The positive working relationships that have been nurtured with local businesses enable students to have a growing selection of internal and external opportunities and experiences to choose from. Opportunities have included, animal care at Larkin Farm, site and grounds maintenance at the local cricket ground, catering in the LINK19 Café and cataloguing artefacts with Gravesham Historic Society at the Cold War Bunker.
When taking part in work experience students within the Discover and Innovate curriculum pathways work towards an ASDAN unit of study and record their work placement experience. This includes photographs, information about key skills, what they learnt, use of equipment and self and employer’s evaluation. This is an important aspect of a student’s work experience and is used as a reminder of their achievements and to support applications for future apprenticeships, employment or supported internships.
Students who follow the Discover and Innovate curriculum pathways access weekly careers options which include, Catering, Hair and Beauty, Working with Wood (based at the Ifield School Woodland), Performing Arts and Challenger Troop.
Challenger Troop
A group of students attend Challenger Troop an organisation of providers of military ethos programmes for young people. Each participant takes part in a 12-week outdoor learning course. Students experience bush craft, assault course, making shelters, they develop and improve levels of fitness and are encouraged to work outside of their comfort zone. This enables them to develop their individual personal and employability skills in order to help them become confident individuals, effective contributors, successful learners and responsible citizens at Sixth Form and within their community.
Enrichment Programme
All students access a range of local community leisure centres and facilities such as Cascades Gym, the Cyclopark, rambling and trim trail at Shorne Country Park, cycling on accessible bicycles at Ifield School. These options are based on students’ needs, accessibility and interest and are rotated three times per academic year. This builds strength and stamina and engages students in community leisure facilities, building an understanding of the importance of physical and mental health and wellbeing.
Dress Code
We are preparing students for adulthood and for some young people this means the world of work. Students are not expected to wear school uniform, students are to attend Sixth Form wearing smart casual clothes suitable for the workplace. Clothing should be suitable for students needs and should be appropriate for the weather and the time of year.
In line with health and safety no flip flops or open shoes are permitted. If trainers are worn, they should be plain black.
Key Stage 5 Curriculum Proportions
|
Individual Study Programme Percentages |
|
|
English |
13% |
|
Maths |
13% |
|
Independent Living Skills |
13% |
|
Food Technology |
6% |
|
Creative Enterprise |
20% |
|
PSHE |
6% |
|
PE |
13% |
|
Creative Arts / Sports & Dance Leaders options |
13% |
|
Where the student is participating in work experience they will be given opportunities during the rest of the week to catch up with English, mathematics and any accreditation they are pursuing. |
|
