Ambitious College — Parent’s Guide
Ambitious College: Prospectus
About Ambitious about Autism Ambitious about Autism is the national charity for children and young people with autism. We provide services, raise awareness and understanding and campaign to make the ordinary possible for children and young people with autism.
Introduction Ambitious College is a specialist further education provision for learners with complex autism. Located on the Grahame Park campus of Barnet and Southgate College, Ambitious College provides specialist support to enable young people with autism to access further education in their local community. The aim of the College is to enable its learners to gain the knowledge, skills and confidence they need to make a successful transition to adulthood and to live, work and contribute as part of their community.
Contents 02 Introduction 04 Curriculum 06 Curriculum cont. 08 Additional learner support 10 Staff team 10 Admissions
2
www.ambitiousaboutautism.org.uk
To achieve this, Ambitious College provides its learners with a specialist curriculum that meets their needs and interests. It is delivered by highly skilled and experienced staff, and provides opportunities to learn locally through a range of partnerships with local employers, services and our mainstream college partners.
Thanks Ambitious College has been supported by the generous donations of Pears Foundation, The Garfield Weston Foundation and other donors.
Ambitious College: Prospectus
Curriculum Ambitious College provides a bespoke further education experience for its learners which prioritises the development of the communication, vocational and independent living skills they need to make a successful transition to adult life.
What will be in the study programme? The purpose of Ambitious College is to support young people with autism to live the life they want. We measure outcomes toward this goal in the following areas: Independent living Employment Good health Friends, relationships
and community inclusion.
Each learner has a highly personalised study programme, designed to develop the skills, attitudes and confidence that will support progression to their chosen destination.
4
www.ambitiousaboutautism.org.uk
The core elements of the curriculum are:
Communication and social interaction The curriculum prioritises the development of communication and social interaction skills. We use a range of strategies to enable each learner to maximise their communicative potential. This may include objects of reference, Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS), and the use of social stories to support understanding. Tutors are skilled in understanding the impact of autism and adapting their communication style to maximise learner understanding. This expertise is further supported by access to specialist input from Speech and Language Therapists who assess skills, develop strategies, monitor progress and provide training to other staff.
Vocational learning Developing work skills will be a priority for all learners, although the focus will vary according to need and priority. For some it will focus on developing pre-vocational skills related to communication, independence and participation. For others, the aim will be to develop vocational-specific skills and qualifications. All learners will have access to some form of work placement in order to increase their self-confidence and ability to thrive in a range of settings. Staff will be trained to understand the difference between supporting in an education setting and supporting in the workplace, and we will offer a range of experiences matched to learners’ needs in respect of interest, location, level of challenge and amount of time spent.
Personalised learning Learning programmes are highly personalised and although each programme is likely to contain aspects from each of the areas identified on page 4, the balance and focus will be determined by individual priorities. The learning programme is delivered in a number of locations, including the individual’s local community, using the expertise of a dedicated staff team.
5
Ambitious College: Prospectus
Curriculum cont. Personal development There is a strong overlap between personal development and the development of social and communication skills, and both have a profound impact on an individual’s ability to successfully navigate the world. The curriculum will focus on enabling young people with autism to build relationships, and acquire the skills they need to manage their physical and emotional wellbeing. A core focus of this aspect of the programme will be the development and on-going review of the Person-Centred Plan.
Life and living skills A key purpose of the learning programme is to prepare learners for life both within and beyond the wider community of the College, and to equip them with the essential skills for living which will enable them to remain within their local community. These skills are best
6
www.ambitiousaboutautism.org.uk
developed in natural settings and therefore much of this curriculum will be delivered within the community. Young people with autism learn best through practising skills in real life contexts. Learning will be carefully planned and structured, in order to develop skills and competence and to promote independence. Learners will be involved in making choices about what they want to eat, cooking their own food, including shopping for groceries and keeping their environment clean and tidy.
The key strands of this curriculum area are identified below. All activities will be carefully risk assessed: Community Independent living skills Recreation and leisure Personal care and personal presentation.
Functional skills All study programmes will include English and maths, but this will be at an appropriate level for the individual. Much of the curriculum will be delivered in realistic and natural settings, with learners acquiring skills through doing, as opposed to a more traditional classroom-based model.
Accreditation All learners will have access to appropriate and relevant accreditation for their achievements. However, the study programme offered will be determined by learner needs, interests and aspirations, as opposed to the requirements of any awarding body. Qualifications will only be used where they add value, for example by providing evidence of achievement to support progression to further learning and/or employment.
7
Ambitious College: Prospectus
Additional learner support All learners will have access to: Highly structured and planned learning
environment to help make sense of the world, including the use of schedules and visual strategies A communication environment which includes, careful use of language, focusing on key words supported by visual strategies and a planned and consistently applied programme of communication support Planned and consistently applied management strategies to address behaviour, where appropriate, including immediate intervention to address behaviours which put the individual or others at risk
8
www.ambitiousaboutautism.org.uk
Clear consistent expectations which are
articulated simply and with visual supports A personalised programme which promotes engagement and supports motivation by building on skills and interests, and includes regular changes of activity.
Our approach: Our approach to support for learning is geared to improving the way a young person lives, learns and participates in community activities, and comes from a person-centred appreciation of each individual’s preferences and of their cultural expectations. Our chosen method of intervention to support learning for all our learners is Positive Behavioural Support (PBS).
Positive Behavioural Support incorporates a comprehensive set of procedures and support strategies that are selectively employed on the basis of an individual’s needs, characteristics and preferences. In addition PBS is used to enable young people to overcome patterns of challenging or socially isolating behaviours and supports them to acquire behaviours which enable them to achieve their long term goals and aspirations. More information about our approach is available in our curriculum and positive behaviour management policies.
The advantages of co-location: The co-location of Ambitious College significantly extends the curriculum offer, providing access to a range of facilities including sports and vocational
courses at Barnet and Southgate College. The proportion of each learner’s programme that is delivered in the mainstream college will be assessed on entry and reviewed annually, taking account of individual skills, interests and future aspirations. The study programme for each learner will include a plan to support and extend access to mainstream provision at whatever level is appropriate for each learner. These opportunities include: Vocational pathways at or above Level 1,
including supported internships and/or traineeships and apprenticeships Work experience within Ambitious College, the wider college community and the local community Using mainstream college facilities.
9
Ambitious College: Prospectus
Staff team Ambitious College has a multi-disciplinary staff team led by the College Principal and Vice Principal. The quality of teaching and learning is the most important aspect of the learners’ experience and this is overseen by the Curriculum Manager. In addition, the Learning Support Manager leads a team of Field Tutors whose role is to provide high quality support for learning both in classroom settings and in the community. All staff undergo robust training and on-going review and development to ensure that they have the necessary skills, knowledge and understanding to carry out their work to a high standard in all environments. The staff team includes additional access to specialist input from Speech and Language Therapists and occupational therapy. The promotion of the wider safeguarding agenda ensures that learner safety is a priority in all aspects of the curriculum. We are Care Quality Commission registered and all staff receive ongoing training to ensure that we are compliant with all relevant statutory requirements. A copy of the safeguarding policy and procedures is available on request.
The pre-entry assessment will involve a visit to the College and/or the learner’s current placement as well as reports from the learner’s current school or college, and information from parents and other professionals. If the College can meet the learner’s needs, a detailed programme outline will be produced and this can be used to support an application for funding. Learners at Ambitious College are funded in a variety of ways, usually by their Local Authority. Applying for funding is best undertaken with support and guidance from the Transition Lead in your local authority or someone within the children and young people’s service. During the first term, learners will have an opportunity to sample a wide range of curriculum areas to decide which are priorities. During the first few weeks of the programme an even more comprehensive assessment is undertaken and used to develop an individual programme and objectives for each of the curriculum areas.
Admissions Potential students are given the opportunity to be assessed by our multi-disciplinary team to create a bespoke and personalised study programme which provides them with the support they need to learn and achieve. The aim of the College is to support its learners to acquire the skills they need to live the life they want and the assessment process and programme is designed to reflect the aspirations of each learner. Prospective learners, their families or professionals can arrange a visit to the College at any time. The application process usually involves a preliminary visit and if the young person wishes to make an application then a pre-entry assessment will take place.
10
www.ambitiousaboutautism.org.uk
For more information contact:
020 8815 5444 apply@ambitiouscollege.org.uk
11
Ambitious about Autism Ambitious about Autism is the national charity for children and young people with autism. We provide services, raise awareness and understanding, and influence policy. We exist to enable children and young people with autism to learn, thrive and achieve.
About autism Autism is a lifelong developmental disability which affects 1 in 100 people in the UK. It affects the way a person communicates and how they experience the world around them. Early intervention, education and support are critical in enabling children and young people with autism to lead fulfilling lives. Support Ambitious about Autism’s vital work by making a donation online at: ambitiousaboutautism.org.uk or calling us on 020 8815 5444
Address The Pears National Centre for Autism Education, Woodside Avenue, London N10 3JA Telephone 020 8815 5444 Email apply@ambitiouscollege.org.uk Website ambitiousaboutautism.org.uk @ambitiousautism
facebook.com/ambitiousaboutautism
Charity number 1063184 Registered company 3375255 Published: March 2015