Specialist provision for our 16-19 year olds

Our Sixth Form provides our young people with an environment to thrive and build confidence as they prepare for adulthood. We provide for young people who have a complexity of need and we are based at Willow Dene, Oakmere Road in our Sixth Form building.

We provide an environment which is safe, stimulating, nurturing and accessible.  Young people and their families are at the centre of what we do.  Opportunities, preparation for adulthood and bespoke support are our priorities. We want our young people to experience as many opportunities which are relevant to them as possible, and our curriculum is built around both bespoke Business Ventures and a curriculum focussed on Preparation for Adulthood.

We are a team of exceptional and experienced practitioners working as part of the extensive Willow Dene community. Sixth Form is led by an experienced pastoral senior leader and a skilled team of teachers and support staff who know our young people well and have been part of their Willow Dene journey so far. There is a high ratio of adults to young people both in school and in our learning opportunities outside of school. 

Young people move from Willow Dene into the wider world as part of an ongoing transition planned by the staff team in Sixth Form.   Each young persons Record of Achievement, Curriculum Vitae and experience profile supports this.

Our Offer

• A bespoke curriculum combining Business Ventures with Preparation for Adulthood.
• Attendance a and support with Transition Outcome Meetings (TOM) which take place annually from 16-19.
• Relevant careers encounters and vocational experience
• A wealth of learning contexts in the local community and more widely which encourage our young people to become valued and valuable citizens
• Reports which include photographs and video 
• Daily contact with families 
• Regular contact with other professionals including Oxleas NHS therapists, other health professionals and our own specialist teams
• Our young people are active role models for their younger peers, including leading activities during whole events. 

Curriculum

In sixth form, young people follow a bespoke programme of learning which is planned according to their learning needs. The weeks is organised into a split timetable, focusing on Business Ventures and preparation for work from Monday to Wednesday.  Young people all work in one of our successful businesses which include catering, horticulture and retail. This ensures consistent, relevant, accessible Careers learning. On Thursdays and Fridays young people focus on Preparing for Adulthood which ensures personal growth through the curriculum areas of Independent Living, Community Living, Healthy Living and Creative Arts.

 

Vocational learning

Vocational learning is a key part of our Sixth Form curriculum, helping young people develop the skills, confidence and independence needed for adult life. Through a carefully planned programme of community-based learning, young people explore their interests, build employability skills and learn how to access opportunities within their local community. We work closely with community partners, including Better Gym, whose staff initially delivered sessions within school, allowing young people to build relationships, develop confidence and learn new skills in a familiar environment. As young people become more confident, they are supported to access their local Better Gym and other community facilities, where they can apply these skills in real-world settings. This bridging approach enables young people to successfully transfer their learning beyond the classroom, promoting physical wellbeing, social interaction, community participation and preparation for future opportunities. Our aim is for every young person to leave Sixth Form with the skills and confidence to lead a healthy, fulfilling and purposeful adult life.

BUSINESS Ventures

From Monday to Wednesday, young people in sixth form take part in business ventures. These provide valuable opportunities to develop employability skills, teamwork, communication, problem-solving and independence in real-life contexts. The business ventures offered each year are carefully planned around the number of students in sixth form, their individual strengths and interests, and activities that are appropriate to meet their needs. 

To find out more about our business ventures, please click on the attachment below. 

Post 19

We understand how challenging and worrying the transition to a new setting can be for parents. We have further explanation of the post-19 process and how we support families and young people here.