Vocational Subjects

Accreditation On London Road site we have our vocational day where the students choose which accreditation pathway they would like to study based on personal interests. We offer a range of units from Entry 1 to Level 1.

Wildlife and animal care In Animal Care the students will have the opportunity to care for small animals, including the school dogs and rabbits. We will be working alongside Pets at Home who will provide practical sessions on how to keep animals happy and healthy. We will learn about visits to the vet, suitable foods to give to animals and how to groom them to keep their fur in good condition. In addition students will learn how to look after the wildlife such as birds and mini beasts. They will learn the importance of looking after their natural habitats and developing outdoor conservation activities. Students have access to working with one of the school dogs Finch

Health & Fitness During this course the students will develop knowledge on the importance of exercise. They will plan and deliver warm up and cool down sessions and understand how these prepare the body for exercise. They will learn what suitable clothing for different activities is. They will also be developing their evaluation skills and on how successful a session has been. During this unit students will be able to experience different sporting activities within different environments. For example: using the gym at the local leisure centre, working in the sport hall with the students from the local college and disability swimming sessions.

Life Skills Within this course the students will develop skills in making simple meals and drinks. They will recognise the equipment and ingredients needed and will manage these as independently as possible. Students will be expected to shop for the ingredients for the sessions and learn how to manage a budget. There will also be opportunities to go and experience purchasing items in a cafe, where students are encouraged to bring a small amount of money and learn how to order and the social skills of using the café. They also participate in grocery shopping, reading lists and learning to recognise the best deals in the marketplace and at the big supermarkets.

Health, hair and mindfulness Over the year the students will be looking at different beauty products and how to use them appropriately to look after themselves. Students will learn how to use make up, face packs and nail varnish. They will learn how to style hair and look after hair. In addition, students will learn the importance of keeping themselves fit, healthy and safe  In addition students will learn how to look after their own mental health and take part in meditation sessions and mindfulness sessions.

Design & Technology In DT students will make a variety of wooden items. They will learn about the Health & Safety aspects of working in the DT room. Students will learn how to safely use small hand tools and with one-to-one support, use the machinery. At times, students may be involved in Team Enterprise projects. There will be close links to the wildlife and the horticulture groups, with the DT groups making and designing bird boxes, building sheds etc.

Horticulture Within horticulture students will access the areas around the school grounds. They will learn how to use small gardening tools and learn about what to plant in different seasons. Students will learn how to plant, cultivate, prune and generally look after plants and vegetables. They will work to keep areas of school tidy. Students will work together to design areas, plan and plant. At times students will also be involved with enterprise.

Art During the course of the year in art students will learn to use and work with different mediums. They will develop and begin to understand different artistic styles and learn about different artists. All of the above courses are designed to foster independence, confidence and show progression with skills.

Craft In craft students have the opportunity to learn different skills. Students are taught how to tack and use a sewing machine to produce different items. Students make items for sale such as lavender bags and recycled shopping bags. Students develop skills to work with a variety of different media and are supported to design and evaluate the product that they make. Over the year students make bags, decorations, letters of their name, cushion covers and many more.