Cricket Green School

Our 6th Form specialises in teaching social independence skills and vocational training for our students. The curriculum is centred around Life Skills and learning from real life situations as well as consolidating on skills and knowledge acquired during Key Stage 4.

Much work is centred outside of the classroom - travelling and getting to know the local community, cooking, shopping, visiting colleges and catering for conferences as well as many other activities aimed at improving independence and ‘soft skills’. These include developing team work, time keeping and critical thinking skills that students need to be successful in their adult lives.

Work-based learning is a very important aspect of being a sixth former. We have Vocational Skills lessons in which students take responsibility for jobs around the school from recycling to cleaning the minibus. Students are coached at first by staff but gain greater independence as they grow familiar with the job at hand. Students also participate in Work Experience, both internally and within the
local community. Work Experience has included placements at Dean City Farm, Ely’s and PC World as well as group experiences at Mitcham Library. Students not yet ready for external placements have opportunities to gain experience in school, helping in the dinner-hall or with primary reading.

Functional Skills in literacy and numeracy are taught so that students are able to develop skills and strategies for real-life situations. These lessons are planned to ‘stretch’ students enabling them to fulfil their potential around communication or practical maths. More able students work towards their next level of accreditation in Maths and English to support applications to more specialist college courses. 

Accreditation is set to fit our curriculum – ASDAN’s ‘Life-skills Challenge’ certificate offers opportunities for all students in a range of subjects including Art, Gardening and Life-skills, as well as in the areas of functional literacy and functional numeracy. Many students also achieve Food Hygiene and First-Aid accreditation which employers have highlighted as important for several employment pathways.

Lastly but most important of all, our 6th Form is fun, friendly and welcoming! Students are not required to wear their school uniform - they have to make decisions about what to wear and how they want to look. 6th Form students are treated as young adults and not as children. Being part of the decision- making process in Key Stage 5 is important for our students- there are times each day where they are making choices and decisions: what to wear, what ‘Options’ lesson to take in the afternoon or how to approach a task... all of these choices (good and bad) help our young person towards being a more confident adult.

Welcome to our 6th form, we hope that you have a great time and we look forward to seeing you!

Paul Lansley
Assistant Head
Key Stage 4 and 5