Castle School, Cambridge

WELCOME TO CASTLE 6TH FORM 
Castle 6th Form offers two- or three-year courses for Post 16 students who have an Education, Health and Care Plan. We provide a full-time, five-day specialist provision which gives students an individualised curriculum, geared to their specific physical and therapeutic needs and tailored towards their interests. 
Students are listened to, supported and encouraged to make their decisions and create their own pathway through 6th Form and beyond. We provide a Preparation for Adulthood curriculum, building on previous learning in life and self-help skills so that each individual becomes more prepared for the transition to post-school provision and adulthood.
Our aims Our aim is to equip the students with the skills they will need to become valued and integrated members of their communities. Each of our pathways ensures that the students’ educational journey is tailored to meet their needs as well as to challenge them. In the 6th Form learning is planned around individual needs, interests and ambitions of the young person. Our aims Maximise capabilities for independent learning Offer age-appropriate opportunities Prepare for adulthood Develop health and wellbeing awareness Prepare for meaningful work and understanding of the world of work Enable social skills and communication Access the community safely and independently Offer meaningful learning opportunities Provide a suitable learning environment How we do it We offer an individualised and bespoke therapeutic curriculum for each pupil. This is based on ability, interest, and preparation for next steps. Staff encourage and nurture pupils, helping them to make progress in their lessons as well as allowing them to access the curriculum with increasing independence. We build very strong relationships with our pupils and support both inside and outside the classroom. We are very proud of the emotional support we provide for our pupils in self-regulating groups/activities; alongside the 1:1 support we offer for our most vulnerable pupils. Multi-sensory approach Community and environment Leisure and choices Personal skills Preparation for life Vocational learning Functional skills Targeted therapeutic pupil support EHCP outcomes Citizenship Health and wellbeing Work Experience National Citizen Service Development of life skills How we do it Accreditation We organise our learning through personalised vocational and accreditation pathways for all our pupils on the pre-formal, Semi-formal and Formal pathways. These are used to create individualised learning programmes with opportunities for personal development that can flow across the curriculums with 6th Form. Students have the opportunity to work with us for 2 or 3 years depending upon the path they choose, or which is most suitable for them. We work in partnership with the young person and their family to develop the right learning programme so that our students can achieve long term goals. Accreditation pathways EQUALS Moving On • Functional Skills • English • Maths • ICT • World Studies • Independent Living • Vocational Studies OCR Life and Living Skills • Key Skills • Communication • Maths • Computing Functional Skills Entry 1-3 • Functional Skills • English • Maths • Computing Personal care skills Physical development Life skills Cooking Technology Travel training Enterprise Work-related learning College links Duke of Edinburgh Bronze Duke of Edinburgh Silver Our curriculum endorses wellbeing maximises progress helps build on achievements forms an integral part of teaching and learning uses assessment tools fit for purpose helps young people progress towards their aspirations draws on evidence of learning Communication with parents We communicate with parents daily through the Evidence for Learning app. This provides photos and written descriptions of a child's progress in school and allows parents to share home news too. Some parent quotes from Annual Reviews: Cognition: “You have techniques that work. You guys are amazing.” Communication: “You speak to him like an equal.” Social/emotional: “He wants to come to school, he loves school.” Social/emotional: “More social interaction – the change into 6th Form seemed to suit her.” Behaviour: “She has come on leaps and bounds with SALT and OT support. She is much calmer and does not get herself wound up or upset.” Preparation for Life The emphasis throughout our 6th Form is the transition to adulthood. All the teaching and learning opportunities within 6th Form reflect as closely as possible, real working life or leisure situations to prepare our students for the future. Every opportunity is taken to use and explore facilities in the community to broaden our students’ experiences and give them the confidence to succeed in a wide range of situations. The accreditation pathways we offer aim to identify, plan and accredit the achievements of our students in all aspects of their work.