The Post 16 department at Rachel Madocks – also known as Adventurers – is for students in Key Stage 5. Students continue to have a broad and balanced curriculum with an emphasis on core skills for adulthood. These subjects are delivered in a variety of ways, age appropriately and at a level of understanding appropriate to each individual student’s needs. All KS5 students study a personalised range of Preparing for Adulthood ASDAN units, which provide a framework of activities to develop and accredit independence, decision-making, living skills and personal interest.
Assessment of students is through personalised targets to develop the skills identified from their annual EHCP review meeting. These targets can be standalone or interwoven within the units of study from the curriculum. The focus in Post 16 is to encourage, enhance and broaden understanding, life skills and experiences. During the three years, students are offered community experiences, sporting opportunities and a residential experience. There is also an emphasis on transition, whether that will be to another educational setting or other type of setting: day service, work placement, horticulture centre, etc. Parents are invited annually to a Futures Evening where professionals from the transition placements are available to discuss future placements.
Complementing the ASDAN study are opportunities to be involved in inter-schools sports activities such as 5 a side football, cricket or New Age Kurling tournaments. Rachel Madocks School has strong links with other Post 16 departments in Hampshire and Portsmouth and arrange to mix as much as we can. Students can access The Peter Ashley Centre for indoor climbing, shooting and archery and, in the warmer months, meet at Lakeside North Harbour to kayak in Katakanus. These opportunities are adapted to include all students. Opportunities to use Day Service run facilities, such as community cafes, keep-fit, a nightclub and the Wintershill Countryside Learning project also supplement the broadening of experiences to all students. Students can also achieve the Duke of Edinburgh Award at Bronze level, through weekly sessions; this includes volunteering, skill, physical and a residential experience.
To recognise the steps of progress our students make, progress is also assessed using the Rachel Madocks pathways meaning students will still be taught and supported to build very early skills during the three years in Post 16.
We give our students many amazing opportunities through theme days and sporting activities as well as residential and day excursions. To recognise and celebrate achievement students are awarded AQA unit assessment awards. These awards celebrate very specific skills and achievements and go a long way to recognise achievement in all sorts of guises.
Alongside the curriculum, students are able to access many different therapies. These include occupational therapy, physiotherapy, speech and language therapy, Reiki, ELSA, PAT dogs, music and drama therapy. We also continue using the different teaching strategies and approaches that students are familiar with in order to meet the range of needs of our pupils. These include Phonics, Rainbow Road, Waldon, Intensive Interaction, Makaton, Senseology, Attention Autism, massage stories, hydrotherapy, Move, sensory integration and TEACCH.
Post 16 is an opportunity, over the three years, to strengthen the wings of our students to fly into adulthood with the confidence and the skills required to continue making choices about their futures and to be brave enough to try anything they desire.