The Ravenscliffe@SpringHall centre, which opened it's doors for the first time in September 2018 is the exciting culmination of the secondary provision at Ravenscliffe High School and Sports College. Situated just over a mile from the Skircoat Green site, it operates as a separate entity from the rest of the school and offers a range of different courses and opportunities for each individual student. The curriculum is tailored to meet individual needs.; it is personalised, negotiable and developmentally appropriate. It is designed to support students in their learning, provide interesting and exciting leisure options and above all to prepare for the opportunities, responsibilities and experiences of adult life
Each young person in our Post-16 department is an individual. A personalised pathway is constructed based on their own interests, skills and abilities. Education, Health and Social Care Plans are the foundation of this approach and the individualised curriculum is built around outcomes agreed by students themselves, their parents/carers and pastoral teachers.
Addressing communication strategies is all encompassing, with needs based learning opportunities specifically tailored for every ability range. There is a focus on speaking and listening as well as social use of language alongside opportunities for creativity and self expression. A wide range of subject areas are offered, combining broad areas of interest with appropriate educational opportunities that reflect our learners’ additional needs.
As part of our commitment to meeting the needs of all learners, we have targeted sessions for students who use Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) across the curriculum. For those with more complex learning needs, multi-sensory sessions are delivered in our state of the art sensory room where our young people can participate in curriculum topics alongside their peers at a level appropriate for them.
Our staff understand the diversity of our student population and offer meaningful and appropriate learning opportunities. We have close working relationships with a wide range of outside professionals including physiotherapists, occupational therapists, and speech and language therapists. This multi-faceted approach facilitates the delivery of a curriculum that meets an individual’s educational, emotional, social and physical needs.
Our young people spend 3 years in our Post-16 centre, and in that time it is our job to prepare them for life beyond statutory education. We support our young people to develop the skills required to lead lives that are as independent as possible. This includes learning to travel independently, supporting young people into the world of work and essential home management skills, including healthy eating and exercise. Importantly, these steps of independence are relevant to the students individual interests and abilities.
Preparing young people for life beyond education is a key focus of our provision. Student's learn vital skills such as cooking, cleaning and personal presentation to allow them to lead lives that are as independent as possible. Not all of our young people are destined for independent travel and paid work, however small steps towards elements of independence in their adult lives can have hugely positive impacts after students leave at 19.
Our Travel Training programmes challenge the notion that young people with special needs cannot develop independence. Our qualified travel trainer’s develop travel plans for each student to maximise their long term potential. More able students aspire to become fully independent through our flagship “Independence in a Month” programme. Since 2006, over 100 students have achieved full independence. Skills learned at Ravenscliffe have a long term positive impact on their lives.
We help our students prepare for employment by building their confidence levels and raising their aspirations, helping them to become valued and hard-working members of the community. We work with over 40 local employers, who offer supported and independent work placements every week. It has been the first step on the ladder to paid employment for a large number of students, many of whom are still in employment to this day.
