Newfriars College, ST3 (ages 16 - 25)

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Newfriars College is a specialist provider of preparation for adulthood and employability programmes for young people aged 16+ with SEND on the outskirts of Hanley in Stoke-On-Trent.

Newfriars College provides education for students aged 16 – 25 years. In 2023-24 we currently have 204 students on roll. Our Specialist College provision offers a highly differentiated programme of study for students with a wide range of communication and interaction, cognition and learning, social, emotional and mental health and sensory and/or physical needs.

A hard copy of this statement is available from the College office upon request – Tel No: 01782 987180 or Email:  helpline@newfriarscollege.org.uk

Who can I contact for further information?

Contact the College on 01782 987180. Or email helpline@newfriarscollege.org.uk

Each student has a Form Tutor and at least one teaching assistant who would be the first point of contact between home and College. Home/College communication books are used where appropriate or on request.  All College staff will have a role in your young person’s education and can be contacted with concerns and queries.  The Head and Deputy Head of College are always contactable.  You are encouraged to contact them by phone, in person or by email if you have any concerns.  It is advisable to arrange an appointment to ensure that the appropriate person is available.

Medical concerns can be discussed with College Nurse or the College Welfare and Care Manager.

How accessible is the setting / College / college environment?

The physical environment of the College reflects the needs and abilities of the student population.  The vast majority of College buildings are fully compliant with Disability Discrimination Act (DDA).  Any future building programmes will be fully DDA compliant.  When required, a translation service will be used to support carers/parents.  Letters and documents can be translated into the chosen language.

If specialist equipment is required to support physical mobility and positioning it is usually procured through Physiotherapy Services or funded via the Local Authority.  Where the College identifies a specific piece of equipment will support the student to access the curriculum it will be provided by the College and remain the property of the College.  For students with a sensory impairment the necessary equipment is gained through either Sensory Impairment team or College resources.

What specialist services and expertise are available at or accessed by the College?

All teachers/instructors are qualified at the appropriate level to deliver their areas of responsibility and/or subject specialisms.  There is a team of qualified support staff; with the aim that all teaching assistant staff are trained to at least Level 3.  We have access to a wide range of other professionals to support and advise on individual student needs: eg: Behaviour Management, Sensory Impairment, Educational Psychology, Hearing and Vision Impairment, Speech and Language and Occupational Therapy.  Where students have a physical disability, physiotherapy is available on site.  Referrals, where necessary, can be made to Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) or appropriate adult services.  Where appropriate, there is close liaison with Social Services, Local Support Teams and Respite providers.

What can we offer?

• A personalised programme to meet the needs of each student. We are all about Preparation for Adulthood and supporting our young people to develop the skills they need to live their best possible adult life.

• Three distinct Pathways meeting a wide range of needs: Vocational Pathway; Towards Independent Living Pathway and Towards Supported Living Pathway. Additional information can be found on the Newfriars College website.

• A highly successful Supported Internship Programme at the Royal Stoke Hospital. From September 2024 there will a programme running at Tesco and a programme with Stoke on Trent Council. We have many young people who are now in permanent employment after completing their Supported Internship:
  • Supported Interns – William and Ben
  • Supported Interns – Zakk and Jacob
  • Supported Intern – Asma

• Newfriars College runs its own training café and shop in Newcastle-Under-Lyme: Community Junction. Run by staff and students from the College, our café and shop are open to the public and our students are learning invaluable employability and preparation for adulthood skills.

How does College know if my young people need extra help and what should I do if I think my young person may have special educational needs?

All students within the College have a current Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) and this details their individual needs. Staff within the College setting are skilled in providing an appropriate programme of study integrated with any additional needs such as sensory, medical and physical needs.

How will the College / college staff support my young person?

Students will be allocated to a College Pathway based on need. We offer programmes across three Curriculum Pathways: Vocational Pathway; Towards Independent Living Pathway and Towards Supported Living Pathway. Additional information can be found on the Newfriars College website.

Each young person will have an individual programme built from the curriculum opportunities in each Pathway. Based on individual needs our young people can also access a wide range of support including physiotherapy; hydrotherapy in the College pool; emotional wellbeing; communication; sensory and medical provided by internal and external services as appropriate.

As part of the transition process, young people, parents and carers will be given an opportunity to visit the College and meet our staff teams.

The College is monitored by HMI Ofsted Inspectors. In house data and monitoring systems ensure we are providing a challenging education system for all students. This is shared with parents on a regular basis. Our last Ofsted Inspection was in June 2022. We are a Good College with Outstanding judgements for Behaviour and Attitudes and Personal Development.

How will the curriculum be matched to my young person’s needs?

All students are assessed and have access to a personalised Transition programme prior to entering the College. During the first term staff will establish a starting point or ‘baseline’ for each young person using a wide range of assessment tools. This helps us to develop an appropriate, personalised programme of study for each student.

Where appropriate, advice is sought from the young person’s last school or college in addition to other agencies such as health professionals including the College Nurse, clinical psychologists, speech and language and sensory impairment teams to give a holistic overview of the student’s needs to ensure that appropriate support is given. This information is used to inform the appropriate programme of study and, if appropriate, accreditation routes to support personalised, highly differentiated programmes of learning with a focus on preparation for adulthood.

As we have a three Pathway offer, we can ensure that each young person accesses the right curriculum for them with a focus on their aspirations and planned adulthood destination be that employment, volunteering, further education, supported or independent living or social care programmes.

How will both you and I know how my young person is doing and how will you help me to support my young person’s learning?

To monitor student progress, staff set individual targets with and for each young person based on their EHCP outcomes, their aspirations and their next steps towards adulthood. Progress towards targets is tracked using an interactive App ‘Evidence for Learning’ and teacher progress records. We have regular parent/carer and teacher meetings. Each term teaching and support staff complete a progress check identifying if each young person is making good progress or if there are emerging risks.

Each young person has a Form Tutor who has overall responsibility for making sure each young person is making progress and to take steps if any additional support is needed. The Form Tutor takes the lead in the annual EHCP review which is a key document to ensure that progress is being closely tracked and reviewed. Each Form Group has support staff who also support in the mentoring of our young people as we support them towards their adulthood destination.

Individualised support is put in place for any student not making expected progress.

Opportunities are offered to parents/carers to discuss their young person’s progress to contact the College following each Progress Report. Parents/carers are also invited to speak to Form Tutor or any member of staff teaching your young person as any time. Regular communication is very important.

What support will there be for my young person’s overall well-being?

Each Form Group has a Form Tutor who has overall responsibility for pastoral support and who will be the main point of contact for parents/carers. Where appropriate detailed Care Plans or Individual Positive Behaviour Plans will be written with the support and of parents/carers where appropriate. This will be shared with staff working closely with your young person. Working with parents and carers advice and, where appropriate, input from a range of professionals including the College Nurse/Physiotherapist/Speech Therapist/Psychologist/ Sensory Impairment Team/Occupational Therapist/Other will be sought.

The College follows a strict policy on the administration of medication and any staff administering medication will have undergone the appropriate training.

Students with more complex needs will have individual Health Care Plans formed in partnership with health care professionals.  The College has in place an Intimate Care Policy that is closely adhered to by all staff for all students who require this level of support.

Staff employed within College are all subject to an Enhanced Disclosure and Barring process before they come into contact with students.

Risk Assessments are undertaken for all teaching areas and activities which may be seen as having any risk attached.

There are Named Designated Staff for Safeguarding, all students are aware of who these are. There is a detailed Safeguarding Policy for Children and Vulnerable Adults on our website and a paper copy is available on request from the College office. Attendance is monitored closely on a daily basis with absences followed by a phone call. Any attendance concerns are addressed by the College’s Welfare and Care Manager.  

Students with more challenging needs may have personalised education programmes or timetables to help support engagement with the curriculum. Parents and carers are partners in any such interventions.

There is an active Student Voice programme that seeks feedback from all of our young people. Our students take an active role in the appointment of new staff.

The college has a swimming pool, gym and sensory room as well as fully equipped personal care rooms.

What training are the staff supporting young people with SEND had or are having?

Staff receive appropriate training to support the learning and individual needs of all students.  All new staff follow a structured and thorough induction programme.  Continuing Professional Development for staff (CPD) is fully embraced and supported by leadership.  There is a planned programme of staff development which is linked closely to student need and the College Improvement Plan.  Individual professional development is identified with staff through staff appraisal.  Staff are updated on any mandatory training necessary; eg administration of medication, behaviour management and manual handling.

How will my young person be included in activities outside the classroom including College trips?

There is a fully inclusive approach to all enrichment and out of College activities including educational visits and a host of work experience opportunities. 

The Pathway programmes embed community visits on a regular basis and the College has a fleet of minibuses to support our young people to access the community. This is a core aspect of our preparation for adulthood curriculum offer.

All Vocational Pathway students will have the opportunity to access a variety of work experience and supported internships. We offer a successful Supported Internship at UHNM hospital in conjunction with DFN Project Search. From September 2024 we will offer additional Supported Internships with Tesco and with Stoke on Trent Local Authority. Each year, young people on the supported internship programme gain permanent employment – a life changing outcome.

Independent Living Pathway students access work experience placements where appropriate as well as gaining an understanding of different places of employment. All Pathways offer learners an opportunity to access an enterprise programme and the embedded skills this programme offers. We have our own café in Newcastle-Under-Lyme ‘Community Junction’

The College has links with a range of employers and community venues with weekly programmes where, for example, learners work in local cafes and run a 'shopping buddy' volunteer service with a local care home. We are growing our community based learning offer including delivering of one of our programmes supporting a community café and food pantry venue.

Residential educational visits will be offered to appropriate groups of students at key times throughout their College life. On admission, signed parental permission is obtained.

Reasonable adjustments are made where necessary to ensure equality of access to the range of activities available.  

How will the College prepare and support my young person to join the College, transfer to a new setting or the next stage of education and life?

To support young people joining the College we work closely with the young person, their family/carers, feeder settings, Local Authority and specialist services as appropriate. We have close working relationships with our main feeder settings and start the process with visits and providing information. At the College we run Open Events and Days that families and young people are welcome to visit. Any parent/young person who wants to visit the College can contact us to agree a time.

There are planned transitions between the feeder setting and new College placement.  The close liaison between staff, parents and students ensures all appropriate information is shared.  This ensures the College has a full and current picture of student need and exchange of relevant documentation to support this.  Visits are arranged to ensure students are familiar with their new learning environment.  Prior to entry careful consideration is given to matching individual needs with existing groups of students to ensure compatibility. 

Transition Reviews are held at key points in a student’s educational life.  This will involve a multi-disciplinary team to ensure the appropriate transition routes are explored. As part of this process parents and students will have the opportunity to meet with a representative of the Careers Service who will enable informed choice to be made. Where appropriate, the College will support transition visits to the next provider.  All relevant information will be shared with the ongoing provider.  If appropriate, staff will visit the new provider to share information. This includes where our young people transition to social care, employment or another college.

How are the College’s resources allocated and matched to the young people’s special educational needs?

All budgets identified for supporting student need are allocated to ensure all areas of the curriculum are appropriately resourced. An amount of the budget is reserved for securing resources to support individual student needs to access the curriculum and provide enrichment activities.

How is the decision made about what type and how much support my young person will receive?

Level of support for individual students is identified through their Education Health and Care Plan, parents and students are an integral part of this process. As a specialist Post-16 College, we have enhanced teacher/student ratios to support the needs of our students.  When Exceptional Needs are identified, additional funding can be applied for to provide additional staffing to support this level of need. Funding is agreed by a Local Authority panel on application. This is a temporary funding allocation for as long as the exceptional need exists.  Progress is closely monitored to ensure appropriate levels of achievement are being made. Where expected progress is not being made, intervention strategies will be implemented.

How are parents involved in the College? How can I be involved?

The College has an ‘open door policy’ and actively encourages parents to become involved in all aspects of College life. College provides a range of events to which parents are invited to become involved in.  This may include social events, training or advice sessions and progress review meetings. We also have a governing body with parent representatives. We send home regular questionnaires to seek family/carer feedback to ensure we are listening and responding to the needs of our young people and their families. We also welcome parents who would like to contribute to the College Governing Body.

Admission

Initial enquiries about College admission can be made through the College office who will direct you to the appropriate person. Staffordshire’s Local Authority Inclusion teams will be able to give you any advice you require on provision within your area which will meet the needs of your child.