ASPIRE

Aspire

• Aspire uses school data as an indicator of student starting points. This data includes:
  • Attendance
  • Behaviour
  • Core subjects (English, Maths, Science & RE)
  • Reading ages
  • Personal development skills
  • Staff feedback
• Students are placed on a Pastoral Support Plan (PSP) with targets to ensure accelerated progress in all areas following the cycle of Assess, Plan, Do, Review.

Progress

• Progress is monitored on a lesson-by-lesson basis using a grading system linked to learning objectives: Excellent; Good ; Improvement needed ; Concern.
• Underachievers are identified and action plans drawn up to address unsatisfactory progress.
• A personalised plan for intervention will be prepared with clear objectives for improvement and attainment, timeframes, arrangements for assessment and monitoring progress, and a baseline of the current position against which to measure progress.
• Plans are linked to other relevant information or activities such as EHCPs for children with SEND.
• Progress is also assessed in the following areas: communication & interaction, cognition and learning, social, emotional & mental health

Attendance

• Parents are legally responsible for ensuring that their child attends ASPIRE each day and is on time
• Regular attendance is absolutely vital for a student to make good progress during their placement.
• Parents should avoid taking family holidays during term time.
• If your child is unable to attend ASPIRE for any reason, please notify school on the first day of absence.
• Parents are requested to inform the ASPIRE Manager of any relevant medical history, which may affect their child’s general development and education in school.
• Home visits may be carried out, where absences are unexplained, to confirm the context of the student absence and when parents/carers are not responding to phone calls/text messages/emails.

Pastoral Care

• The pastoral care of the students may include mentoring, links to Child, Family and Well-being Service and work with outside agencies such as SEND services, Children’s social care, Early Help and the Virtual School.

Staff

Key Staff include the following:

• Mr Ford (ASPIRE Manager)

Return to Mainstream

• Students in ASPIRE will stay for a short period of time, usually 6 weeks; so that any barriers to their learning can be identified and overcome.
• There will be a focus on re-integration as soon as is appropriate once students make the necessary progress.
• ASPIRE will assess those students who need specialist provision and will co-ordinate formal assessments, as necessary, to explore these needs and how they can best be met.
• For some students, this will take longer and may involve working with other agencies to assess and plan for longer term educational needs.
• A formal review of progress will take place every three weeks.

End of Placement

Prior to the end of the placement at ASPIRE, a multi-agency meeting will be conducted consisting of:

• Parents/carers
• ASPIRE staff
• School staff
• Other agencies (where appropriate)

The purpose of this meeting is to determine the impact that the placement has had on the student and to agree the ways forward.

It may be that the student is able to return back into mainstream school or requires a further referral.

All decisions will be made in the best interests of the student.

Transport

To assist with transport, students will be collected from home by the school mini bus and will be taken home by mini bus. Travel will be free of charge.

Good behaviour is essential for safety reasons and we ask that parents/carers support staff with this.

1. Students must wear seatbelts and remain seated at all times
2. Students must behave well and use appropriate language
3. Students should follow staff instructions without question
4. Students must be waiting with bag, coat etc, ready to leave as soon as the bus arrives for pick up
5. The staff are respected at all times
6. Students are not allowed to eat or drink on the bus
7. Any breach of this code of conduct may result in a withdrawal of transport. If this occurs, parents / carers are responsible for taking their child to ASPIRE

Start of the Day

• When students arrive in ASPIRE, they will take off their coats and hang them up
• Mobile phones will be handed in at the start of the day on arrival
• Students will be given a warm welcome, breakfast and time to settle in
• Students will then get themselves ready for learning and will start the day at 10am

Code of Conduct

1. I will respect staff, students and the ASPIRE learning environment.
2. I will be responsible, listen to instructions and follow them.
3. I will be kind to others.
4. I will resolve problems in a calm manner.
5. I will work hard.
6. I will attend each day and be on time.

Behaviour

The majority of students who receive support from ASPIRE will have experienced difficulties in school. In the past, these difficulties may have led to a less positive attitude towards school, lower self-esteem, lower academic performance and some underachievement. At ASPIRE, staff will always look for a student’s strengths and work to recognise and reward positive behaviour and other achievements.

Mobile phones must be handed in at the start of the day on arrival at ASPIRE. These will be returned to students at the end of the day.

Coats must be hung up on the coat hooks. Students are not allowed to wear coats in ASPIRE.

Prohibited items are not allowed in ASPIRE. Banned items include vapes, weapons, alcohol, illegal drugs, stolen goods, tobacco products, pornographic images, fireworks, anything that has been, or is likely to be, used to cause injury or commit an offence

Students are expected to wear full school uniform. If an item is missing, students will be expected to wear the item loaned to them by ASPIRE and to return it at the end of the day.

Encouraging positive behaviour

Positive behaviour for learning is encouraged through:

• Clear expectations for behaviour
• A consistent approach where all staff work to the same standards when dealing with any issues
• Good practice in classroom management and teaching, with high learner- teacher ratios
• Good behaviour management and expectations between sessions
• Pastoral support so that every learner has a member of staff to support them with their programme
• Individual Learning Plans incorporating goals which are specific, measurable, meaningful, achievable, realistic and time-bound with high expectations of learners’ learning and behaviour.
• A curriculum offer that engages learners.
• Clear progression through the six-week programme with rewards and recognition of academic progress and positive behaviour choices
• Positive family contact through formal and informal means.
• Positive role modelling across the whole team combined with active teaching strategies for overcoming difficulties.
• Personal Development where the group works as a whole and individually to understand and encourage positive behaviour.
• Empowerment through appropriate participation in decision-making on ASPIRE.

Restorative Approaches

• We treat others as equal members of the school community
• We take responsibility for our actions
• We develop listening skills
• We develop skills in expressing our views and feelings in an appropriate, timely manner
• We recognise the different perspectives, experiences and feelings of others
• We place importance on taking time for reflection
• We move beyond a ‘win or lose’ narrative following disagreements
• We place the onus on the wrongdoer to find a way of making amends and to have a greater awareness of what caused their actions rather than just focusing on blame and punishment

Rewards

Positive behaviour is rewarded through a clear system of recognising positive choices and consequences. Positive behaviour can be rewarded individually or as a group or class. The reason for each reward must be clearly stated to the learner. Possible rewards include:

• Certificates for excellence, progress and achievement
• Home contact (letter, phone call)
• Reward based activity
• Voucher for good behaviour
• Vouchers are awarded each week for excellent attendance of 100% and outstanding behaviour

Monitoring

To bring about behaviour improvement we employ a high level of monitoring via behaviour reports which enable us to assess each learner and to capture patterns of behaviour.

Home School Contact

We operate an open-door policy at ASPIRE. Parents / carers are encouraged to contact ASPIRE if they have any issues they wish to discuss.

Key staff will make regular phone contact with all parents / carers. These phone calls are to check in with home and are an opportunity to share positives as well as any current issues.

If a student is in a situation where they are unable to self-regulate, a parent may be contacted, to give the student a chance to speak to their parent, reset and then calm down so that they can continue with their day. Parents / carers are asked to support ASPIRE positively with the use of this strategy.

Parents / carers may also be contacted to recognise and celebrate the achievements of their child.

Parents / carers are asked to check their child’s day on ClassCharts on a daily basis.

Break-time & Lunchtime

• Students will have breakfast 9.30-10am.
• Breaktime will be 11.20-11.30am.
• Lunchtime will be 1-1.30pm.
• Students will pre-order food. This will be delivered to ASPIRE.
• Students will eat in the dining area of ASPIRE and may use the outdoor space in ASPIRE to get some fresh air.

Toilet Visits

• Toilet visits will be planned during the day.
• Students will be taken to the toilet at regular times.
• Students will not be allowed to leave lessons or interrupt learning time unless there is an emergency.
• Drinking water will be available throughout the day.

End of the Day

• Students will be expected to take responsibility for tidying up the ASPIRE learning environment.
• Students will be given time to reflect on the day.
• Students will collect their mobile phones.
• Students will put their coats on and get ready to go home on the bus.

Curriculum Principles

The curriculum is designed to enable students who have struggled to achieve within the mainstream school setting to become:

• successful learners who enjoy and achieve
• confident individuals who are able to live safe, healthy and fulfilling lives
• and responsible citizens who make a positive contribution to society

The philosophy behind the provision is flexibility and choice.

Curriculum design focuses on ambition, effective planning and sequencing, addressing delays and gaps in learning so that it has an impact on student outcomes.

Accredited outcomes include GCSEs and other qualifications. They also include individual outcomes important to the individual students, increased independence, personal and social development, participation in wider school life, positive social relationships, emotional resilience, improved attendance, behaviour and mental health.

KS3 Curriculum

• We follow a Core National Curriculum in English, Maths and Science combining academic subjects with literacy and a bespoke non-core curriculum
• Our National Curriculum subjects in mainstream include English, Maths and Science, History, Geography, MFL, Art, ICT, Technology, PE and RE.
• We have a strong emphasis on literacy, with students completing Bedrock to develop their literacy skills to help them better access the curriculum. All students will also have access to Sparx Maths in order to provide a remote learning offer alongside classroom learning.
• Students will also follow a social curriculum which includes Curriculum for Life, Behaviour & well-being and emotional literacy.
• The enrichment curriculum will include sport & healthy lifestyles, careers, British values, student leadership and community responsibilities.
• Students will also have opportunities to work with staff around essential life skills as well as develop positive, responsible behaviours, such as team work, critical thinking, problem solving and building their own self-esteem and resilience, in order to take on all the challenges that they may be faced with in all aspects of their lives.
• All staff will work hard to make sure that when students go into mainstream school or specialist settings, they are well prepared for the next steps in their education.

Day Structure

Key Stage 3 (6-week placements)
9am – 9:30am	Collection from Home
9:30am – 10am	Warm welcome, breakfast and settling in time
10am – 11am	Lesson 1 [School Lesson 2]
11am – 11:20am	Daily Worship & Reflection
11:20am – 11:30am	Break
11:30 – 12:20pm	Lesson 2 [School Lesson 3]
12:20pm – 1pm	Lesson 3 [School Lesson 4]
1pm – 1:30pm	Lunch
1:30pm – 2:30pm	Enrichment

KS4 Curriculum

• Students will follow a highly personalised pathway that will help raise aspirations of the most able and will improve the success of the less able and more vulnerable students.
• Students will be taught GCSE in Core subjects, OCR National / Entry Level / BTEC in other subjects.
• Students will also be able to access external Alternative Provision.

Timetables

• ASPIRE is committed to supporting the excellent attendance of all students.
• All students of compulsory school age are entitled to a full-time education. In ASPIRE, the day starts at 9am and finishes at 2pm.
• In very exceptional circumstances, where it is in a student’s best interests, there may be a need for a temporary flexi- timetable to meet individual needs. For example, where a medical condition prevents a student from attending full-time education and a flexi-time timetable is considered as part of a re-integration package.
• A flexi-time timetable will only ever be in place for the shortest time necessary and not be treated as a long-term solution.
• Any flexi time timetable agreement will have a time limit by which point the student is expected to attend full-time, either at school or in ASPIRE.
• At the point of the implementation of a flexi-time timetable, an Adapted Curriculum Agreement will be completed between school, parents and the student, and will be regularly reviewed throughout.
• In agreeing to a flexi-time timetable, school has agreed to a student being absent from school for part of the week or day and therefore will record absence as authorised.

Educational Visits

• Educational visits enhance the curriculum offered within ASPIRE.
• These visits may include activities such as visits to local areas of interest.
• As part of your child’s induction meeting, a general consent form will be completed and signed.
• Risk assessments are carried out by staff members to ensure the safety of your child.
• It is our policy that any student whose behaviour is unsafe on the day of a visit would not be able to attend the visit and would have to remain at ASPIRE to ensure their safety.