Introduction to Faculty
The Specialised Learning Faculty is an incredibly important area of the school. The role of the faculty is to ensure that every learner gets an opportunity to reach their full potential, regardless of any barriers.
The faculty is responsible for delivering support which is different from, and additional to, the normal high quality teaching in a classroom. This takes many forms including placing Teaching Assistants into classrooms to help with understanding, offering lunchtime activities, support with home learning and a quiet place for some students who want a break from the bustle school or delivering bespoke literacy support to small classes or individuals.
A number of students have the opportunity to experience life in the work place, this regularly leads to fantastic outcomes that include employment, college placements and apprenticeships.
The national curriculum is made up of a number of subjects, each of which is split into separate topics.
Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND)
Key Stage 3
The SENCo (Mr Andrew) visits every primary school sending students with a SEND need to Devizes School before the students arrive in September. This information exchange ensures a smooth transition and the right kind of support is offered. Students are assessed on entering the school and, if appropriate, are placed on specialist programmes. These programmes include reading, spelling, comprehension, emotional and social skills. We also offer some students support with their handwriting and organisation. Teaching Assistants support students in lessons as well as offering withdrawal support.
Some Year 7 students are placed in a Nurture Group. This is to allow for extra transition and introduces the more vulnerable student more gradually to the demands of Secondary School. The Faculty also offers a 'Morning Club' where students can come before school to gain extra support and advice from 8.00 in the morning. This facility is on offer at lunch time where students can eat their lunch in a quiet and supervised area.
Key Stage 4 & 5
We continue to support students through KS4 and KS5 with their basic skills, study skills and personal organisation. Teaching assistant support remains in place for KS4.
Foundation Learning
Key Stage 3
Students who are identified as requiring a more personalised curriculum or who have been extracted for intense interventions will undertake a Life Skills course in Years 8 and 9. This course is designed to support the other curriculum areas by reinforcing basic study skills, fostering an independent spirit of learning and covering literacy and numeracy. This course will no longer be offered to incoming students post September 2016 as the faculty will offer a more personalised approach to providing literacy intervention which is more inclusive and allows the students to learn with their peers in a mainstream classroom.
Key Stage 4
Students identified in KS3 are invited to enter into Pathways 2 or 3 that have a more vocational or work-facing design.
Pathway 2 replaces a single subject with the Preparation for Working Life qualification which focuses on the student being ready for the next step beyond school. It is a course that allows the students to encounter and practice skills such as writing a CV, understanding a wage slip or preparing for an interview.
Pathway 3 students replace three of their academic options with the Preparation for Working life course (see Pathway 2 above for details) and a day per week in a workplace setting. The school organises a work experience placement and time is given during the week for students to meet a member of staff and discuss their work.
All students undertake the full set of core subject GCSEs.