Post 16 Curriculum offer (Post COVID)

Our Personal Development Programme has been adapted to ensure that the needs of young people are being met post COVID-19. The National Youth Agency recently released ‘Out of Sight – Vulnerable Young People COVID-19 response’ which highlighted the following top three concerns

The top three concerns coming out of the report are:

• ‘Increased mental health problems’: Over a million young people have self-reported mental health issues. There is a spike in calls to Help Lines, with 84% reporting worse mental health following school closures or being no longer able to access mental health support
• ‘Missing from education’: With schools only partially open and youth centres closed, as few as 5% of young people are currently engaged in school and have limited or no access to youth work. Even when schools re-open there are 700,000 young people persistently absent or NEET (not in education, employment or training)
• ‘At risk, at home’: Over a million young people are at risk from any of the so-called ‘toxic trio’ of addiction, mental health, and domestic abuse. Despite this, child protection referrals have plummeted by 50% in some areas

Our aim is to offer a programme which eases those particularly affected, back into education taking account of the holistic needs of the both the individual and group. The current uncertainty about when school returns has informed our decision to introduce a more responsive and flexible offer which can start as and when needed, outside of the school term.

The bespoke program offers the flexibility of one or two days per week alongside an employability qualification or similar – all subject to numbers and costings. Based on our pilot program (feedback information sent to schools 2019), we will be working with schools to adapt to the needs of the student and offer a range of on and off site provisions, including a small community project (if relevant), mindset project/ Gym, skate park, outdoor team building/confidence and preparation for job readiness. The programme will include a range of soft skills and personal development opportunities, linked to preparing to be ‘work ready’, develop resilience and learn how to live a happy and fulfilled life. If suitable we will also link to specific school curriculum areas (PSHE and RSE).

Our common themes build upon those introduced in Key Stage 3 and 4 (PSHE Education and Planning Toolkit) but are adapted and appropriate for the particular age groups.

• Health and Wellbeing
• Living in the Wider World
• Relationships

Essential skills and attributes covered:

• Resilience
• Self-regulation
• Developing and maintaining a healthy self-concept
• Identifying and accessing help and support
• Respect for others
• Building and maintaining healthy relationships
• Managing risk
• Self-organisation
• Clarifying own values
• Enterprise skills and attributes
• Making decisions