Secondary

Base provision

Students requiring increased support for academic and social needs have a place in the school’s base provision (Base 1 – KS3 students, Base 2 – KS4 students).  These classes have higher staffing ratios and provide support for our most vulnerable students. They have increased time with the class teacher (especially in Base 1) however, where appropriate, they access lessons in the body of the school in line with the aim of a personalised pathway.

Students in both Base classes have a weekly swimming session to promote physical wellbeing and life skills.

Students in Base 2 are included in options and in Year 11 attend a college placement as preparation for leaving school. They are also entered for external accreditation with the class teacher who is supported by the subject leads. The pupils in Base 2 also work towards achieving Open Awards qualifications in independent living and preparing for further learning and employment. To achieve these qualifications, pupils complete a range of units on a wide variety of topics. Pupils and Base staff have an input in which units to study, thus tailoring the course to their own needs and interests and providing Base students with a personal pathway in their programme of study.

Key Stage 3

Students in Years 7, 8 and 9 study a wide range of core subjects. These include: English, mathematics, science, Spanish, history, geography, technology, computing, art, music, RE and citizenship.

In September 2017 Bank View introduced a life skills ASDAN course for students in Year 7, 8, Base 1 and 2, taught on a carousel with a block of swimming. Students in Bank View need reinforcement and overlearning as well as the explicit teaching of life skills. This time ensures all KS3 pupils receive this input.

At the end of the course students are accredited units from the ASDAN ‘Lifeskills Challenge’ qualification. This is designed to develop independence skills and functionality. For many of our cohort it is important that we introduce these opportunities, as it results in further widening their experiences and providing more opportunities for the students to use their functional skills.

Year 7, 8 and 9 are part of the enrichment carousel. This again is crucial in enhancing the experiences of our students and building their capacity as learners. Pupils are given the platform to succeed in different environments while being provided with an opportunity to learn new skills and transfer and apply these skills in a variety of settings. These experiences we hope will help to broaden the mind-set of the students. Moreover, their personal, social and communication skills are further developed through vertical streaming of the year groups, allowing students to increase their self-confidence by working with different peers and staff.

Key Stage 4

Students work towards external accreditation. This is offered at a level appropriate to the individual student and ranges from Entry Level 1 to GCSE and is designed to ensure students attain relevant qualifications so that they can progress to the next stage of their education.

All students in the main body of the school are entered for GCSE Art and Design.

All KS 4 students join options groups. Students choose their own option, allowing them to study an area they have identified as having a talent and/or interest in, from a range of vocational courses. The vocational element to the course introduces the students to different options where they develop skills that they may choose to pursue after school, in college and the world of work

In KS 4, pupils also follow a Functional Skills programme. These additional lessons give pupils a further opportunity to improve their functionality in a wider range of areas. Vertical streaming of students is used, once again helping the pupils to develop socially and in terms of their own self-confidence. Students are introduced to a series of accredited units that leads to a qualification on developing skills for further learning and employment as well as Functional Skills English, Maths and ICT. This programme also allows space on the timetable for our most able students to form GCSE groups for maths and English.