Welcome

As a member of Ethos Academy Trust, Ethos College is committed to building upon our track record of excellence through the development of high performing academies that deliver the very best educational experiences for pupils. We have a clear focus on raising standards, encouraging innovation and further strengthening the ethos, vision and values of the Trust to ensure that we have a positive impact on all our children and young people, as recognised by Ofsted (Jan 2023) when our Outstanding Judgement was reaffirmed:

‘Ethos College is a place where pupils flourish. Leaders are highly aspirational for all pupils. They have created a curriculum that is ambitious. It is well designed to meet pupils’ individual special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) as well as their personal and social needs. Leaders’ expectations are high. They are determined that pupils will succeed. As a result, pupils achieve well due to the school’s strong practice.’

‘The school is warm and welcoming. Leaders ensure that the school is fully inclusive. The learning environment is very well resourced. It is well designed to meet all pupils’ needs. Staff are highly supportive of pupils’ individual needs. Staff know pupils really well and care about them. They share leaders’ high expectations for pupils. Pupils enjoy lessons and school life. Pupils value the support they receive. They recognise the positive difference the school has made to their education.’

Ethos College is a well-established Key Stage 4 Alternative Provision (AP) Academy with a long-standing track record of achieving outstanding outcomes with vulnerable pupils. Our nurture-based philosophy underpins our practice. All leaders and staff have a shared vision and an unwavering commitment to meeting academic and SEMH needs of all our pupils, providing the highest educational standards and pastoral support.

At Ethos College we provide a caring, stimulating, safe and welcoming environment where learning is enjoyable, and teaching is personalised to the needs and interests of individuals. Pupils are supported to fulfil their academic potential whilst developing the confidence and skills required to succeed in post-16 education, employment or training.

We recognise that children and young people may experience a wide range of Social, Emotional and Mental Health (SEMH) needs and may present themselves in a variety of ways. These may include becoming withdrawn or isolated from their friends and studies through to challenging, disruptive or disturbing behaviours. For many young people, these behaviours may reflect underlaying mental health needs.

Our outstanding staff team are skilled at working with young people with needs across the SEMH range. In partnership with parents, carers and other professions, we take a holistic approach to ensuring a pupil’s needs are identified and met throughout their journey at Ethos College by providing a curriculum which addresses academic, and SEMH needs through quality first teaching and targeted interventions preparing pupils for the next stage of their lives.

Ethos College delivers full time education for Key Stage 4 pupils with social, emotional and mental health needs with Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs). The route of admission is consultation, in line with the Code of Practice.

Consultations can be received for Year 9 pupils, during the Spring and Summer term, with a view to transition taking place in the final weeks of the term in preparation for the beginning of Key Stage 4 the following September. Additionally, mid-year consultations for Year 10 and Year 11 pupils are accepted.

At Ethos College, the curriculum has been designed in such a way that there is flexibility and room for personalisation in order that we can respond to the needs of individual students. Consideration is given to the development of the whole student: their intellectual, spiritual, emotional, social and physical development. The curriculum is delivered through engaging and creative teaching to engender curiosity, active participation and the development of students’ own unique, creative responses. The curriculum has been designed to support post 16 education.

We offer a core curriculum of English, Maths and Science, supported by Level 2 qualifications; alongside other personalised pathways that are designed to support foundation learners.

Our commitment to life-long learning is ambitious for all pupils, supporting and securing aspirational pathways to post-16 learning, employment and training, including highly successful transition arrangements. We are dedicated to raising aspirations, challenging stereotypes and inspiring pupils to achieve their full potential,

We are committed to meeting our statutory duty to provide pupils with high-quality, impartial and inspirational Careers Education, Information , Advice and Guidance (CEIAG) to help pupils make informed choices about options regarding post-16 pathways. We work in partnership with external careers providers to ensure that every pupil receives appropriate CEIAG support and is able to access an appropriate post-16 pathway when they leave Ethos College at the end of Year 11. In addition, our dedicated Careers leader provides opportunities for pupils to engage in a robust and engaging careers offer which encourages high aspirations.

In line with the Baker Clause, pupils receive input from local providers of education, employment and training, bringing careers opportunities to life for young people, in order to empower them to make informed decisions about next steps and long-term aspirations. This approach includes visits to and from universities, colleges and other training providers, work placements, links with apprenticeship opportunities and mentoring for students from local business leaders. Pupils also take part in CV writing and mock interview workshops. Furthermore, we offer an enhanced transition package for all Year 11 pupils, with dedicated staff working during the holidays and into the Autumn term to provide guidance, support and necessary equipment to enable all pupils to make a successful transition into the post 16 destination.

Ethos College secured the Quality in Careers Standard in July 2022 in recognition for its tireless endeavours to secure the best possible pathways for its pupils

SMSC Development

Pupils’ spiritual. moral, social and cultural development is actively promoted which equips them with the necessary skills and understanding to become thoughtful, considerate and active citizens in the academy and modern-day Britain. Pupils contribute to regular planned and delivered lessons focusing or key themes on the SMSC and Citizenship calendar. An independent audit and verification of the academy’s SMSC provision resulted in the prestigious National SMSC Quality Mark at Gold level in 2021.

Developing character comes from our curriculum offer and all aspects of school life including educational visits, extra-curricular offerings, external speakers, school council, careers education and Duke of Edinburgh. Through these opportunities, pupils become more confident, resilient and independent both in the academy and modern Britain.

The personal development curriculum and the academy’s wider work support pupils to develop holistically and to lead healthy and active lifestyles, helping them to know how to keep physically and mentally well, We see British Values as underpinning what it is to be a citizen in a modern and diverse Britain. They allow us to create environments free from discrimination, intolerance and hate. They help us to challenge prejudice and stereotyping, whilst strengthening relationships within the community.

As well as actively promoting these values to our pupils, we embed them into lessons across all curriculum areas. This ensures that pupils understand the importance of British Values, so they can leave the school fully prepared to live work and thrive in modern Britain as responsible citizens.

The personal development curriculum and our wider work promote the equality of opportunity and diversity. Drop down days provide broader and more in-depth opportunities for pupils to engage and learn about cultural, religious, ethnic and socio-economic communities and contextual safeguarding issues.

The curriculum gives pupils the chance to experience and engage with views, beliefs and opinions that are different from their own. The personal development curriculum explicitly teaches about protected characteristics and that no forms are discrimination are tolerated. We fundamentally believe that all pupils should be given opportunities which extend beyond their academic offer to enable them to become confident, resilient members of their community who engage positively with wider society.

Ethos College prides itself on providing all pupils with a range of experiences that allow them to become rounded, well-informed and motivated individuals the academy was successful in achieving the Excellence in Pupils Development Award in 2021 in recognition for its achievements in this area.

Extending the Curriculum

The curriculum extends beyond the classroom. In addition to extracurricular activities, we offer a wide range of other rich experiences. These experiences not only help to make memories, they allow pupils to increase their knowledge of the world, increasing their self-belief and aspirations; enabling them to suitably develop their character so they can flourish in the academy and life beyond. Pupils have the opportunity to take part in educational visits, music therapy, drop down days, sports days and residentials.

At Ethos College, we recognise that all children and young people need a solid foundation of positive social, emotional and mental health to benefit fully from all of the opportunities that are available to them. We provide opportunities for our pupils to be resilient and mentally healthy so that they can succeed in all aspects of their life.

As a staff team, we track and monitor each pupil’s SEMH needs and progress and provide a curriculum that is bespoke to them. We believe that teaching SEMH skills improves academic outcomes, keeps children safe and improves the mental wellbeing of pupils.

Leaders and staff work tirelessly to create a safe, calm and positive nurturing environment so that pupils can learn and thrive, Classrooms are carefully designed to meet the needs of pupils with SEMH needs and to follow the principles of nurture in creating a ‘safe base’. Pupils take care of, and are proud of the school environment, with pupils taking real ownership and being involved in, developing the school. Ethos College has high expectations in relation to behaviour; these expectations are applied consistently and fairly by the staff team to provide strong working relationships, built upon shared values, mutual respect and trust. This leads to pupils feeling safe, well supported and valued as individuals, allowing them to flourish both academically and socially,

Ethos College staff recognise that ‘all behaviour is communication’ and live by this fundamental principle of nurture. Behaviours are recognised and understood as a social, emotional or mental health need and; therefore, through the highly effective assessment of individual need, pupils are supported to understand their behaviours and develop strategies to overcome them.

SEMH Progress is tracked, monitored and analysed using the Boxall Profile to assess, identify and address children and young people’s social, emotional and behavioural development across the whole setting. We use the two-part checklist, which is completed by staff (and, where appropriate, wider stakeholders) who know the young person best, to identify the levels of skills they possess to access learning. This enables us to ensure that every child and young person gets the support they need to fully engage with their education and thrive

All pupils have access to an Intervention Instructor who provides an enhanced delivery model of in-house targeted interventions The Intervention Instructor works closely with the SENDCo to understand areas of need with a focus on the greatest areas of SEMH deficit. The Instructor plans and delivers a comprehensive and detailed programme of sessions that focus on identified areas of need. Pupils are aware of their targets and are able to contribute to the planning of the sessions so that they are ‘done with and not to them’.

Individual EHCPs are studied in detail to identify targets and outcomes to be met by the end of Key Stage 4. The targets are then be broken down into SMART (specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time bound) targets to achieve at the end of each half term, to ensure a carefully planned and graduated approach.

SMART targets are added to ‘Supporting Me to Learn Plans’ along with any adaptations needed and strategies to be used to support pupils to meet these targets. The Supporting Me to Learn Plans are shared with the staff team and wider stakeholders. Teachers use the strategies and recommended adaptations to meticulously plan highly effective lessons that promote rapid academic and SEMH progress and allow pupils to embed learning into the long-term memory, improving attainment. Support staff are also aware of the targets and use strategies to support individuals to make the progress necessary to meet their targets and improve attainment in lessons. Staff use verbal and written feedback to share successes and immediate targets for improvement, alongside summative and formative assessments to track progress and attainment.

Academic progress data is formally collected three times per year. This data helps to inform any modifications needed in the curriculum and allows staff to put timely and effective intervention in place to ensure both academic and SEMH progress is made at pace,

Half termly staff meetings are held to discuss progress towards targets. New SMART targets are set for the next half term, along with different strategies and adaptations needed to meet these targets

Progress towards EHCP targets is recorded on an EHCP target tracker and leaders use this information, in conjunction with academic data and Boxall Profile data, to ensure the curriculum is accessible and promotes academic and SEMH progress and attainment for all. Annual EHCP reviews are held to monitor and track progress towards targets and amend provision, support and targets where necessary.

Quality assurance processes in relation to the curriculum allows leaders to ensure that adaptations and strategies are being implemented to allow all pupils to make maximum progress to meet their EHCP targets and outcomes.