Young Options College
Registration and Location
Young Options College is a day independent school with full DCFS registration (no. 893/6025) that meets government expectations/guidelines on RALAC (Raising the Achievements of Looked After Children). Young Options College provides an education service for young people of primary and secondary age in Young Options Children’s Homes & Fostering Service and for day pupils.
The College is on a spacious and interesting rural site about 10 minute’s drive from Telford and within easy access to the M54, M6/ M5 and national motorway network.
Aims and Ethos
We aim to give each child the best opportunity to develop their personal skills and abilities; and to give each young person the chance to build a portfolio of qualifications at the appropriate level, which at 16 will give them a sense of personal achievement and a step on the qualifications ladder; and move them towards the skills and accreditation needed for progression and young adult life.
We aim to do this in a caring, structured and supportive environment which values every individual and the potential they have.
Curriculum and Qualifications
Young Options College provides personalised educational programmes based on careful assessment of the child’s/young person’s emotional/social and scholastic needs. This may include one-to-one teaching programme in our school’s Individual Learning Centre with the aim of eventual integration within the school’s small-groups teaching environment. Our strategy is to work together as a team with the young person to: build on strengths and interests; engineer success not failure; create achievable aims – in a structured and supportive environment.
The personalised curriculum includes access to national curriculum subjects, together with special emphasis on personal and social development, literacy, numeracy, IT, sports, practical activities and work-related education. Accreditation routes include GCSE, AQA Entry Level Certificates and Unit Awards, ASDAN, CLAIT, Key Skills and BTEC Vocational Skills qualifications. The vocational areas currently offered are shown in the table below.
| Land-based | Gardening, horticulture, small animals, land and environment, floristry |
| Sport and Outdoor | All Sports, Swimming, Recreation, Sports Management |
| Performing Arts/Media | Music, Drama, Dance, Movement, Performance, Video |
| Practical Skills | Brickwork, metalcraft, painting and decorating, vehicle maintenance, other practical skills |
| Health and Social Care | Childcare and development, looking after people |
| Catering & Hospitality | Cooking, running restaurants/cafes |
| Creative Arts | Art, Design, Computer Art, Video |
| Hair and Beauty | Hair Care and Styling, Beauty Therapy |
Organisation
There is a full school year of 190 days, divided into 8 terms with frequent breaks, including 26 hours of teaching & learning time per week. Young people are taught through a blend of individual tuition and small teaching groups of up to 4 or 5 pupils.
Assessment, Induction and Planning
Each young person is carefully inducted into the school. Initially this may involve a full or part time programme of educational activities and a period of assessment and ‘settling’ through the use of our Individualised Learning Centre. Here, every young person will have an opportunity to build relationships with a small number of trained and experienced staff who will help them to develop a sense of security, acceptance and begin to see themselves as a positive learner. This process is managed by our SENCo (Special Educational Needs Co-odinator) in conjunction with the Individual Learning Centre Co-ordinator and team. Education reviews are synchronised with care reviews supported by psychologists from the Professional and Clinical Multi-disciplinary Team (PCMT). Personal tutors give individual guidance and work closely with key workers.
Resources
The 28-acre site has facilities for play, physical and outdoor education. There is specialist accommodation for science, art and design, catering, music and performing arts, and IT. Vocational facilities are being developed. Regular access to a range of community facilities enriches experience and learning.
Staffing
High staffing levels enable genuinely individualised programmes to be implemented and young people can be supported individually or in groups according to ability and personal needs. The education team receives advice and support from the PCMT.
Qualified teachers have a range of experience in mainstream and special education, and subject-specialist backgrounds in primary, secondary and further education. The education support staff team helps guide young people in their learning and personal development.