Community
The Community Academy delivers good quality teaching and learning, by experienced staff within a caring and supportive environment at both the Evesham and Malvern campuses in the following areas:
- Acquired Brain Injury Education Service (ABIES)
- English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL)
- Foundation Skills Programmes (FSP)
- Progression Pathways Programme (PPP)
Community Academy Aims
- To demonstrate respect for all and to celebrate difference.
- To identify each individual learner's needs and their capacity for progression and to devise programmes of learning that match these needs.
- To prepare learners for a planned destination based on their long term goals e.g. further education or training, open employment or voluntary work and supported employment and/or independent living, or increased levels of independence as appropriate.
- To encourage and support all learners to reach their full potential through the "Every Citizen Matters" approach: Be Healthy, Stay Safe, Enjoy and Achieve, Make a positive Contribution and Achieve Economic well-being.
- To work very closely with other Academies within College to ensure good progression routes from these supported pathways to the whole vocational curriculum.
- To make good use of the mutually supportive links with external agencies in the community in order to best support individual learners in their progression.
Acquired Brain Injury Education Service (ABIES)
This facility provides individual learning programmes designed for students with an Acquired Brain Injury (ABI).
There are programmes which cover living with a brain injury, leisure skills, practical/vocational skills, healthy living and individual support programmes. There is also the opportunity to move between other programmes in the Centre and the main College.
The Centre also provides a "Transitions Programme". This is designed for young adults with an ABI and is largely focused on developing personal and social skills and helping the young person understand and adjust to the consequences of a brain injury. Full time students are enrolled on a 35 week programme for 13 hours per week. However flexible programmes can be agreed as appropriate to the individual students' needs.
The ABI is part funded by the Acquired Aphasia Charitable Trust.
Around 1,000,000 people per year in the UK are disabled by a head injury. The Acquired Brain Injury Education Service (ABIES) offers a wealth of experience of the nature of ABI. The service continues to support the ABI educational programmes at Worcester College, North East Worcester College and Kidderminster College.
For more information about the Service please contact Angela Stanley, ABI Centre Manager on (01386) 712635 or e-mail astanley@sworcs.ac.uk.
English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL)
If English isn't your main language, you can do a course to help you improve your English. These courses are called ESOL or, English for Speakers of Other Languages. Improving your English can help you get more out of your life in the UK. It will also help if you want to study, improve your CV, or apply to become a British citizen.
Improving your English will make it easier to:
- improve your job and career prospects.
- talk to doctors and teachers.
- understand the laws and customs of the UK.
- do a course and get a qualification.
- help your child with homework.
- pass the Life in the UK test and become a British citizen.
We also offer short courses including:
- English for Business.
- English for Complete Beginners.
- Preparation for the Citizenship exam.
Foundation Skills Programmes (FSP)
The Foundation Skills Programmes area delivers Foundation Learning to learners age 14-19 and to adults aged 19 and above.
Foundation Learning is the name given to education provision at Entry Level and Level 1, and includes the qualifications at these levels within the Qualifications and Credit Framework (QCF). Learners are offered personalised learning opportunities that help them gain credit at Entry Level and Level 1, on a learning journey leading to a range of appropriate destinations such as Level 2 qualifications, supported employment or independent living.
Foundation Skills Programmes are individual programmes for students who need to develop their personal, social and practical skills in a supported environment.
The programme provides a supported route to:
- Further study within the other vocational areas of the college.
- Apprenticeships.
- Supported employment and/or independent living.
Also, qualifications in Personal and Social Development and Functional skills in English, maths and ICT all tailored to the needs of the individual learner. Learners are taught and supported within small groups within a caring and supportive environment.
Variety is built into the programmes with indoor and outdoor vocational options, project work including fundraising events and educational trips and work experience as appropriate.
Learners are encouraged and supported to progress towards an individual destination of their choice in other vocational areas of the College, to further training e.g. an Apprenticeship, to supported or open employment and/or independent living.
Our success rates are high and past students have moved on to various full-time courses within the College, including Animal Care, ICT, Sport, Health and Social Care and Motor Vehicle.
Progression Pathways Programme (PPP)
This is a programme for year 11 school students – via referrals from local High Schools and other agencies in the community. Also, a one day, year 10 infill programme for learners who then progress to a full time programme in year 11. PPP is a 3 day programme in college, incorporating: Functional skills of English, maths and ICT, a Personal and Social Development qualification and a vocational qualification at Level 1. The vocational areas include: engineering, motor vehicle, construction, catering, Hair & Beauty, Sport and ICT.
The programme aims to provide an enjoyable and positive educational experience for learners through an individually tailored curriculum. The college works closely with the schools and other agencies to identify individual learners who will benefit from the programme and has achieved excellent success rates in attendance, retention and achievements. Learners are encouraged by the schools and college to continue their arranged work experience placements.
Learners have benefitted from the PPP course by being retained in education and achieving meaningful qualifications, leading to apprenticeships, further training and employment.
