Welcome to Crowdys Hill School, Swindon

We are an all-through maintained special school, for children from 4 to 19 years of age.  Our pupils have severe to moderate learning difficulties, with other complex needs.

We offer an adapted National Curriculum, with a variety of extra activities to develop our pupils’ social, physical, sensory and communication abilities.  We consider ourselves to be a supportive, encouraging environment where the children in our care can build their confidence and self-esteem.

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A letter from the Headteacher

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Here at Crowdys Hill, we encourage our pupils to be tolerant, caring and positive minded citizens.  Some of our young people leave us from year 12 onwards, to attend Swindon College courses, or employment.  We produce employable citizens, who have a good understanding of what a good employee is, and how to get a job which is useful knowledge to have in these changing times for workers.  Those young people who may not be able to work, leave us as independent as they possibly can be.

Our school has an excellent reputation in Swindon due, mainly, to our dedicated and experienced staff and our place in the community.  Our pupils are frequently on trips and visits to local events and facilities, to build their confidence and independence.  We offer residential trips, themed trips, theatre trips, activity trips and even visits to the seaside.  Our pupils take part in local music and drama events, and have travelled as far as Bristol and to Wembley Arena to show off their performing abilities.  We have a great emphasis on art and creativity, which can be expressed in the form of painting, drama, music, and writing.

We have a fantastic farm on site, which is under the first stages of an upgrade at present, so we can widen our links with the community.  Currently pupils learn how to look after a range of animals, from rabbits to alpacas.  Most of our buildings are under five years old, which means that they are purpose built and spacious.  There is disability access across the site.

The Primary area has a lovely playground, and a high staffing ratio to support the communication and sensory needs of the children.  In secondary the pupils' communication skills are further developed and there is a stronger emphasis on independence.  In Sixth Form the emphasis is on employability and independence.  We have a flat where the Sixth Form pupils learn about how to look after a home and develop their living skills.

We hugely value the support our parents/carers provide and we pride ourselves on clear, transparent and regular home/school communication.  Our website is updated regularly. We have a school app and a texting service as well as good old-fashioned letters and phone calls.

We hope that this website is helpful and informative.  If you can’t find what you want or just want more information please get in touch with us.   All the details can be found on the ‘contact us’ tab.

Potential admissions are welcome to come and look around our beautiful school, please call reception to arrange a tour.

Kate Higham

Headteacher

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Term Dates for 2022 - 2023

Please note: this calendar DOES NOT include any Teacher Training Days.

School Holiday dates can also be checked on the Swindon Borough Council Website.

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ParentPay

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All payments for school dinners, trips, etc., have been moved online.  Your username and password was sent home with your child, with details of how to register and pay.  Please note: We only accept online orders and payments.  No paper menus will be sent home and no payments will be accepted in school.  All meals (including Free School Meals) must be ordered through ParentPay from Monday 19th September 2022 onwards.

Click this link to access the ParentPay website.

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Home Learning

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Click here to access the Crowdys Hill Sharepoint via the password sent home with work for your child.

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Crowdys Hill Home Schooling

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Click here to access our home schooling resources.  Note: For instances where your child’s absence has been agreed by the Headteacher.

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Other Educational Support

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Click here for 

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Safeguarding

If you have any Safeguarding concerns/questions/queries, our Designated Safeguarding Lead can be contacted on 07955 772 121.

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If you have any questions about our school, or wish to contact a specific teacher or discuss a specific issue about your child, please complete the form below and we will call you back as soon as we can.

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Introducing Crowdys Hill School

We are an all-through specialist provision for pupils aged 5 to 19 years old.  Our wonderful pupils have social, communication and language needs, with learning difficulties.  Many of our pupils have other complex needs, such as autism, ADHD, medical and physical impairments which may mean that they can't access mainstream schools.  Admissions to our school are administered through Swindon Borough Council only.  Please contact SENDService@swindon.gov.uk for more details.

We hope that this website gives you a flavour of what our school is all about.  We value inclusion, equality, and communication for all.  We have developed the school over the past few years to become a well regarded specialist provision, with a good success rate in terms of pupil outcomes.

Many of our pupils are academically and developmentally well below their age expectations (developmental milestones) on entry to the school, whether this is in year 1 or year 7.   From year 11 onwards, pupils have the opportunities to take externally accredited exams, and we have been very successful in ensuring that pupils all leave with suitable qualifications, ranging from Entry level 1 to GCSE or Level 1.

Our focus is on developing communication, independence, creativity, functional skills, and knowledge which can be used to allow them to reach their goals.

Please have a browse around this site.  We value your feedback.  If you can't find what you are looking for, or would like to discuss aspects of the school or arrange a visit, please use the contact page to get in touch, or call reception on 01793 332 400.

Kate Higham

Headteacher

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Destinations

See the table below for details of where our Year 11-14 pupils have gone when they left us. 

2021 - NEET students (i.e.- Young people not in employment, education or training) were Year 14 students who were impacted by the pandemic.  All students were referred to the transition team for support from adult social care.

Swindon Local Authority now provides 1:1 job coaches through their EET programme.  The job coaches support the students into employment or voluntary work.

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Swindon Local Offer

Local Offer is a website in Swindon for children & adults who have support needs, giving you correct information and advice at any time.

If you would like to find out more, click HERE [insert link to https://localoffer.swindon.gov...]

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Admission Arrangements

Click on the county where you live below, to access their school admissions arrangements

Swindon

Wiltshire

Gloucestershire

Oxfordshire

Help for Pupils with Special Educational Needs & Disabilities

We hope these pages help with any questions you may have about SEND.

EHCP - Educational Health Care Plan

An education, health and care (EHC) plan is for children and young people aged up to 25 who need more support than is available through special educational needs support.

EHC plans identify educational, health and social needs and set out the additional support to meet those needs.

Requesting an EHC assessment

You can ask your local authority to carry out an assessment if you think your child needs an EHC plan.

A young person can request an assessment themselves if they’re aged 16 to 25.

A request can also be made by anyone else who thinks an assessment may be necessary, including doctors, health visitors, teachers, parents and family friends.

If they decide to carry out an assessment you may be asked for:

• any reports from your child’s previous school, nursery or childminder
• doctors’ assessments of your child
• a letter from you about your child’s needs

The local authority will tell you within 16 weeks whether an EHC plan is going to be made for your child.

Annual Reviews

About the Annual Review

This is a statutory meeting, between parents/carers, tutors and any agencies working with the student, and post-16 placements.  Most importantly, it is a meeting where the student can give their views, and discuss their own education.

This has to happen every school year.

As a school, we have to give 6 weeks’ notice to agencies.  Annual reviews have to go ahead as planned.  Sometimes parents/carers cannot make the date or time set.  We can rearrange if we are contacted on receipt of the invitation.  If parents/carers cannot attend, they can complete the Parent Views Form, sent with the invitation, return it to the school, and it will be added to the annual review in their absence. We always recommend that parents/carers attend, as this is your opportunity to listen to the views of your child.

At Crowdys Hill School, the annual review takes up to an hour.  Parents/carers, along with representatives of agencies currently working with the student, are invited to attend.  For year 9, year 10 and year 11 students we also invite relevant post-16 representatives.  Parents/carers can also ask other relevant agencies to attend.  Please ask the school for advice.

It’s all about the student.  The student is always invited to be part of the review.  Work is done in tutor time, to gather views from the student, prior to the review.  For some students, they may produce a video or powerpoint presentation to record their views.

Whilst the form filling part has to be done with the parent/carer, as they know the needs of their child, the main aim of the review is for the views of the student to be expressed and shared.  All the information is gathered, recorded, and sent to the Swindon Special Education Needs and Assessment Team.

Information is shared within school, as necessary, and with post-16 placements and other agencies working with the student.

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Other Useful SEND Links

Click here for details of the SEND Code of Practice

Click here for Information about Welfare Reform that maybe useful for our Year 11′s

Click here for a link to DfE Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Guide for Parents and Carers

Click here for a link to the Transitions Procedures and Policies

Click here for Admission Arrangements

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Please don't hesitate to contact us if you have any questions.

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School Day Timings

Primary School - 9.000am - 3.00pm (30 hours)

Secondary School - 9.00am-3.15pm (31 hours 15 minutes)

Sixth Form - 9.00am-3.15pm (31 hours 15 minutes)

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Please don't hesitate to contact us if you have any questions.

There are a variety of funding options available that our school and pupils are able to take advantage of.  Please see below for a few of the main ones.

Pupil Premium

What is Pupil Premium? 

Publicly-funded schools in England get extra funding from the government to help them improve the attainment of their disadvantaged pupils.

Evidence shows that children from disadvantaged backgrounds:

• generally face extra challenges in reaching their potential at school, and
• often do not perform as well as their peers.

The pupil premium grant is designed to allow schools to help disadvantaged pupils by improving their progress and the exam results they achieve.

Crowdys Hill Pupil Premium Strategy

Our aim is to ensure that our pupils are not disadvantaged as a result of their socio-economic context.  We believe that with the correct support all pupils can achieve their full potential, as long as the provision meets their needs.

Our ultimate objectives are to:
• Remove barriers to learning created by poverty, family circumstance and background.
• Narrow the attainment gaps between disadvantaged pupils and their non-disadvantaged counterparts both within school and outside.
• Ensure ALL pupils are able to read and develop a joy for it.
• Develop confidence in their ability to communicate effectively.
• Enable pupils to look after their social and emotional wellbeing and to develop resilience.
• Access a wide range of opportunities to develop their knowledge and understanding of the world.

Our context:

Our school serves Swindon as a SEN provision school for ages 5-19.

Achieving our objectives:

In order to achieve our objectives and overcome identified barriers to learning we will:

• Provide all teachers with high quality CPD to ensure that pupils access effective quality first and SEN teaching.
• Focus funding on reducing identified barriers to learning.
• Provide targeted intervention and support to quickly address identified gaps in learning including the use of small group work and 1:1 tuition.
• Target funding to ensure that all pupils have access to trips, residentials and irst-hand learning experiences.
• Provide opportunities for all pupils to participate in enrichment activities including sport and music.
• Provide appropriate nurture support to support pupils in their emotional and social development.
• Our strategies will change and develop based on the needs of individuals and through a range of interventions and support e.g ELSA, THRIVE, CAMHS and TaMHS meetings.

Key Principals:

We will ensure that we help pupils to reduce barriers to engagement, to provide personalised teaching, learning and assessment meets the needs of all of our complex needs pupils.  When reflecting upon data and impact leaders will shape pupil premium plans with specific intervention and support for individual pupils.  Through 3 reviews we will ensure that pupils will have voice to reflect as part of an on going
conversation about support for learning.

For more information, please click here: 

Crowdys Hill Pupil Premium Strategy Report

Department of Education details on Pupil Premium

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Sports Premium

What is Sports Premium?

Sports Premium funding is allocated by the government and aimed at making additional and sustainable improvements to the quality of PE and sport in primary school, so that all pupils are encouraged to develop healthy and active lifestyles.

This funding is ring-fenced and therefore can only be spent on PE and sport in Primary Schools.  However, individual schools have the freedom to decide how they do this.

Primary Sports Premium - Impact of expenditure

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Covid 19 Catch-up Funding

The government announced £1 billion of funding to support children and young people to catch up lost time after school closure. This is especially important for the most vulnerable and disadvantaged backgrounds.

Statement of use of Covid 19 catch up funding - click here

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Recovery Curriculum Funding

Statement of Recovery Curriculum Funding 2022

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If you have any questions about funding, please don't hesitate to contact us.

Crowdys Hill School Values & Ethos

We value equality.

We believe that all pupils should have the best education that allows them to access all activities, participate fully in school life, and achieve their goals.

We value education.

We believe that learning is essential for a happy life.  Learning should not stop due to age, ability or achievements.

We value collaboration.

We believe that the school community should work harmoniously with each other.  We believe that the school community should be part of the local community and beyond.

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Our motto is ‘Learning for Life’.  Learning to enable us all to live our best lives, and learning throughout our lifetime.

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Our ethos is to ensure that all members of the school community have the tools they need to carry out their roles successfully, becoming a valued member of the school.

Whether these are the teachers having the expertise to perform to high standards, caretaking staff having the knowledge needed to maintain the safety of the school, teaching assistants understanding the needs of individuals, or pupils learning how to regulate their emotions to be able to access learning.

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If you have any questions about our school's values and ethos, please don't hesitate to contact us.

What Communication & Interaction support do we offer all pupils at Crowdys Hill School?

• Social communication skills developed through access to social skills support sessions.
• Social communication developed through PSHE.
• Social communication developed through weekly THUNK assemblies.
• Social skills developed through social sessions for specified groups.
• Social communication encouraged and developed through weekly drama lessons.
• Social communication skills are modelled throughout the day by all staff.
• Advice from SALT followed by all staff, strategies used to promote.
• All staff trained in communication strategies.
• All staff trained in intensive interactions.
• Most teaching staff trained in attention autism.
• Most staff trained in use of specific communication strategies.
• Some staff trained in use of Signalong.
• Signalong used in primary.
• On site speech and language therapist, to observe and advise in lessons.
• Rapid response from our SALT on site.
• Integrated Speech and Language support in the class room using a total communication approach.
• Staff trained to use communication strategies for the classroom.

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Extra support, as advised by SENDCo/Assistant SENDCo

• Speech and Language Therapy weekly support.
• Lego communication sessions.
• Small Weekly group session with SALT and specialist support.
• Targeted weekly small group session with trained SALT.
• Use of AAC (augmented assistive communication) as advised.
• Specialist equipment to allow all pupils to access all sessions.

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Autism Support

Most of our primary pupils have an autism diagnosis, and about one third of the secondary and Sixth Form pupils are autistic. 

We are a completely inclusive school, and believe that every child and young person (CYP) can achieve their goals when they are supported in the right way.

Autism is a lifelong difference that can bring many rewards in life, such as the ability to look at the world in a different way.  We believe that when the environments are changed to support these different ways of thinking, many of the barriers to learning are removed. 

We follow guidance from the Autism Education Trust frameworks, which support the view of enabling environments.  All of our staff have autism training from the National Autistic Society or the AET.  Some staff are educated to master's level in autism.  We have a very experienced staff who are able to adapt their pedagogy to the needs of the pupils.

In primary phases, we have staff trained in Attention Autism, which is a programme of activities and autism friendly pedagogy, to develop the child's attention span and focus.

We also use other support programmes across the school, individualised to the needs of the child or young person (CYP), such as Intensive interactions, TEACCH, and sensory support.

We offer a variety of ways for pupils to communicate, such as verbal, use of PECs, visual aids, AAC, and Signalong.

We have sensory rooms in primary and secondary, where staff are trained in its usage, to promote self-regulation and sensory balancing.

We use a variety of SEN supports in classes across the school, such as wobble cushions, seating slopes, ear defenders and calming areas. Staff frequently lead sensory sessions in primary and secondary during lesson time to maintain calm and balance.

We have been lucky enough to become a teaching Hub for the AET, which will allow us to maintain our standards in staff training and offer outreach to other teaching staff in Swindon.

We are very proud of the inclusive community that we have developed and supported at Crowdys Hill School.

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Numeracy Support

Our curriculum approach allows for pupils to develop their mathematical skills. We ensure there are ample opportunities to apply these skills to real life scenarios and situations. By presenting concepts in different ways, we allow for reparation of skills which allows pupils to consolidate their knowledge and understanding. 

The curriculum is sequenced and coherently progressive across the key stages.  Teaching staff work together to ensure there is a consist approach across the maths curriculum.  The leadership team regularly focus on maths learning across the school to ensure good coverage and progression.

Staff support pupils appropriately across all phases using a wide range and variety of resources provided to engage and stimulate learning.

We believe that mathematical and numeracy skills are an essential part of the pupils learning as they provide all pupils with powerful ways of exploring, investigating and understanding the world around them.

Maths develops independence and decision-making skills which are integrated throughout the whole curriculum.  We teach maths and numeracy at Crowdys Hill School at a level that is appropriate to the learning styles, needs and motivation of each pupil.  This might involve discrete daily maths lessons following the National curriculum or be part of a cross curricular, thematic approach to teaching and learning for pupils who have more complex learning difficulties. 

Throughout the year, pupils participate in projects which include cross curricular subjects, and this provides teachers and pupils opportunities to explore and spend focused time on the maths and numeracy involved in that particular topic.  We aim to teach maths skills through all learning situations that the pupils encounter during the day such as playtime, snack time or lunchtime.  Many opportunities are made to ensure that the pupils use their skills in practical situations such as cooking and shopping.

Where possible pupils are entered into external accreditations with the aim of gaining the highest level possible to allow pupils to achieve their goals and aspirations for their next steps towards adulthood.  In KS4/5 students student maths and functional maths through Edexcel, with some students working towards GCSE maths.

Our aim is for all of our students to become as independent as possible and develop the necessary mathematical understanding to preparing them for adulthood. “Learning for Life” is at the heart of everything we do.

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Phonics Interventions 

Phonics intervention for struggling readers empowers students with the tools they need to read unfamiliar text.  When they can apply phonics strategies to decode new words, any text becomes accessible.

At Crowdys Hill School we use phonics as an approach to teaching reading, and some aspects of writing, by developing learners’ phonemic awareness.  This involves the skills of hearing, identifying and using phonemes or sound patterns in English.  The aim is to systematically teach learners the relationship between these sounds and the written spelling patterns, or graphemes, which represent them.  Phonics emphasises the skills of decoding new words by sounding them out and combining or ‘blending’ the sound-spelling patterns.

When students begin their journey at Crowdys they are assessed for their knowledge of phonics.  All students in years 7, 8 and 9 will have two literacy sessions per week.  These sessions are adapted to meet the individual needs of the students.  (Students in other year groups will have small group or 1-1 sessions where needed).

Phonic skills are taught following the Letters & Sounds programme.  Letters and sounds set out a detailed and systematic programme for teaching phonic skills over six phases, with the aim of pupils becoming fluent readers by the end of phase 6.  Each phase will cover different letter sounds/digraphs, it teaches all the three essential skills of blending, segmenting and phoneme manipulation necessary for reading and spelling.  In the last phase, the children will learn some of the rarer GPCs (Letter to Sound correspondence).  They will be taught how to spell the past tense forms of verbs, learn about suffixes and prefixes and continue to develop their knowledge of the spelling system.

Grouped sessions enable pupils to practice word building, word reading, dictation and phoneme manipulation exercises at their current working level.  Within our literacy sessions we have a carousel of activities, a ‘teach’ table where the group are intensively taught by the teacher working through the targeted sounds using a variety of methods to ensure understanding. 

At the start of each session students will revisit and review.  The students will play a quickfire game to practise something they have learned before and help build their confidence.  The students will then be taught a new phoneme/grapheme or a new skill - this will be taught in a fun, multi-sensory way.  They will then move along to the ‘practise’ table where they will play fast, fun games to practise the new skill/sound they have just learned.

The final table is the ‘Apply’ table.  The children will have a go at reading or writing sentences that involve the new skill/sound they have just learned.  They will also have the opportunity to use the iPads and complete work set either through fun games or IXL (online learning programme).

Once students have completed phase 6 or we find that phonics is not suitable for them, we focus on comprehension (although this is still targeted throughout the programme when practising reading).  Targeted questioning relating to the chosen text supports and enables pupils to recall information, sequence and summarise events, identify and comment on the structure, features and organisation of texts as well as promote the use of deduction (drawing conclusions from the information given in a text) and inference (reading between the lines to draw conclusions which are based on, but go beyond the information in the text).

Being able to read is the most important skill students will learn during their schooling and has far reaching implications for lifelong confidence and well-being. 

Reading feeds students’ imagination and opens up a wonder house of treasure and joy for curious minds. 

Therefore, at Crowdys Hill School, our priority is the teaching of reading skills and the enjoyment of literature, thus enabling our pupils to become lifelong, confident readers.

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What are the aims of our Curriculum?

We provide a broad range of national curriculum subjects, from primary phase to sixth form.  We also offer a wide range of opportunities, outside of the national curriculum, to develop self-esteem, engagement and independent learning.  Our ethos throughout is to develop strong minded, independent citizens.  With this in mind, we offer a variety of subjects where social skills, life skills and independent skills are embedded. 

We give pupils opportunities to achieve the ‘Learning for life’ aims, which we feel will set our pupils up for a good life.

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Learning for Life.

Our curriculum is rich in experiences, positive learning, building the feeling of self-worth in our pupils, and developing the love of learning.

At the heart of this learning is communication skills.  We understand that the best way to ensure that our pupils feel part of their community, whether in school, home or in the world, is to promote their ability to communicate effectively to the best of their abilities.  This begins in the primary phase, through access to SEN trained staff, with experience in using Signalong, PECS (picture exchange communication systems), AAC (augmented assistive communication) and use of visual aids to consolidate understanding, and the expertise of our own speech therapists.

Our emphasis is on cooperative learning, with many opportunities to develop conversation and discussion.

This continues through to the secondary phase, where pupils are encouraged to use their social skills to wider audiences, such as in assemblies, or on the school trips and other events that we offer.

In the Sixth Form, this is further developed through the wide variety of work experiences and social and educational trips which take place. The curriculum is based on the needs of the child and their EHCP outcomes.

‘Strong relationships between adults and pupils underpin the good teaching.  Adults work very effectively to give pupils confidence to learn. They cajole, encourage and expect pupils to work.  They create a very safe environment for pupils to attempt something new and to learn.’  (OFSTED Feb 2019)

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How does the curriculum differ from mainstream schools?

Whilst we follow the national frameworks from year 1 to year 14, they are highly adapted and differentiated to meet the needs of our pupils.

We understand that our pupils learn key concepts at different points in their life, which may not follow the age expected trend.  We ensure that all of our pupils can access all areas of the curriculum through adaptations to content, resources, and experienced SEN trained staffing.  So whilst a pupil’s timetable may look similar to a mainstream one, within that are many opportunities for pupils to acquire new skills, succeed in education; and, most importantly for any child, to build resilience.

We have a focus on communication skills, and developing their abilities to socialise as a priority.

We supplement this curriculum offer with evidence based support sessions, where staff take pupils out of lessons for interventions.  This is scheduled as needed, and the tutors work together with staff to advise on what is needed to improve the pupils’ progress.

Key stages 1 to 3 are very similar to that offered in primary schools, where the class are mainly with one tutor for most lessons, and may join other classes or teachers for subjects such as Drama and Cookery.  This will be interspersed with sessions developing their communication, balancing their sensory needs and developing self-regulatory strategies. 

In key stage 4, pupils attend lessons with specialist teachers for more of the time, and we build up their resilience and adaptability to prepare them for either our Sixth Form or college.  For our more complex pupils in KS4, whose needs cannot be met using our usual curriculum, we offer a more tutor-led curriculum.  We call these classes the Thematic Learning Centre, or TLC for short. 

Here the pupils can socialise with the rest of the school and join in with school activities.  Their timetable is based mainly with their tutor to minimise movement between lessons and staff.  These pupils will study English, Maths, PE and ICT. In addition they will study art, cookery, and PSHE/ SRE which incorporates RE, Careers, ASDAN and citizenship; and project work.

We supplement this curriculum offer with evidence-based support sessions, where staff take pupils out of lessons for interventions.  This is scheduled as needed, and the tutors work together with staff to advise on what is needed to improve the pupils’ progress. 

‘In the primary department, teaching is very well matched to the needs of the pupils and builds effectively on their starting points.  Adults skilfully modify their questioning so that a pupil can answer.  Adults are very responsive to pupils’ moods and calm pupils so that they can attend to work and learn.’  (OFSTED, Feb 2019)

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Who teaches this Curriculum?

We are extremely proud of our staff who have dedicated years to learning about how best to teach pupils with special educational needs. 

All of our staff have completed autism awareness courses, and many have taken further study in this area. 

All teaching staff are trained in SEN updates and initiatives weekly.

All teaching assistants undertake SEN induction, first aid training, manual handling training, and basic phonics sessions. 

Some of our staff are subject specialists, and others are primary phase teacher trained staff, with a sound knowledge of phonics.In the primary phase the staff to pupil ratios are higher, as we are just beginning to build independence. 

On average, classes have ratios of 1:2 at key stage 1, and 1:3 at key stage 2.  In the secondary phase, as a pupil’s learning engagement and independence skills are improving, the staffing ratios change to 1:5 on average. 

In the Thematic Learning Centre the staffing remains higher due to the more complex needs of the pupils.  Tutors get to know their pupils very well.  In primary phases, the tutors usually have their tutees for two years.  They will teach them for most lessons. 

In secondary phases, tutors lead their groups for three years in key stage 3, teaching them for most of their lessons.  In key stage 4, years 10 and 11, the tutors change and the timetable changes to develop the pupils’ academic and aspirational abilities, using our teachers’ expertise in subjects.

In sixth form, the focus is on vocational and employability skills, and our young people develop their knowledge and skills needed to move on to their preferred destinations.

‘Pupils particularly thrive in practical lessons, such as cookery and work on the farm.  In these lessons, pupils are highly focused and willing to share their knowledge and make new connections in their learning’.  (OFSTED, Feb 2019)

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What’s different about the Sixth Form?

Our Sixth Form opened in September 2016, from a need to ensure that our pupils continued their education with the focus on learning for life.

We wanted to make sure that our pupils in year 11 had the opportunity to further develop their social, independence and life skills.  We also wanted to make sure that our pupils were given opportunities to develop their employability skills, with opportunities for work experience and making links with their community, to give them the best chance of finding employment and building a sustainable life for themselves and their families.  We feel that we are achieving this.

Our staff have high expectations of all of our pupils.  Our staff and our parents/ carers want equality for our pupils, as they become young adults. 

To this end, we match learning experiences with the desires and talents of our sixth formers.  They have the opportunity to learn new skills, through choosing vocational courses, and develop their work skills through work experiences, whilst continuing to study their English and Maths skills. 

All sixth form pupils undertake work experience placements, these may be for part of a day, one day, weekly, or termly.  Pupils have the opportunity to try a variety of careers, and some of our pupils secure paid employment as a result of these experiences.

There are many opportunities for trips, both educational and for leisure, as we believe that young adults need to be aware of what’s on offer to them in their community, and how they can make friends and develop hobbies.

For those pupils who need the extra support, we continue to offer some of the interventions, such as hydrotherapy, physiotherapy, occupational therapy, and social/emotional literacy (ELSA).  The aim of these support sessions become more functional in this setting.

Those pupils needing the use of AAC or specialist physical disability equipment, will continue to have access to specialist support. 

Most of our pupils will have access to a speech and language therapist, as they work with the teachers rather than individual pupils to develop their functional communication skills.

‘The sixth-form academic and vocational curriculum is enhanced by opportunities for work experience, working in the Hub or the farm, or practising life skills in the independent living skills centre or other environments.  This means that students have a wide variety of opportunities and are well prepared for their future’.  OFSTED, Feb 2019.

Curriculum Overview 2022-2023

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If you have any questions about our curriculum, please don't hesitate to contact us.

What do we offer all pupils at Crowdys Hill School?

• Teachers and TAs support are SEN trained staff for all lessons.
• All staff trained in Autism Education Trust awareness courses, and higher level courses.
• All staff trained in communication strategies.
• All staff undertake phonics training.
• Visual schedules used daily in lessons.
• Weekly reading sessions.
• Small class sizes (up to 8 in primary; average 10 in secondary; varies in Sixth Form), to minimise noise levels and reduce anxieties in the classroom.
• Extra adults in all classes.
• Small class sizes with SEN trained TAs to allow focused support as needed in lesson.
• Highly differentiated curriculum to support the need for comfort breaks, and sensory breaks.
• Highly adapted curriculum to maximise independence and accessibility in all lessons.
• Weekly literacy support session focused on reading skills.
• Dyslexia friendly work used in all academic lessons.
• Numeracy support through use of specialist equipment in lessons.
• Regular daily access to visual cues, prompts, chunking and repetition throughout lessons daily.
• Curriculum adapted from national curriculum to allow independent access.
• Weekly/daily access to alternative methods of recording, such as IT/whiteboards/ iPads/ iPods.

Extra support, as advised by SENDCo/Assistant SENDCo

• A wide range of literacy interventions, timetabled into week.
• Targeted literacy support for individuals as needed.
• High level of adult ratios in class, up to 1:1.
• High levels of adult support in class, up to 1:3.
• Targeted literacy support sessions additional to the timetabled programme.
• Regular, daily access to AAC technology as needed, and supported by AAC specialist.
• Equipment to allow all pupils access to all sessions.

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If you have any questions about our Teaching & Learning support, please don't hesitate to contact us.

Careers Aims

Our school has a critical role to play in preparing our young people for the next stage of their education or training and beyond. Our expectations are high, so every student is challenged appropriately and acquires the skills, knowledge and attitude for lifelong learning and that employer’s value.

We recognise that an effective careers programme contributes to raising aspirations, improving motivation and overcoming barriers to success. Our careers programme is designed to help every young person to realise their potential and enhance their employability. They will learn the skills necessary to navigate and manage their own careers and contribute to the well-being of themselves their families and the wider community. Students will have raised aspirations, have gained experience of meeting employers and workplace environments, be more adaptable and resilient and therefore be able to make more well informed decisions about their transition pathways.

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[insert careers team image - attached below]

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Careers Education

Following our ethos for ‘Learning for Life’ we have worked hard to embed careers into all areas of our school curriculum.

As part of the 'My Future, My World' curriculum, we have introduced themed career weeks where different employment sectors are investigated. This will include visits from employers from each relevant sector. These themed weeks will enable pupils to begin to consider their future career paths.

At Key Stage 4 we will also host a ‘Careers Day’ which will include sessions from independent careers advisors and visits to places of work.

Year 11 students have a timetabled weekly career lesson where the focus is on developing their own individual employability skills and how they can transfer these to work towards their chosen pathway. Students also undertake a week’s work experience placement with local employers or participate in our world of work week.

At Key Stage 5 our curriculum is heavily focussed on developing our students’ independence with a focus on employment. All students follow an employability course and choose a vocational course such as Retail, Hospitality, Health and Social Care and Horticulture. These are nationally recognised qualifications and enable students to demonstrate their learning potential to employers and can open doors for further education and training

Students are taught that careers is not just about employment but a lifelong pathway. Through our extensive curriculum, they will learn the skills needed to navigate this journey.

The school uses the Ofsted approved CDI framework across all key stages to ensure a strong focus on improving careers related outcomes for our young people. This framework enables the school to track student progress and provides progressive end of key stage learning outcomes as students move through the school.

We also use Careerpilot, which is an online resource that allows students to investigate areas of interest and alternative pathways, gain up to date information about jobs within these areas, what skills and qualifications required for career options and map these against the skills they already have.

In addition, all subjects across the key stages identify career education elements and incorporate these when lesson planning.

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Work Experience Programme

Furthermore, to our career curriculum, we also offer all students in Year 11 the opportunity to take part in our work experience week. Whether the placements are internal or external, students gain valuable insight, hands on experience and can put the skills and knowledge they have learnt within school to the test in a real working environment.

This is then extended to our Post 16 provision, where students are offered the opportunity to work within a variety of different placements, in line with their future aspirations. These placements differ from the year 11 placements as students generally accesses the placements for extended periods of time.

We have a working partnership with Swindon Night Shelter, who run The Hub, which is a shop and café where students within the Sixth Form attend a fortnightly shift, where they gain experience of working within the café, shop or kitchen.

We also have a working partnership with Phoenix, where our Year 14 students attend a weekly shift where they gain experience of working within a warehouse environment, working to tight deadlines and product control.

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Career Related Activities

Throughout the academic year, the school also holds various career themed weeks, where the whole school participate in a wide range of topic-based activities and projects that incorporate employability skills and career linked thinking. We engage with local employers and invite external visitors in to deliver workshops and talks with the students

We have also held carers fairs, CV writing workshops and invite employers in to hold mock interviews for students.

Students also have the opportunity to attend other events throughout the year such as Jobfest, Preparing for Adulthood events, further education open days and we work closely with our local communities to build links and support when and where we can with local events.

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The Gatsby Benchmarks

Our careers programme is underpinned by the 8 Gatsby Benchmarks.

These benchmarks are a framework of 8 guidelines that schools work towards to provide the best career provision for its students as possible:

We regularly review our careers programme through the Compass evaluation tool against the Benchmarks and this data is then used to feed into our career’s development plan and drive future improvements.  The school is very much on track to meet the government target of 100% across all 8 benchmarks by September 2020, as set out by 2017 Careers Strategy.

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Review & Evaluation

As well as reviewing our Gatsby progress, we also understand the importance of gaining feedback from students, staff, parents and other stakeholders in relation to our careers programme, careers events and work experience programme.  This feedback is essential in our evaluation process and ensures that we are committed to continuously develop our programme so that students benefit from a careers education that enables them to develop the skills and knowledge needed to navigate any future career choices as well as the opportunity to engage and learn from employers and work based experiences.

Staff training is also an essential element of our on-going development.  Regular training throughout the academic year covers various topics such as changes to legislation, curriculum overviews, sharing good practice and planning sessions.  Training enables staff the opportunity to work together to enhance the careers programme, share ideas and ensure that we are offering a programme our students deserve.

Student voice is at the very centre of our annual review process.  We work closely with students and their families to initiate discussions about future aspirations, pathways and begin the process of setting short term and longer outcomes so that these can be reached.  We also work closely with external support agencies to ensure that there is a whole team approach to reaching these goals.

CHS Careers Audit & Gap Analysis - May 2021.

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Careers Team

Careers link Governor - Mick Poole

Careers link & Head of PSHE - Jo Brierley

Useful Links – please click on each link

Crowdys Hill School Careers Policy

DfE Carers Strategy

CDI Framework

Gatsby Benchmarks

Career Pilot

National Careers Service

Preparing for Adulthood

Swindon Borough Council Local Offer

Swindon Borough Council – Preparing for Adulthood

Application for Provider Access

Further Education Providers

Swindon College

New College

Horizons College

Apprenticeships

Building Bridges

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Vacancy Information

See below for details of current job vacancies at Crowdys Hill School, including job descriptions and downloadable application forms, which should be returned electronically by email to recruitment@crowdyshill.swindon.sch.uk.

Click here to view our current vacancies.

Application documents

Click here for the current Swindon Borough Council Application Form.

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For more information about any of the above, please don't hesitate to contact us.