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Atkinson Secure Children’s Home

Helping young people to understand and manage their emotions

Education

Atkinson School: Provider access policy statement


(To include The Department for Education, July 2021: ‘Baker Clause’ and the Provider Access Legislation, January 2023)

Ownership: Atkinson School as part of Atkinson Secure Children’s Home.

Date updated: October 2024

Rationale

High quality careers education and guidance in school or college is critical to young people’s futures. It helps to prepare them for the workplace by providing a clear understanding of the world of work including the routes to jobs and careers that they might find engaging and rewarding.

It supports them to acquire the self-development and career management skills they need to achieve positive employment destinations. This helps students to choose their pathways, improve their life opportunities and contribute to a productive and successful economy.

As the number of apprenticeships rises every year, it becomes increasingly important that all young people have a full understanding of all the options available to them post-16 and post-18 including wider technical education options such as T-Levels and Higher Technical Qualifications.

Commitment

The Atkinson School (as part of Atkinson Secure Children’s Home) is committed to ensuring there is an opportunity for a range of education and training providers to access students, for the purpose of informing them about approved technical education qualifications and apprenticeships.

The Atkinson School (as part of Atkinson Secure Children’s Home) is fully aware of the responsibility to set students on the path that will secure the best outcome which will enable them to progress in education and work and give employers the highly skilled people they need. That means acting impartially, in line with the statutory duty, and not showing bias towards any route, be that academic or technical.

The Atkinson School (as part of Atkinson Secure Children’s Home) endeavours to ensure that all students are aware of all routes to higher skills and are able to access information on technical options and apprenticeships (the Department for Education, July 2021: ‘Baker Clause’ supporting students to understand the full range of education and training options, and the Provider Access Legislation, January 2023).

Aims

The Atkinson School (as part of Atkinson Secure Children’s Home) policy for access to other education and training providers has the following aims:

  • To develop the knowledge and awareness of our students of all career pathways available to them, including technical qualifications and apprenticeships.
  • To support young people to be able to learn more about opportunities for education and training outside of school before making crucial choices about their future options.
  • To reduce drop out from courses and avoid the risk of students becoming NEET (young people not in education, employment or training).

Student entitlement

The Atkinson School (as part of Atkinson Secure Children’s Home) fully supports the statutory requirement for students to have direct access to other providers of further education training, technical training and apprenticeships.

Due to the nature of the provision, the young people are here for an average of six months. The school will comply with the new legal requirement to put on encounters with providers of approved technical education qualifications or apprenticeships where possible.

This will be done via visitors to the Atkinson School (as part of Atkinson Secure Children’s Home) being arranged every 3-6 months meaning that most young people here will have access to one provider whilst they are here. Where possible, we will also be integrating this as part of National Career’s and Apprenticeship Weeks and as part of assemblies.

Where appropriate, we will also look to embed visits to local colleges, businesses and other relevant experiences with our young people prior to their departure.

Development

This policy has been developed and is reviewed annually by the Internal Careers Leader (Alana Riley) and Head of Education at The Atkinson School (as part of Atkinson Secure Children’s Home (Marc Herbert)) based on current good practice guidelines by the Department for Education.

Links with other policies

It supports and is underpinned by key policies including those for careers, child protection, equality and diversity, and SEND.

Equality and diversity

Access to other providers is available and promoted to allow all students to access information about other providers of further education and apprenticeships where appropriate. The Atkinson School (as part of Atkinson Secure Children’s Home) is committed to encouraging all students to make decisions about their future based on impartial information.

Requests for access

Requests for access should be directed to Marc Herbert, Head of Education. Marc Herbert may be contacted by telephone on 01392 457999 or by email at atkinsonunit-mailbox@devon.gov.uk.

Grounds for granting requests for access

Access will be given for providers to attend during school assemblies, timetabled careers or life lessons, and careers or raising aspirations events that The The Atkinson School (as part of Atkinson Secure Children’s Home) is arranging.

Students may also travel to visit another provider as part of the trip to be organised in partnership with The Atkinson School (as part of Atkinson Secure Children’s Home).

Details of premises or facilities to be provided to a person who is given access

The Atkinson School (as part of Atkinson Secure Children’s Home) will provide an appropriate room or assembly hall to be agreed. All rooms have computers, projectors and screens provided. Computer rooms can also be arranged.

The Internal Careers Leader or Careers Adviser will organise this, working closely with the provider to ensure the facilities are appropriate to the audience. Appropriate safeguarding checks will be carried out. Providers will be met and supervised by a member of the Careers Team who will facilitate.

Live or virtual encounters

The Atkinson School (as part of Atkinson Secure Children’s Home) will consider live online encounters with providers where requested and appropriate, and these may be broadcast into classrooms or the school assembly hall. Technology checks in advance will be required to ensure compatibility of systems.

Parents and carers

Parent or carer involvement is encouraged, and parents or carers may be invited to attend the events to meet the providers where this is appropriate.

Management

The Internal Careers Leader coordinates all provider requests and is responsible to his/her senior management line manager.

Complaints procedure

Any complaints about this policy should be raised to Marc Herbert. Email atkinsonunit-mailbox@devon.gov.uk. Marc Herbert will raise the complaint to Helen Bowkett, Registered Manager at The Atkinson Secure Children’s Home.

Monitoring review and evaluation

The policy is monitored and evaluated annually via the head of education, internal careers lead and Management Team.

Policy coordinator: Marc Herbert

Policy reviewed: October 2024

Appendix

Providers who have been invited into The Atkinson School (as part of Atkinson Secure Children’s Home) to date include:

  • Bales Buddies.
  • Hair@TheAcademy.
  • Dartmoor Rangers.

Due to the nature of the provision, we are unable to share the information of our young people’s destinations.


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