Trafford and Stockport College Group Local Offer
As part of the Children’s and Families Act, a SEND Local Offer is a requirement for schools, colleges and local authorities to publish the provision available to children and young people with special educational needs (SEN) or disabilities.
At Trafford and Stockport College Group we are committed to meeting the needs of all our students. Our offer describes how we support the special educational needs and disabilities of young people and adults.
Trafford and Stockport College Group consists of:
This local offer relates to all colleges and all campuses, including subcontractors, employers and partners.
It is important to tell us about your needs as soon as possible so that we can plan your support. You can do this in many ways:
We understand that coming to college can be a new challenge for some students.
The Transition Co-ordinators work closely with schools and partner agencies so that we can plan transition to college at the earliest opportunity. Transition Co-ordinators attend Year 11 reviews in order to support the EHCP review process and identify how we can support your needs at college.
Transition Co-ordinators will work with you to put together the transition support programme you need. This may include meeting with you at school reviews, arranging personalised visits to college and supporting you at interview to ensure everything is in place from your first day with us.
If you are unsure about your choice of course, you could attend our College Ready Programmes, which are held in early July. The programme provides a great opportunity for you to gain further information about courses that interest you, the elements that make up our study programmes, our wide range of pastoral and study support and our fantastic campus facilities.
Trafford and Stockport College Group has an inclusive approach and setting, working in partnership with students, their parents/carers and teaching and support teams to remove barriers to learning. This ensures everyone can participate successfully, achieve their learning goals and maximise their potential.
As part of our application, interview and assessment procedures, we will endeavour to enroll you on the most appropriate course of study. If you have an EHCP, we will be consulted on whether we have the right curriculum for you and can meet your support needs.
When students start at college, information regarding the student’s individual learning requirements is summarised and with learner agreement, this is shared with all relevant staff involved with the student. This will give details of equipment used, special exam requirements and teaching considerations that need to be made by classroom teachers to ensure that specific needs are met through quality, differentiated teaching and learning strategies in the classroom.
All teachers plan for individual needs. All students have an ILP for English & math’s. Students set SMART targets with support from their Personal Tutor.
The Trafford and Stockport College Group believe that everyone should have the chance to achieve their very best, therefore, Progression Curriculum provides an inclusive, accessible and ambitious Foundation level offer, putting the individual student at the heart of the department. Our aim is to provide a genuinely supportive learning environment where happy and confident young people can maximise their own potential. Specialist SEND teachers and learning facilitators work collaboratively creating inclusivity, supporting a person led approach.
We are committed to everyone being included in learning, we plan and deliver a curriculum that is adapted to overcome the needs of individuals, so they are well equipped for their next steps. Courses embed independence, resilience and employability skills to enable our learners to secure positive and meaningful progression and include Stepping Stone and GCSE English and maths qualifications to allow learners to progress at an appropriate level for their needs.
Progression Curriculum includes:
Our Foundation programmes are available at Entry 2, 3 and Level 1, aimed at young people who have SEN, been disengaged from learning, underachieving or unsure about their study choices. Learners will be introduced to vocational and employability skills alongside English, maths, digital literacy and citizenship. Learners will take part in a carousel of vocational tasters including motor vehicle, sport, hair and beauty, art and design, catering and bakery supporting career aspirations. In addition, a multi-skills course is offered within the Construction curriculum area of the college. Enterprise skills and work experience form an integral part of these programmes and all learners will complete a journey to employment during induction, planning their career progression route. Successful students will progress to further study in the wider college, an apprenticeship programme or employment.
The Choices curriculum is based at Cheadle campus and offers specialist Entry provision, at levels 1, 2 and 3 and a Level 1 programme to support transition into further study These programmes support learners with special educational needs and disabilities to achieve a range of bespoke qualifications, including stepping-stone maths and English, life and employability skills, work related learning, community projects and work experience. Successful students will have the opportunity to progress to a Pre-Supported Internship, work and/or volunteering.
Our Pre-Supported Internships are in partnership with Pure Innovations, providing a college-based internship for young people with an EHCP, who are not quite ready for an off-site internship. This course supports the development of employability skills, alongside work experience placements. The aim of the internship is to develop independence and confidence alongside personal and social skills. We arrange job placements based in the college, supported by a job coach who will help facilitate the learning of new skills and experiences. Successful students will have the opportunity to apply for a place on the Supported Internship.
Our Supported Internships are in partnership with Pure Innovations and are based off site at Stepping Hill Hospital, Trafford General Hospital, Trafford Local Authority, Amazon MAN1 and HMRC Manchester. These internships provide a unique opportunity for young people with an EHCP to enhance their employability skills in a real working environment. This one-year pre-employment course is based at the host employer’s premises, where students study employability skills alongside three placements (one job each term).. We organise job placements and provide support from a job coach and employment officer facilitating the learning of new skills and experiences, with the ultimate aim of finding paid employment at the end of the course. Interns are treated as an equal in the workplace, which shows that they are valued members of the workforce.
Step into Learning is designed for young people who are undecided about their future career and don’t feel ready to access a full-time course or have SEN and require support to enter the world of work. This introductory course will also support young people who have been disengaged from learning to attend college, helping to remove barriers to participation in education and re-integrate into a learning setting. Our short course is based around developing young people through a supportive coaching model, this will help to motivate and empower them through a range of activity-based projects. Learning will be planned around individual needs, interests and aspirations. Many of the activities will be learner led to help build confidence, improve self-awareness and evaluate strengths, skills and performance. We will help to identify opportunities for change and development to create plans and set future goals.
This programme is for young people who are unable to access learning fully on site due to health issues and this mixed delivery programme will help to overcome barriers to learning with the aim to support into onsite learning. The programme is aimed to support young people to build the confidence and ability to gradually attend campus-based sessions. Students will study Entry 3 or Level 1 Skills for Learning and Employment, GCSE maths and English, alongside the opportunity to come on site and attend vocational tasters. The curriculum is planned to coincide with parallel on-site courses to offer a blended approach, allowing young people to attend in person sessions when they feel confident to do so and over time and attend college to complete their studies.
Trafford and Stockport College Group provides a wide range of study programmes at Levels 1, 2 and 3.
All young people enrolling on a full-time course at Trafford and Stockport College Group will be placed on an appropriate study programme. The level of study offered is dependent on specific academic entry requirements. (Please refer to individual course entry details for each programme’s specific requirements).
The study programme will consist of the following key elements:
All the above components are compulsory.
Apprenticeships give young people the opportunity to work and study at the same time. There are entry requirements, and you need to be ‘work-ready’. For more details on Apprenticeships, phone 0161 886 7461 or email apprenticeships@TSCG.ac.uk.
The University Centre offers a wide range of courses for school leavers and adults looking to learn new skills to enhance their careers, people in the community interested in leisure courses, and those looking to return to work. Our courses include technical and professional courses, A Levels, degree level courses and Apprenticeships in Greater Manchester.
We will use our best endeavours to put appropriate learning support in place to meet students’ educational needs, including those without Education, Health and Care Plans.
Before support is put in place, we will carry out an initial assessment of students who have disclosed an additional need. This may be followed up with an observational assessment carried out in the classroom. We may also ask if we can contact your previous provider for information from them.
If you have an EHCP, we will work with you, and external agencies if required, to ensure you are supported towards the short-term targets and longer-term outcomes. We will coordinate your annual review where progress towards outcomes set is reviewed, any amendments to plans made, and the support provided in college is considered to make sure that you are being supported in the best possible way to help you achieve. These will adopt a multi-agency approach, and all professionals working to meet the requirements of the plan will be invited.
Support will be reviewed regularly, taking into account your individual progress and any changes to your ambitions and aspirations, which may lead to changes in the type and level of support.
All staff receive safeguarding training to deal with student disclosures. We also have a dedicated team of specialist Safeguarding Officers who receive further training to handle disclosures professionally by involving relevant community partners to support young people at risk of harm to themselves or others.
We have a safeguarding hub, which is accessible through the college intranet page. It provides further information, advice and guidance for all members of the college community.
Students can make a safeguarding referral remotely by scanning the QR code on the back of their ID badge and a member of the safeguarding team will receive and oversee the disclosure.
All students receive safeguarding and Prevent training as part of the tutorial programme.
Anyone can email safeguarding@tscg.ac.uk to make a disclosure or to receive advice and guidance.
Whilst at college all learners are entitled to apply for a bursary. The bursary provides financial support to help you remain in education; this may include travel, equipment, trips and meals. Application forms and guidelines are available in the Learner Support Funds can be collected from Learner Services.
Once you have completed and submitted your application form it will be assessed by our Finance Officers and you will receive a letter detailing your bespoke finance offer.
Subject to submission of your bursary application form you can apply for a digital device to support your studies.
The College aims to provide impartial careers information, advice and guidance to all students, including potential and exiting students. Students on study programmes also partake in high quality careers education, including meaningful encounters with employers and access to work experience placements.
Our Careers Education, Advice and Guidance offer follows the 8 Gatsby Benchmarks, which are:
All students have access to a highly experienced team of Level 6 qualified Careers Advisors, who are available throughout the year to assist with career planning and progression into further learning within FE or HE.
Our Careers Advisors also provide guidance relating to UCAS applications and personal statements, job seeking strategies such as curriculum vitae (CV) and application forms, interview techniques and presentation skills. The Careers team also make referrals to specialist agencies/providers as and when appropriate.
Trafford and Stockport College Group offers a comprehensive enrichment programme for its students which includes:
Trafford and Stockport College Group is committed to compliance with the Building Regulations and Disability Discrimination Act (accessibility). All current buildings are assessed with regard to accessibility for disabled learners and a range of options considered leading to best solutions being implemented that meet individual need. New buildings and building alterations will be fully compliant in relation to inclusivity and access.
The following are available for students:
Trafford and Stockport College Group believe strongly in Relational, Attachment Aware and Trauma Informed (AATI) practice, which is at the heart of everything we do. This is embedded within our college values, and we ask that all members of the college community follow and promote them. We believe that if we collaboratively follow these values, they encourage us to be our best self and achieve our potential.
We see behaviour as a form of communication; to understand it is not to condone it, so we challenge ourselves to understand and meet the need the behaviour communicates, including the need for clear boundaries and support to face mistakes and repair them, build confidence and self-regulation.
Our college is a safe, inclusive, welcoming place. We don’t use a rigid hierarchy of escalating punishments but acknowledge that all actions have consequences. We define consequences as the natural and logical responses to actions. Our Learner Improvement Process and Relational Conduct Review systems are collaborative and intended to promote positive behavioural change. If a student with additional needs enters the Learner Improvement Process the Inclusion and Pastoral teams (where appropriate) will attend meetings to support with implementing relevant interventions, target setting and review; the same is relevant for instances of gross misconduct (see Student Relational Support Policy and Student Suspension Procedure for further details).
Our “Working Collaboratively with Students Agreement” highlights our values which encourage students to be their best self and achieve their potential.
All members of the college community have access to our Relational, Attachment Aware and Trauma Informed training site.
Trafford and Stockport College Group has a focus on continuous improvement and the views of both students, and their parents are highly valued.
Formal reports and Parents Evenings are provided throughout the year. However, parents are welcome to contact the College at any point. Trafford and Stockport College Group is committed to working with parents/carers and provides many opportunities to meet staff throughout the year. These include Open Events, Welcome Evenings, Parents’ Evenings and Award Events.
Feedback is requested at all events in order that the service to parents / carers can be continually improved.
Online surveys focus groups and representative groups are planned into each College year and feedback is compared to previous years to identify areas for improvement.
Our “Working Collaboratively with Parents Agreement” highlights our values which encourage parents to support their child to be their best self and achieve their potential.
There may be occasions when we need to carry out a risk assessment before an offer of a course and support can be made. This may be because there is evidence that there may be a risk to you or others at college due to additional support needs.
If required, a risk assessment will be carried out by the Director of Curriculum – SEND and Inclusion with all relevant information and signed off by the Executive Leadership Team prior to a decision being made. It is important that you share as much information as possible with us so that a fair decision can be made.
Our dedicated Learning Support Team will work with you to design a personalised support package. We also work with partner agencies to ensure you can access the help you need.
This could include any of the following:
We have a highly qualified team of Specialist Assessors to support students who have, or think they have, a Specific Learning Difficulty, e.g. Dyslexia. The team will carry out specialist assessments to design and deliver a personalised 1:1 support programme – giving you a variety of different skills to try out in lessons.
If you require other specialist services e.g. Speech and Language Therapy, Sensory Support, we will work with local agencies to arrange a support package for you.
Arrangements in the form of extra time, a reader, scribe, use of a laptop, bilingual dictionaries, separate room, rest breaks, enlarged or modified papers, transcript, prompter, oral language modifier and practical assistant may be required by individual students during assessments and examinations.
Up to date documentary evidence is required in each case. The College will liaise with school or previous educational provider to gather previous evidence and reassess if needed.
Students requiring access arrangements should submit the evidence required to the Learning Support Team as early in the academic year as possible.
Confirmation of arrangements will be sent to students once the relevant evidence is in place and the arrangement applied for has been agreed. Students will be expected to provide further evidence throughout the academic year that the arrangement agreed is their usual way of working.
At College, we embrace the opportunities that technology can bring to your studies and encourage you to use it wherever possible. The College has a range of assistive software available for all students which may include:
We can also lend you equipment such as laptops and digital voice recorders, or even better, show you how to make the most of your own kit.
We do not have on-site College nurses. However, we have access to trained staff to offer personal care support.
The College records any medical needs during the enrolment process and you are encouraged to tell us about your medical needs on the enrolment form, or when you first apply for a course. This enables your Tutors and Inclusion staff to be aware of your medical needs.
Care plans and/or risk assessments will be written as required, and support can be provided to minimise any potential disruption to learning. We liaise with medical professionals and training is given to key staff members working with the learner in relation to supporting their medical needs.
Some students may need to take specific medication during the college day and this should be discussed at enrolment and suitable arrangements will then be made regarding the procedures to use in college in order to do this. We can offer storage for medication if you are able to administer this yourself.
We have some personal care facilities should you wish to use them and access care from an external agency. We will need to assess whether the facilities meet your needs and plan this with you and your personal care provider.
We will work with you to support you to be as independent as possible at college to prepare you for employment and independent living. The Inclusion Team will set SMART targets which relates specifically to your support and any barriers you are experiencing to enable you to develop your skills and abilities.
You will have opportunities to take part in work experience placements, trips and visits. Support will be offered as identified in your EHCP or support plan.
The College holds regular careers events to help you plan your progression in college, or beyond to higher education or employment.