FE College
BSL
Text
The college provides a wide variety of courses for students aged 16-24. Students of all abilities are catered for, with students leaving to go on to Higher Education, employment or supported living projects. With over 80 students in the FE College, the college is a real deaf community, enabling students to develop socially and emotionally as well as educationally. The principal courses are:
- Personal Achievement & Communication course (PAC)
This course is designed for deaf students with learning difficulties and is accredited by the Open College Network. It is delivered at the Academy, with frequent visits and off-site activities in order to enable students to feel more confident in the wider world. It focuses on developing core skills and independence. The first PAC course has three units: foundation work practices, interpersonal communication and numeracy. The second PAC course includes units on food hygiene and safety, hospitality, safe working practices in gardening and horticulture, product knowledge in garden and horticulture, hygiene in the home and safe use of appliances in the home. - Personal Independence & Choices course
This is a transition course for students who are new to the Academy and prepares them with the skills to take part in courses at our mainstream colleges. The course focuses on getting to know the college, developing their independence skills, learning more about their strengths and weaknesses, teamwork and interpersonal skills and money management. The course also includes taster sessions on different courses in different colleges, so students can try before they buy! - General Further Education College partnerships
With a large team of Communication Support Workers, and support from Teachers of the Deaf, students are able to access courses in local colleges. Tutorials are given in addition to the classes to reinforce the learning within the mainstream lessons. This offers a graduated experience of learning within a hearing environment, giving students the support and skills they need to succeed within this environment. Students will then typically move on to higher education or employment. All students participate in work experience and have regular meetings and support from our Work Related Learning Co-ordinator and our specialist Connexions Personal Advisor who makes links with the student’s home area.