We offer pupils from Year 7 to Year 11 an alternative provision to mainstream education for varying periods of time and for a variety of different reasons. We have a highly skilled team of staff who support pupils in recognising and overcoming their barriers to learning. We pride ourselves in developing pupils in all areas of their education.

Our aim is to help pupils and their referring schools, to find strategies that work, in order to return to mainstream education as quickly as possible, or to find the ideal specialist settings for pupils with more complex learning needs. We can support pupils and schools with the Educational and Health Care Plan (EHCP) process and have an excellent rate of success in EHCP applications.

Key Stage 3

In Key Stage 3 at St Thomas’s Centre, we support those learners who are struggling to access their education in a mainstream environment, for a variety of reasons. Years 7, 8 and 9 have access to a broad and balanced curriculum, allowing pupils to develop skills and knowledge across a wide range of subjects. All our schemes of learning support social, emotional or mental health difficulties as well as the core academic subjects. Pupils will also attend offsite education provisions one day a week where they will experience alternative learning experiences outside of the classroom. On most occasions our plan is for students to be here for a short period of time with a return to mainstream the ultimate goal, following intervention to meet the needs of the student.

Key Stage 4

ln Key Stage 4 at St Thomas’s Centre, we provide an alternative education to pupils from Year 10 and 11 for whom mainstream education is difficult. We cater for students with social, emotional or mental health difficulties. In addition to a core curriculum of English, Maths, Science and ICT, pupils specialise in subjects (both academic and vocational) which will provide them with a springboard to further education, employment and training. Pupils can have the opportunity to gain valuable work experience and our on-site careers teacher ensures all pupils are given the best options for further education, training or employment after they leave us.

Options for 2024-25

For 2024-25 we have written an ambitious curriculum for our KS4 students that offers them a broader range of option choices.

Year 10 students will be able to select 3 options from the following blocks:

	Block 1	Block 2	Block 3
Option A	ICT	RE	Food
Option B	Art	Health & Social	Media Studies
Option C	PE	Princes Trust	Travel & Tourism

 

Year 11 students will be able to select 3 options from the following blocks:

	Block 1	Block 2	Block 3
Option A	ICT	History/RE*	Food
Option B	Art	Princes Trust	Travel & Tourism
Option C	PE

*This year pupils at our Hawthorn site will study History, those at Lambeth will study RE

There is also an opportunity for Year 11 students to attend a vocational provision or to do work experience on a Wednesday. This will be agreed on an individual basis. We currently offer the following vocational provisions:

• Construction at Preston Vocational Centre
• Motor Vehicle Engineering at 4 Tech Moto
• Digital Music Production at We Are Noise