Our curriculum reflects the four pathways of the Preparing for Adulthood Agenda. This supports our learners with personal development, helping them to move towards their desired outcomes and destinations post College. Our curriculum reflects the four pathways of the Preparing for Adulthood Agenda. This supports our learners with personal development, helping them to move towards their desired outcomes and destinations post College.
Employment
All learners are assessed for their employment strengths and interests. This enables teachers and our on-site employment specialists to work on the skills each learner will need to thrive on their vocational pathway and source appropriate work experience placements.
Independent living
We recognise that being able to complete tasks for yourself enhances your quality of life. Independent Living Skills (ILS) sessions focus on both household skills and daily living skills. Learners are encouraged to do as much as possible for themselves and safely reducing support is always a focus.
Better health
Learners on each course have the opportunity to access our Independent Living Skills kitchens, which mirror a domestic kitchen. All groups learn how to prepare simple, healthy snacks and small meals to support their physical wellbeing.
Friends, relationships, and community
Through social communication sessions, we recognise and encourage peer friendships. Learning in the community is an important part of making learning meaningful and functional, so community trips integrate functional Maths and English as well as social interaction and a chance to practice road safety skills.
All our learners have a 'North Star' destination plan which informs target setting alongside their Education, Health and Care (EHC) plan and initial assessments. With a concrete destination in mind, we can ensure that targets are meaningful from the start of a young person’s time with us and that everything they learn will prepare them for life post Ambitious College.
Employability and enterprise
We want autistic children and young people to be themselves and realise their ambitions. This is the overarching premise for our Time for Ambition strategy which sets out that over the next three years, we will continue to build on our core expertise in education and employability while engaging more than ever before in the other areas that are essential for autistic children and young people to lead fulfilling lives, such as having supportive families and relationships, good health and wellbeing and being active citizens in their communities.
An employability and enterprise curriculum and approach are at the core of supporting a fulfilling quality of life. Our overarching Ambitious College employability and enterprise strategy sets out how over the next three years we will continue to align with our Time for Ambition strategy, develop an aspirational curriculum and meet the Gatsby Benchmarks.
All learners have access to impartial advice and guidance from a range of training providers and education/employment pathways. You can find out more about access arrangements in our Provider Access policy. Our learners also take part in work experience, either internally or externally to the college. Our work experience statement outlines the process of how this takes place with a host employer.
Check out this visual resource which illustrates the Employability and Enterprise Journey for our learners at Ambitious College. This resource demonstrates the personalised careers education we offer, where learners can develop their employability and independence to achieve their outcomes, as appropriate to them and their aspirations
Contact us
Feel free to contact the Employability and Enterprise lead at Ambitious College:
Employability Lead (Ambitious about Autism)
Henrietta Valler-Still: hvaller-still@ambitiousaboutautism.org.uk
