To engage, motivate and inspire young people
Who are struggling today
Towards brighter futures
Through holistic learning programmes
Today for a health tomorrow
School location: King George V Playing Fields, Blacon Avenue, Blacon, Chester, CH1 5BD
Tel: 01244 371716 or 01244 382639.
Vocational Training Centre: Maitland Way, Blacon, Chester CH1 5QY
Postal Address: BYPP, Blacon Community Trust, Dee Point Centre, Blacon Point Road, Blacon, Chester CH1 5NF.
Building Young People’s Potential exists to support young people whose needs for a variety of reasons, are not being met within mainstream settings. BYPP provides tailor made programmes for young people age 14 – 19. This includes vocational training with embedded literacy, numeracy, ICT and personal and social development. We aim to provide high levels of support, care and intervention to break down barriers to learning, create a positive sense of belonging and to inspire young people with a love of learning and discovery. We encourage young people to become valued and valuing members of their community.
Building Young Peoples’ Potential has been delivering educational and developmental programmes and services to young people from Blacon and surrounding areas since 1993. We are now an OFSTED inspected, fully established Independent Special School. Our Ofsted inspection in 2011 found that we provide a “family atmosphere with a sense of belonging, and an environment to re-engage young people in learning.”
Our programmes give young people aged 14 -19, facing multiple disadvantage, direct access on to a range of educational programmes which consists of the three core strands of the foundation learning tier. These various elements support individuals in raising aspirations, achievement and addressing any issues that currently form barriers to success. Our most recent OFSTED inspection found that “The teaching and the good quality of relationships are successful in enabling students to re-engage with learning, to achieve well and to begin to value education.”
These programmes are offered on a full and part time basis in catering, construction, environmental work, hair and beauty, childcare and business admin with embedded PSD, numeracy, ICT and literacy. There are opportunities to learn sector specific skills and experience work-based learning within our small social enterprises. “A distinctive feature of the school’s curriculum is the range of vocational courses offered. These provide students with opportunities to acquire functional skills in context.” (Ofsted 2011)
Our social enterprises provide opportunities for young people to participate in professional service, providing an ideal atmosphere for vocational development within the supportive learning environment with which they are familiar. Importantly it offers the opportunity to understand the correlation between hard work and reward: profits fund fun activities for learners.
Our programmes include:
Alternative Curriculum (Key Stage 4 - 14 – 16 years):
A full time education programme for young people, excluded from, at risk of exclusion from or who have not benefitted from mainstream education. We see an increasing number of referrals each year and a reduction in those permanently excluded over recent years as we are now seen as a positive KS4 option. BYPP has been delivering this programme since 2002. The quality of provision has been acknowledged by the Dfes through OFSTED inspections as a model of good practice. This programme offers a broad curriculum and has a strong emphasis on behaviour management and holistic development and support as an essential step in acquiring the skills to learn and to live successfully in adult life.
STREET (Key Stage 4 – 14-16 years):
A part time provisions for Key Stage 4 pupils with an emphasis on vocational skills, fun and re-engaging young people into the learning process. This programme has been running successfully for a number of years and we have seen an increasing number of referrals each year. Due to the range of QCF qualifications we can now offer, we can be seen as a positive option for those pupils in Year 9 transition.
Foundation Learning (Post 16 – 16-19 years):
A programme for Post-16 learners who want to choose a vocational area to concentrate on, alongside opportunities to improve on English, Maths and ICT, employability skills and to think seriously about personal, social and health issues that can impact on adult life. Our suite of qualifications is QCF recognised and on the Foundation Learning Tier and the programmes are run in partnership with West Cheshire College and YMCA Training.
Young Parents:
We offer young parents (14-19) the opportunity to learn alongside other young people and prepare themselves for adult life and the workplace. Specific times are set aside to support and address parenting skills and there are childcare facilities provided by KCC at the Dee Point site.
One to one:
We understand the value of developing one to one, trusting relationships with young people and offer a variety of interventions -. Counselling, befriending, mentoring and relaxation.
For more information please contact Sylvia Hughes 01244 382639
