Victory Park - Early years and education

Victory Park Academy (VPA) has capacity for up to 75 learners who have experienced difficulties with their learning and behaviour in mainstream school. Our learners are either at risk of being permanently excluded or have been permanently excluded. The great majority of learners have a history of disruptive education in mainstream schools with frequent fixed term exclusions. 

Our vision is to support our young people to access and to continue in education, in an aspirational learning community that strive to enhance the life chances of its students, enabling them to compete with their peers for further/education/training places or employment.

Victory Park Academy (PLT Southend) offer a range of services including: 

• Medical Tuition
• Outreach service
• Alternative Provision KS4 
• Alternative Provision KS3 
• AP Primary and 
• Primary Nurture

The Outreach Team

PLT Southend Academies Outreach offers:

• Intensive support specific to identified needs.
• Observations of pupils in class/playground settings.
• Initial assessment meetings with key professionals, class teachers, SENCOs and Head Teachers to discuss pupils’ needs.
• One to one support, group/pair work, observation advice and staff support
• Reports to schools, following outreach visit including, for example, actions/recommendations for the school. Strategies relating to agreed targets.
• Support with behaviour management strategies including feedback, modelling good practice, and LSA support.
• Specialist support for NQTs
• Priority given to children at risk of permanent exclusion, pupils with a history of exclusions and LAC pupils
• Bespoke whole school, leadership, SENCO or LSA training developed in partnership with the school to meet needs
• Re-integration of pupils into mainstream settings
• Transition support
• Managed Move support and advice
• Fair Access Panel representation and support for schools and pupils placed via FAP

If you wish to contact this service for a referral form or to discuss an individual case please email us.

Individual (Medical) Tuition Service

Schools are reminded that any pupil meeting the criteria as set out below, may be eligible to access individual or group tuition during periods of illness. 

• Expected to be absent from school for at least 15 days (consecutive or cumulative for the same medical condition and Long term conditions such as Cystic Fibrosis, who may experience recurring absences should be referred to the service.
• Must live at a Southend address. 
• Be of compulsory school age (5-18yrs)
• Be subject to a medical care plan with the NHS, including the Emotional Health and Wellbeing Service. 
• During pregnancy, tuition can be provided from 6 weeks before the due date and is provided for a maximum of 13 weeks. 

For more information please contact Jenny Finch at PLT Southend Campus on 01702 347490 or jfinch@victorypark.org

Harbour Development Centre 

The Harbour Development Centre Follow the Six Principles of Nurture:

1. Children’s learning is understood developmentally
2. The classroom offers a safe base
3. The importance of nurture for the development of wellbeing
4. Language is a vital means of communication
5. All behaviour is communication
6. The importance of transition is children’s lives

The Harbour Development Centre (HDC) provides a safe and nurturing environment for students who are displaying attachment related issues. The centre provides a 12 week intense support package, for the family, school and student. 

Students are taught in an environment with a high adult: student ratio, with up to nine students and three adults. Activities and Resources are available that will enhance children’s learning including literacy and numeracy skills. The ethos and environment is therapeutic to enhance children’s developmental, cognitive, social and emotional skills. 

The HDC recognises that all children are at different stages and differentiate the learning to meet the needs of individuals. The curriculum is modified to enable children to engage and achieve at their appropriate developmental level. Through small group work and highly differentiated activities children are supported to develop a resilience and independence to both academic and social situations. Students Literacy and numeracy skills are developed in small group or 1:1 situations to overcome barriers.

Students’ progress is tracked using the government approved bands and steps accordingly, which reflect individual student’s achievements. Social and Emotional development is recorded using the Boxall Profile and the PLT development tool ‘Sleuth’. 

Students maintain their contact with their mainstream provider by attending there one day each week with some support from an Outreach worker from the HDC. Staff from the HDC also provide written feedback each week regarding the child’s progress. Staff including learning mentors, LSA’s and class teachers are encouraged to visit their pupil at the HDC to enhance the link between both settings. 

Individual Support Plan targets and outcomes are agreed with the mainstream school, prior to a student starting at the Harbour. Parents are encouraged to visit before the child starts and targets are discussed then. Parents are also encouraged to visit the centre, so their child has the opportunity to share their progress and successes.

Key indicators for the HDC include:

• Improvement in School Attendance
• Students successful return to full time mainstream education
• Successful transition to another specialist provision
• Reduction in exclusions both fixed and permanent 

The staff at the Harbour track pupils who have attended and have successfully completed their transition back into full time mainstream education at their home school. Ongoing Outreach support is offered to students when they return to mainstream.

Any referral to the HDC should be made will full parental consent using the appropriate referral forms and returned to either Tracy Wilson on twilson@victorypark.org.uk or Katie Blight on kblight@victorypark.org.uk.

AP Primary and AP KS3

The Primary and KS3 programme is a 6 to 12 week intervention for pupils who may be experiencing social, emotional or mental health difficulties, possibly received a fixed term exclusions or at risk of permanent exclusion. The length of intervention will depend upon the level of need and subsequent progress made at Victory Park Academy. The expectation is that all pupils will return to their referring school. 

A referral can be made, with full parental support, to Victory Park in consultation with the Behaviour Outreach team or directly to Victory Park Academy. There will need to be a meeting between the pupil, parent/carer, representative from the referring school and a senior member of staff from Victory Park Academy. 

The pupil will have a one week induction before their preventative programme begins. There is an expectation that at the initial meeting the students, parent/carer and school representative will sign the referral form which will clearly state that the pupil will be returning to the home school unless an alternative mainstream school is proposed. Dates for reviews and targets for the pupil’s Individual Support Plans are set. 

The criteria for a referral is as follows: 

• Referrals to the Preventative Pathways for individual pupils of compulsory school age will come from the pupil’s home school. 
• The pupil remains on the roll of the home school.
• The Victory Park Academy will expect schools to complete referral documentation, including a risk assessment, and provide detailed information about the pupil and the family prior to admission. 
• There is an expectation that the school would have sought advice and support from Early Help Family Support prior to referral to Victory Park Academy. 
• Reintegration planning, monitoring and a period of effective support from Victory Park Outreach staff should take place following the pupils return to school.(An example monitoring period could be 6 to 12 weeks)
• There is an expectation that the referring school will make regular visits to Victory Park to meet with the pupil to monitor progress.
• Following a successful preventative programme there will be a tailored reintegration plan
• Whilst attending Victory Park the pupil will wear Victory Park school uniform. 

To make a referral please contact as below:
Tracy Jones (Behaviour Outreach) on tjones@victorypark.org.uk
Tracey Wilson (In take Administration Officer for Victory Park) on twilson@victorypark.org.uk

AP KS4

Victory Park Academy (VPA) has three Key Stage 4 provisions for 45 pupils. The North Road site. Bridges provision for pupils with extreme SEMH and Horizons for vulnerable/medical/School refusers. A number of students have programmes that take place 'off site' at a variety of providers/venues around Southend and Essex.

When students first start at Victory Park Academy, they undergo a period of induction whilst we assess their needs and prepare an appropriate tailored programme of support. This includes putting together a personalised timetable, which will ensure each student can make the progress needed to succeed at either at VPA, in their next school or in further education or employment. We also work closely with students and their families to ensure we all set aspirational academic targets in order to gain the necessary accreditation required for their next steps. The main aim of all our Key stage 4 programmes is to enable students to be best prepared for their successful move into the world of training, further education or work-related-learning. 

Curriculum

All students are offered the opportunity to achieve up to eight Level 1/ 2 qualifications.

We aim for all our students to:

• Gain accreditation in our core subjects of GCSE Maths and English. Science, Wellbeing, ICT and Preparation for Working Life.
• Gain accreditation in Option subjects including PE, Art and Health and Social Care.
• Have a long-term Work Experience placement and access to Information, Advice and Guidance around career/further education options
• Acquire Technical/Vocational qualifications in Hair and Beauty, Mechanics and Food Technology.

info@victorypark.org.uk

https://victorypark.org.uk/

Victory Park Academy
Wentworth Road
Southend on Sea
SS2 5LG

 Please contact the school direct for more information.