PSHE (Personal, Social, Health Education) 

The Beacon College has a comprehensive PSHE programme of study. As students make the transition into post-16 education it will become more important to enable them to have broader opportunities to apply previously taught skills and newly learned skills to functional contexts. This reflects the fact that the students are young adults who will require structured opportunities to enhance their personal independence as they move towards adulthood. This approach will be applied to all aspects of the PSHE curriculum.  

The core themes within our PSHE curriculum are Health and Wellbeing (blue in table below), Relationships (orange in table below), and Living in the Wider World (purple in table below). PSHE topics are taught for a 6 week block every term and alternate with RSE topics. Objectives have been adapted from the PSHE Association to ensure coverage of key learning and adapted to the needs of the students.  

RSE (Relationship and Sex Education) 

The Beacon College has a planned RSE programme of study and where necessary, individual programmes will be delivered to address certain specific needs and adapted to the needs of the individual students. The programme is regularly reviewed and updated and has been adapted from the PSHE Association curriculum guidance.  

The specialist curriculum is used for the support group and appropriate RSE resources will be used according to the students’ developmental age.  

RSE topics are taught for a 6 week block every term and alternate with RSE topics. Interventions will run for as long as they are deemed fit and relevant. Some students will have RSE Personal Learning Goals. RSE lessons and interventions will be based on the needs of the individual.  

PSHE and RSE Overview 

Careers

The Careers programme is a central part of the Beacon College Curriculum, and we are committed to increasing the possibility and probability of paid work for our young people, and also their ability to successfully complete that paid employment. 

Please follow the link below to learn more about our Careers at the Beacon College.

Work Experience 

All students at the Beacon College have the opportunity to participate in work experience placements throughout their time at college. We aim to give our young people the opportunity to develop their career choices, get a taste of different work, and develop the critical employability skills needed for real working conditions. 

Please follow the link below to learn more about our fantastic Work Experience opportunities. 

Please follow the link below if you are an employer and would like to find out more information about work experience at the Beacon College. 

Enterprise/Voluntary Projects:

Every student at the Beacon College has the opportunity to participate in Enterprise or voluntary projects.  

When participating in a project, students apply the functional skills they are taught in college. These invaluable opportunities enable students at the Beacon to develop their organisational and teamwork skills as well as making an important contribution to our college and local community.  

Enterprise/Voluntary Project ideas: 

Healthy Minds 

Healthy Minds is taught as part of the Tutor programme at The Beacon College but is also a pivotal part of the day to promote the health and wellbeing of all students at the college. Students are taught ways to recognise and communicate how they are feeling and given the opportunity to develop strategies to regulate their emotions. All tutor groups use a daily check-in board to enable the students to communicate how they are feeling at different times throughout the day.  

During Healthy Minds sessions students have the opportunity to develop emotional resilience, growth mindset, to develop strategies communicate feelings and emotions, to practice mindfulness activities (including Mindfulness through Breath, Mindfulness through Sensory Experiences, Mindfulness through Guided Imagery and Mindfulness through Movement) and to learn where they can go to ask for help and seek advice. The healthy minds learning complements the comprehensive PSHE and RSE curriculum.  

Food Technology 

At the Beacon College we recognise that being able to cook meals is a vital life skill for our students. Not only does it promote independence, but it is also extremely beneficial in terms of health and wellbeing. We aim to give our learners the knowledge, skills, and confidence to enjoy cooking meals at home. We will also support the students to gain understanding of how to economise when planning meals to cook at home. In addition, Food Technology lessons provide a rich context in which to apply functional skills. Although health and safety in the kitchen and food hygiene are taught as part of the Food Technology lesson, students have the opportunity to complete a Food hygiene certificate as part of the optional Science and Technology options. 

Students participate in one Food Technology lesson a week. The curriculum is mapped using a combination of the national curriculum and also the objectives outlined in the Home Cooking Skills BTEC module. Students are taught skills, knowledge and understanding through the following learning threads: 

Weighing and measuring 

Food preparation 

Mixing and combining 

Shaping and assembling 

Heating 

Serving and garnishing 

Healthy eating 

Consumer awareness 

Food safety and hygiene 

Recipes and ingredients