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Post 16 Provision Information
“Sixth-form provision is good. Leaders build every pupil a very personalised curriculum. As pupils get older, they have more frequent opportunities to go off site and apply the life skills that they have been learning, for example by helping to run the school’s off-site café.” Ofsted
Our Post 16 provision creates a highly personalised curriculum that prepares students for adulthood.
The strong focus on careers, community engagement, and practical life skills ensures that students leave Nexus with confidence and independence. The breadth of opportunities, from enterprise projects to work placements, reflects our commitment to real-world learning and aspirational outcomes.
Pathway: Discover and Explore
Introduction:
This pathway supports pupils with Severe Learning Difficulties (SLD), often alongside Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and associated challenges. Many students also experience difficulties with mobility, coordination, communication, and self-help tasks. The emphasis in Post 16 is to build confidence and independence, ensuring a smooth transition to Post 19 provisions, supported living, or social care providers.
Key Features:
- Community Access: Regular visits to local facilities, including our external café, Haysden lakes, and The local High Street.
- Specialist Experiences: Opportunities at Princess Christian Farm, Music Man Project, and The Patch to develop social, vocational, and creative skills.
- Life Skills Development: Functional literacy and numeracy, communication, and travel training embedded throughout.
Pathway: Apply and Extend
Introduction:
This pathway is designed for pupils with moderate or specific learning difficulties, who may face challenges in areas such as reading, writing, spelling, and numeracy. The focus is on developing employability skills and independence through real-world experiences, preparing students for further education or work.
Curriculum Opportunities:
- Entry Level Qualifications: Study Entry Level Maths and English to build core academic skills.
- Vocational Learning: Opportunities in Horticulture, Hospitality, and practical life skills.
- Food Technology: Weekly lessons emphasise presentation and food standards, linking directly to our café enterprises.
- Enterprise Projects: Students run our Internal Café and Airstream Mobile Café, supported by specialist TAs. All profits are reinvested into Post 16 Young Enterprise opportunities.
- Work Experience Placements: Links with local businesses such as Nancy’s Tea Room, CEX, Sense, Mr Sims, and The Bagel Station. Year 13 and 14 students also access independent placements closer to home to build local networks.
- Health and Wellbeing: All Hub students attend TM Active Gym in the high street, promoting fitness and social skills.
Our Post 16 students gain real-world hospitality experience through running three café ventures:
Internal Café
- Open Daily: 10:00am – 1:00pm
- What We Offer: Freshly ground coffee for staff and visitors, served by Post 16 students.
- Professional Training: Students have received Barista training from Hat Hats Coffee Company, ensuring high standards of service and presentation.
- Young Enterprise: All profits from the café are reinvested into Post 16 Young Enterprise projects, giving students a sense of ownership and financial responsibility.
High Street Café
- Operated by students from the Apply and Extend (The Hub) pathway.
- Welcomes and serves students from the Discover and Explore pathway, promoting inclusion and social interaction.
- Provides a real-world setting for students to apply hospitality skills and customer service training.
Mobile Café – Our Airstream Trailer
- New for this year: We are delighted to introduce our Airstream Mobile Café, a unique addition to our enterprise opportunities.
- Opening Times: Morning and after-school service for visitors, taxis, and parents.
- Purpose: This mobile café allows students to extend their hospitality skills in a flexible, outdoor setting, while engaging with the wider school community.
Physical Education is an essential part of our Post 16 curriculum.
Through our partnership with TMActive, students enjoy access to high-quality facilities including a swimming pool, sports hall, and gym. These activities are more than just exercise—they promote:
- Life-long health habits: Regular physical activity helps students build routines that support long-term physical and mental well-being.
- Stress management: Exercise is proven to reduce stress and improve mood, which is vital during the transition to adulthood.
- Social skills and teamwork: Sports and group activities encourage communication, cooperation, and confidence.
- Independence and resilience: Learning to manage fitness goals fosters self-discipline and personal responsibility.
By prioritising physical education, we aim to equip students with the tools to lead healthy, active lives well beyond their time in education.
In Year 12, students develop the skills to use an alarm clock, check in for work using the post-16 mobile phone, access their emails, and prepare for the workday by organising appropriate clothing, PPE, and lunch. These skills are supported through home learning activities and travel training.
Students in Years 13 and 14 attend work-experience placements within their local community. As part of this, parents and carers support them with travel training, either by using the free Disabled Person’s Bus Pass from KKC or by accessing support from the KCC Travel Training Team.
Travel training - Kent County Council
Apply for a disabled person's and companion bus pass - Kent County Council
Why Choose Nexus Post 16?
- Careers Focus: A curriculum designed to prepare students for the next stage of life, with meaningful work experience and enterprise opportunities.
- Outdoor Learning: Hands-on experiences in horticulture and visits to Princess Christian Farm and The Patch.
- Strong Community Links: Partnerships with local businesses and organisations to provide real-world experience and build future networks.