Futures
Dorton College
All Dorton College students participate in a Futures programme which covers a range of areas, such as Employability, Careers and Independent Living Skills.
Futures is about preparing them for life after college, increasing their independence skills and ensuring that they have the knowledge they need for their individual aspirations and future lives.
They have the opportunity to participate in progressive work placements in their areas of individual interest each year. This can – and does – lead to both voluntary and paid employment, supported internships and apprenticeships.
Our Futures Coordinator is a dedicated, specialist member of staff who delivers one-to-one employability sessions on a weekly basis, and organises work placements and other employment-related learning. There are also accredited AQA, ASDAN and other recognised courses students can choose to study at the Dorton College hub, as well as wider opportunities at our partnership providers.
Our students have progressed onto Higher Needs Supported Internship programmes, which have been highly successful and led to them attaining paid jobs post college as a result.
Vision Impairment Specialist Careers Information Advice and Guidance (CIAG)
We procure a range of independent vision impairment specialist Careers Advice and Guidance (CIAG) practitioners for independent careers information advice and guidance. We also utilise CIAG services available in conjunction with the GFE’s where they also support this process. In addition, students have access to RSBC Futures programme at our Life Without Limits Centre in London and can access this service up to the age of 25.
We work within the Gatsby Benchmarks to ensure we are offering a rounded and unbiased provision which meets the unique needs and aspirations of each student.
Work placements
All students are encouraged to participate in work placements each year, and we have provided a wide variety of different placements for them in areas of their preference. These include time spent at organisations such as Molton Brown, the NHS, The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, The Imperial War Museum and Co-Op.
It’s important that any work placements are meaningful and productive, and students have one-to-one support at all times. This is ‘Just Enough Support’ which enables them to develop their independence skills in the workplace.
Independent Living Skills
At Dorton College, we offer a range of programmes to develop students’ independent living skills. Programmes are unique to each student, and are based around their assessed needs, EHCP Outcomes and aspirations relating to what they’d like to learn while at college to increase their independence. We make sure that we build on prior learning and sequence the skills to ensure optimum progress is made.
Our college Vision Impairment (VI) specialist hub has a new Independent Living Skills area which contains vision impairment specialist adapted equipment. This helps students to learn how to increase their range of skills and activities with improved independence in a range of areas.
We have a specialist VI curriculum, Jigsaw, which is tailored to the individual student and allows them to learn skills in the areas they want to develop, keeping post college aspirations and EHCP outcomes in focus. Jigsaw is formally accredited by AQA to enable them to build a range of accredited learning certificates specific to their individual requirements.
Our Independent Living Skills curriculum work is underpinned by our Occupational Therapist and wider Specialist Services team to ensure all equipment, resources and techniques are appropriate and adapted for the individual to progress towards increased independence.
Our partnership colleges feature adapted kitchens and equipment that students can access on their courses, and they’re supported by their VI Learning Support Assistants on a one-to-one basis, to ensure that all access and use of equipment and facilities are vision impairment adapted.
