We are an independent school that helps young people aged 11-16 who are in crisis in their educational experience. As a reflection of our underpinning Christian ethos, our practice is to uphold and encourage respect, care, love, acceptance, and belonging among our staff and pupils.
TLG’s programs are designed to help individuals grow in confidence, raise their aspirations and reach their full potential - providing building blocks for a better life. We seek to engage young people on pathways to learn with accredited outcomes, that facilitate reintegration back into school, or progression on to further education or employment with training.
Our center seeks to educate young people about citizenship and cultural development that includes teaching about fundamental British values. We promote equality of opportunity and diversity for staff and pupils and do not tolerate prejudiced behavior or attitudes. The staff works hard to protect pupils from radicalization and extremism by being open to discussion about these issues and is swift to identify and respond to vulnerable pupils.
TLG follows a recruitment process that makes sure all appropriate checks are carried out on staff and volunteers, including managers, to ensure they are suitable to work with children and young people. Before beginning any work at TLG where they will have regular and sustained contact with children, all staff and volunteers are checked through the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS). TLG renews these checks every 3 years. This includes a check of the ‘Children’s Barred List’ to ensure that they have not been barred from working with children and young people and Prohibition Order checks. In addition, all staff has had checks made to confirm their identity, qualifications, and right to work in the UK. All staff has read and understood DfE guidance – Keeping Children Safe in Education (Part 1) and What to do if you are worried a child is being abused – Advice for practitioners. All TLG staff receive regular refresher training, at appropriate intervals, as and when required, (at least annually), to keep up with any relevant safeguarding and child protection developments.
Each TLG Centre has a child protection policy and procedures in place that are by locally agreed inter-agency procedures. This includes having a Designated Officer who receives regular training, at appropriate intervals, as and when required, (at least annually), to keep up with any developments relevant to their role. This includes how to deal with child protection concerns and liaise with other agencies as necessary and how to protect and promote the welfare of looked after children. The Child Protection Policy outlines the action staff should take if they are concerned that a child or young person is suffering significant harm or is likely to do so, and the action that should be taken to promote the welfare of a child in need of additional support, even if they are not suffering harm or are at immediate risk.
TLG is committed to engaging with young people who are in crisis in their education. Most TLG Centres are registered with the DfE as Independent Schools. Those that are not yet registered operate to the same standards as those that are. Within that context, there is currently no requirement to deliver the National Curriculum. Instead, it is expected that schools will give pupils experience in the following areas of learning: linguistic mathematical scientific-technological human and social physical and aesthetic, and creative.
The Independent School Standards states that our curriculum must include experience in learning: linguistic (covers English) mathematical scientific-technological human & social physical and aesthetic & creative. In addition, we must provide appropriate personal, social, and health education, career education, cultural appreciation, and citizenship (including a broad general knowledge of public institutions and services in England and upholding the values of democracy, the law, individual liberty, and mutual respect). Apart from English and maths, it is not expected that these will each be stand-alone subjects, but we do need to be able to map them through our overall curriculum.
Functional Skills and the AIM Awards suites of qualifications are part of the Qualifications and Credit Framework (QCF) and are recognized within the DfE’s list of approved qualifications (Section 96). They are measurable at Entry 1, 2, 3 and accredited at Levels 1 and 2. Although they carry performance points, these cannot be counted towards School Performance Measures. Where KS4 students can't attain GCSEs or equivalents, TLG has chosen to deliver these qualifications as they provide accreditation in subject areas and at levels that are appropriate, accessible, and achievable for our students. Functional Skills contribute to the content of the new English and maths GCSE’s and their achievement of them allows students to progress onto courses of study at FE colleges.
We base our KS3 and 4 English and maths teaching on the Functional Skills criteria and Adult Literacy and Numeracy Core Curriculum. We use ‘ForSkills (www.forskills.co.uk), to support our internal teaching and assessment in these areas. ForSkills is an online tool that provides baseline assessment, individually tailored support learning resources and measures on-going progress. In addition to using ForSkills, we expect staff to use, create and share other resources for teaching the English and maths curriculum and to carry out teacher assessments. For KS4 students, Functional Skills are externally accredited through the National Open College Network (NOCN). Students can be registered for assessments at Entry Levels and exams at Levels 1-2. We expect all capable KS4 students to be given opportunities to access assessments or exams in Functional English and maths at a level appropriate to them. Aspects of the Functional Skills curriculum can also be accredited through the AIM Awards units (see below).
Wherever GCSE programs are not being followed, our subject-based curriculum utilizes the AIM Awards suites of qualifications - AIMVOCs (vocational pathways), EMPLOY (employability), and PSD ( personal and ongoing development). Usually, accreditation would be for KS4 only, although this qualification is open to students of all ages. This qualification is portfolio-based and can be accredited at Entry Level (E3), Level 1, or Level 2. Students complete units which carry credits. Numbers of credits build into qualifications of increasing sizes, starting with an Award (requiring 6 credits at L1) up to a Diploma (requiring 37 credits at L1). The units cover a wide range of suitable topics and work can be moderated soon after completion in most cases.
Where local specialisms, resources, and partnerships allow it, some TLG Centres may offer programs that allow students to complete courses of study within the Progress 8 group of qualifications. So far, these have included subject-specific GCSEs and BTEC’s, which have typically been delivered in partnership with a referring school and through specialist volunteers or sessional workers. Students are usually registered for these qualifications through their school and TLG staff liaise closely with the school on aspects of administration, course content, delivery, and assessment. Currently, TLG is only approved (through Pearson/Edexcel) to directly deliver GCSE and BTEC qualifications at the Bradford (Hope Park) Centre. Centers can, if they wish, directly deliver the European Computer Driving Licence (ECDL) at L2, through BCS, which does carry points within Progress 8.
Our curriculum can be enriched by regular input from external volunteers and speakers. Good examples of this include talks from the Police, Drugs and Alcohol Counselling, Sexual Health Counselling, Social Services, local charities such as homeless support, and financial advisory services. Young people take part in visits, trips, outdoor activities, and work experience as well as reintegration programs in school, college, or further education provision. Students at TLG have access to a variety of extra-curricular activities beyond the school day and in the holidays. These provide additional opportunities for students to learn, achieve and develop skills and grow in confidence and self-awareness. These include workshops in sport, ICT, media, arts, and music. TLG also runs social and cultural trips and visits including weekend residentials within the UK and international trips which have in the past included Uganda and Ghana.
