Post-16 education for young people with SEND
View information on:
- sixth form
- college
- university
- supported internships
- apprenticeships
- education other than at school (EOTAS).
Sixth form
Sixth form is a choice of education once a young person has finished their GCSE’s. Students are usually aged 16 to 18. It covers years 12 and 13 of education.
Sixth form provides the opportunity to study for different qualifications. They usually focus on more academic studies such as A Levels.
If your child has an Education, Health and Care (EHC) Plan, sixth forms must continue to follow the support outlined in your plan.
College
College is a choice of education once a young person has finished their GCSE’s. This is available to anyone aged 16 and over.
Colleges have a wide range of courses available. They help students develop the skills they need for employment and higher education.
If your child has an EHC Plan, colleges must continue to follow the support outlined in your plan.
University
Universities are for students who have completed sixth form or college. There are a wide range of courses.
At university, students focus on one area of study, meet new people, and prepare for future employment.
If you have an EHC Plan and are offered a place at university, your plan won’t be valid anymore. You can ask for a disability assessment to get support. Universities have disability access teams who handle these requests.
Supported internships
A supported internship is a structured programme based in a workplace. These are unpaid.
They’re designed to help young people with disabilities or additional learning needs gain practical skills and work experience.
Supported internships usually combine onsite training with classroom learning. This means young people can also study for qualifications such as English and Maths.
You must have an EHC Plan to access a supported internship.
Apprenticeships
An apprenticeship is a structured training programme based in a workplace. They combine practical work experience and classroom learning.
This means young people can learn a specific trade or skill whilst earning a wage and studying for a qualification.
Those who undertake an apprenticeship are known as apprentices. To become an apprentice, you must:
- be aged 16 or older
- have finished year 11 of school.
Most apprenticeships consist of 4 days of working and 1 day of studying. The apprenticeship can take between 1 and 4 years to complete.
If your child has an EHC Plan, apprenticeship providers must continue to follow the support outlined in your plan.
Education other than at school (EOTAS)
EOTAS is for young people with an Education Health and Care Plan (EHCP) who cannot be educated in a school setting.
This means the child or young person would not be on roll at a post-16 setting and the special educational provision could happen at home or another unregistered educational setting.