Young people with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) moving on to further education - colleges and training providers

After completing secondary education, all young people with special educational needs (SEN) or disabilities will have the opportunity to progress to further education (FE), attending either a sixth form, vocational college, or training provider.

A young person with special educational needs will have transitional support as they progress into post 16 learning, and their next steps will be discussed during their Year 11 Education, Health and Care plan (EHCP) review or their SEN support plan review. Secondary schools will also include preparation for adult life in their curriculum and provide independent career advice to young people from age 13 onwards. This includes advice tailored to the needs of young people with SEN and disabilities.

Further education planning should start no later than the Autumn term in Year 11, and the young people should be at the centre of these discussions.

Mainstream further education

When young people leave secondary school, they will have the opportunity to choose from learning courses that match their interests and support needs. Most further education courses will run three days per week and some colleges offer either specialised bases and/or foundation learning for learners with higher needs.

For some young people, an academic curriculum may be preferred however some young people may need more focus on improving their communication skills, independent skills and preparing for adult life. Learning can be more vocational, helping young people identify opportunities for potential employment in the future, and enabling them to develop the skills they will need to move onto employment or higher education.

Further education curriculum

A list of curriculum levels.

Sixth form qualifications

Course types include A-levels (academic) and BTECs (vocational):

Entry requirements for sixth form depend on which courses are being studied. Overall, course entry requirements will be general grade 4-5 (C grade) GCSEs and a grade 6-7 GCSE in the sixth form subjects.
Route to employment, higher education or higher apprenticeship.

College or training provider - vocational course qualifications

Entry Level 1, 2 and 3 (1 to 3 years)

No formal entry requirements.
Foundation learning.
Employability and independent living skills.

Level 1 (1 to 2 years)

Course entry requirements: minimum 3 GCSEs at grades 2 - 1 (E - F) or equivalent, or entry level qualifications.
Equivalent to three or four lower-level GCSEs.
Suitable if students don't gain GCSEs, or perhaps don't get the grades they had expected.

Level 2 (1 to 2 years)

Course entry requirements: minimum 4 GCSEs at grades 3 - 2 or equivalent, including Maths and English, or a Level 1 qualification in a relevant subject area.
Equivalent to four or five mid-level GCSEs.
Generally, this is the level students should start on if they got four GCSEs at grade D or above, or equivalent qualifications at pass level. Some courses will require certain grades in maths and English.
Route to employment or intermediate apprenticeship

Level 3 (1 to 2 years)

Course entry requirements: minimum 4 GCSEs at grades 9 - 4 (A* - C) or equivalent, including a C or above in Maths and English, or a Level 2 qualification in a relevant subject area.
Equivalent to two or three A-levels.
Generally, this is the level students can study on if they have passed four/five plus GCSEs at grade C or above, or equivalent qualifications at pass level. Most courses will require students to have a grade A* to C in maths and/or English.
Like A-levels, vocational courses are a route on to higher education; most university-level courses accept a Level 3 qualification as entry.
Route to employment or higher apprenticeship.

Post-16 study options

Sixth form, post-16 college and training providers options for young people living in County Durham.

Post-16 college and training providers

Name of college or training provider	Types of courses	Main provision	Specialist provision
East Durham College (campuses in Peterlee and Houghall)	Foundation courses, vocational learning courses, specialist base for autistic students (Derwent provision based at Houghall), sixth form, supported internships and apprenticeships.	East Durham College	East Durham College (16 to 24 SEND)
New College Durham	Foundation courses, vocational learning courses, sixth form and apprenticeships.	New College Durham	New College Durham (16 to 24 SEND)
Bishop Auckland College	Foundation courses, vocational learning courses, apprenticeships, SEN specialist unit (Aspire), supported internships.	Bishop Auckland College	Bishop Auckland College (Aspire Centre)
Derwentside College	Foundation courses, vocational learning courses, apprenticeships.	Derwentside College	Derwentside College (learning support)
Newcastle College	Foundation courses, vocational learning courses, sixth form, apprenticeships.	Newcastle College	Newcastle College (support)
Gateshead College	Foundation courses, vocational learning courses, sixth form, apprenticeships.	Gateshead College	Gateshead College (Special Educational Needs)
Middlesbrough College	Foundation courses, vocational learning courses, sixth form, apprenticeships.	Middlesbrough College	Middlesbrough College (additional learning support)
Stockton Riverside College	Foundation courses, vocational learning courses, apprenticeships.	Stockton Riverside College
Darlington College	Foundation courses, vocational learning courses, apprenticeships.	Darlington College	Darlington College (next steps)
DurhamLearn (bases in Durham, Newton Aycliffe and Peterlee)	Foundation courses, full and part time courses, routes into employment.	DurhamLearn
Northern Arts School, Middlesbrough	Vocational arts learning courses.	The Northern School of Art, Middlesbrough
Learning for Life (Consett and South Gosforth)	Foundational learning courses.	Learning for Life - Embracing Diversity and Enriching Lives
UTC South Durham	Engineering vocational courses, A-levels.	UTC South Durham
Catch 22 training provider (Peterlee and Bishop Auckland)	Foundation and vocational learning courses.	Catch 22 Post-16
Springboard North East (Peterlee, Sunderland and Hartlepool)	Foundation and vocational learning courses.	Springboard North East
Chameleon Vocational Training Ltd	Motor vehicle training courses and apprenticeships.	Chameleon Vocational Training Ltd
Human Kind Education Centre	Foundation learning courses.	Humankind Education Centre

Sixth forms

Mainstream colleges will support students with special educational needs by following a Graduated Approach or Assess, Plan, Do and Review cycle. There will be a named person in charge of support for students with SEN.

The students' Education, Health and Care (EHC) assessments and plans and the effectiveness of their support will be reviewed annually, and the college should take into account:

progress and changes to the young person's ambitions and aspirations
the college and young person should jointly plan any changes to support
the young person's pathway into adulthood and progression beyond college learning onto employment, higher education, or lifelong experiences

Specialist post 16 colleges

Some students and their families or carers will seek education placements in a specialist post 16 provision. The council is only able to support a specialist post 16 provision when there is clear case for a young person's needs cannot be met in a mainstream post 16 provision and all local mainstream further education options have been fully explored and discounted.

The Durham Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND) Information Advice and Support Service team can be contacted for further advice and guidance regarding specialist provisions.

Visit Natspec: find a college to search for a specialist college.

Preparing for adulthood - college and beyond

Preparing for adulthood (PfA) is the term used to describe the support on offer to young people with special educational needs or disabilities (SEND) as they transition into adulthood and develop independent living skills.

Preparing for adulthood usually focuses on four pathways, helping young people to achieve the best outcome in:

higher education or employment
independent living and housing options
getting involved in the local community and society, and having positive relationships
good health

The young person's progression pathway will be discussed at EHCP reviews.

Learning and careers advice and guidance is available in colleges for all students.

For young people unsure of their next steps during their post-16 education or after completing their education, the council has several teams who can offer supportive advice and guidance. Our DurhamWorks and Durham Enable teams can provide advice and guidance to young people with SEN and not in education, employment or training to explore their college and training options. See our Advice and support services to help young people moving into post-16 education or work page for more information.