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The Hive

Blackburn Central High School has a dedicated space that provides a bespoke package of support for our students. The Hive is home to our SEND support, EAL intervention and Access provision.


Those with Hive passes can also utilise the area during social times (breakfast club, break and lunch) to play games, complete homework, eat or to escape the hustle and bustle of school life.


Duke of Edinburgh's Award

A select number of students are eligible to choose the Duke of Edinburgh’s (DofE) Award as one of their timetabled options during Key Stage 4. Students complete the Bronze Award in Year 10, and continue on to the Silver Award in Year 11.

The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award is a recognised qualification that awards students for learning new skills, volunteering and taking part in camping expeditions.


Alternative Provision

Occasionally, a very small number of students will experience interventions at an alternative education provision either within or outside of the Blackburn with Darwen Borough.


Access Provision

The Access Provision has two programmes, Access and Nurture.


ACCESS

When students are referred to the Access Provision it is due to the severity of their individual situations and needs.


The provision will act on a graduated response system, reassessing each student half-termly. The intervention will provide timetabled curriculum lessons on a reduced timeframe, with the intentions of building the students’ stamina ahead of reintegration into mainstream classes.


In addition to this, students will receive an intense programme of our Pathways programme which will provide them with the resilience and coping strategies needed for school life.


Once the graduated response has been successful, the students will be supported by specific members of the Access Provision in mainstream lessons which will be reduced over time.


NURTURE

Students that are referred into the nurture provision will receive a bespoke package of support with short-term intervention including small class sizes (revision and catch-up support of curriculum and pathway interventions) and outreach with the mainstream setting if and when necessary.


Students will continue to be referred into the provision onto one of the existing three pathways: Well-being, Safeguarding and Attendance.


The intention of this provision is to provide students with the following skills:

  • To become confident and resilient young people who can cope with changes in circumstance.
  • To improve self-esteem and be able to develop and maintain positive relationships with peers and adults.
  • To build a sense of self-respect and ability to respect the values, ideas and feelings of others in their school community and beyond.
  • To develop an understanding of community and how they can grow into reliable and members of society who can contribute positively to any setting they find themselves in.
  • To understand the importance of attendance and set personal goals.
  • To develop life skills.


English as an Additional Language (EAL)

EAL Curriculum Overview
BCHS are extremely proud to be home to 36 different languages and over 40 nationalities.


In 2020 we were awarded the School of Sanctuary Award and in 2021 The Renee Black Award in recognition of the amazing work we do welcoming, supporting and educating children with EAL.


Children who join BCHS are initially assessed in their proficiency of the English language. Pupils are then allocated a ‘buddy’, usually another student who speaks their home language.


Pupils are provided with a new student booklet, and told how much EAL intervention they will receive. Pupils who are completely new to English are given 2 hours of EAL intervention per day; as pupil develop competency they receive less intervention.


Using assistive technology, we aim to provide as much classwork as possible in the pupil’s home language, as well as in English. This allows us to assess the pupil’s subject knowledge, rather than their English language knowledge.


We also support EAL pupils outside of the classroom with things like arranging quiet areas for social time, helping parents with free school meals applications, and making sure that pupils have full school uniform.


All EAL students leave BCHS with qualifications and are encouraged and advised on how to go on to further education.