CROWDYS Hill School has submitted proposals to build a new sixth form centre to provide further education for learners with special education needs.

Currently, the Jefferies Avenue secondary does not have facilities for students with complex needs beyond the age of 16, forcing youngsters to seek further education elsewhere.

Instead, it now wants to offer a provision with a practical vocational focus to enable learners to live independent lives.

"We want to avoid the trauma of transition for our students," said headteacher, Mags Clarke.

"Moving from a school which is no bigger than a primary school to some where like Swindon College, which is massive, can be very difficult for our students.

"That's not to say anything bad about Swindon College, that's just the nature of the beast.

"But after knowing them and their very complex needs over five years they leave and they're cut off, and instead we want to harness that knowledge we have about them to make sure that their Key Stage 5 experience is really valuable.

"It's going to have a vocational focus, and we will be employing work coaches and we will expect all our learners to be actively engaged in employment during their time with us; this may be a paper-round, a supported internship, working on our school farm or even in our business enterprise unit.

"With special educational needs it's much more difficult to progress academically so we aim to broaden their curriculum rather than deepen it, giving them vocational skills they can use to live independent lives, and I think this is just as valuable."

The sixth form will maintain separation from the main school, and if plans are approved will occupy its own wing of the school.

Mrs Clarke said: "They will have a sense difference. We want them to feel like Sixth Formers, not just in another year group at school."

As part of the Sixth Form Centre there will be an Independent Living Skills Centre - a space which mimics an ordinary home, where students will face everyday scenarios they might expect when they live and work independently.

"Many years of experience and research tells us that our learners learn most effectively when they have practical opportunities to actually do what they have been taught to do," said Mrs Clarke.

"To this end, we are planning to convert an old, brick built pavilion into an Independent Living Skills Centre.

"Lessons will take place here and will closely mirror real life. For example, one day the group might arrive in the Independent Living Skills Centre to find that the window has been smashed. The lesson that day will be about what steps are taken to remedy the situation, with real phone calls being made, real invoices paid, real windows being replaced."

Interested parties now have until October 2 to comment on the proposals before it is considered before the cabinet of Swindon Borough Council.

To view the plans, and take part in the consultation, visit www.surveymonkey.com/r/2N39Q8B or email jsmith5@swindon.gov.uk or admin@Crowdyshill.swindon.sch.uk.