“Since Conor started at Lapwing his speech has improved and he is now a happy and confident young man which is a real pleasure to see.  Every experience Conor has with Lapwing is one he looks forward to and the transition has helped him improve in so many areas.  The people he works with are everything to him; the person-centred approach works best for Conor.  So far Lapwing has been the only placement that Conor has had where there has been any real progress, and this has given us hope for the future.  I am most grateful and feel happy that my son is in good hands with people that care a great deal.”

- Julie (mother of Conor, post 16 student)

Post-16 programmes

We deliver highly personalised 2:1, 1:1 and small group learning programmes to students aged 16 to 25 years old who have an Education, Health and Care Plan and who are unable to access or maintain a conventional college or sixth form placement due to complex needs.

Lapwing’s bespoke post 16 programmes are highly personalised with students typically working towards personal development goals as well as academic targets.  The personal development is often focused on developing independence, gaining life skills and making the transition to adulthood and/or employment.  All our non-accredited programmes have embedded functional literacy and numeracy and are regularly monitored and reviewed to track student progress using RARPA.  Some programmes will also focus on securing accredited qualifications such as City and Guilds functional skills in English, mathematics and ICT; an Arts Award; AQA Unit Awards and may involve vocational learning with supported or unsupported work experience.  All students have an Individual Learning Plan and typically make excellent progress against the outcomes identified in their EHCPs.

All our post 16 programmes are transitional by nature as we aim to set students up for the next stage whether that is further/higher education, volunteering, employment and/or independent living and adulthood.

 We have a comprehensive initial assessment process and a range of therapeutic interventions available to support the delivery of our education programmes.

Lapwing also deliver three separate Post 16 SEMH Groups for students that are cognitively functioning above Entry Level 3 - one situated in West Suffolk, one in South Suffolk and one in North Suffolk - commissioned by SCC. Whilst maintaining our core ethos of delivering a highly personalised curriculum for each individual student, the groups provide an opportunity for the young people to access a small therapeutic provision alongside similar students, developing their confidence to integrate socially. As with all Lapwing programmes, students joining the groups do so on a transitionary basis and we support them in identifying and progressing to their next stage. This group provision allows students to be involved in collaborative activities – this can involve academic or vocational learning, employability, therapeutic sessions, RSHE or life skills development. These students develop independence while having access to the support of staff and peers.

Students attending our Post 16 SEMH groups should be able to leave their homes independently and be able to function in a small group setting with support. Following application for the group, a member of Lapwing staff will visit the student to assess their suitability. Students will also need to be aware that they will need to provide their own transport to and from their sessions (bursaries for taxis can be available if the young person has a PIP or DLA).

Read some of our post 16 case studies below.

Joe, 22 years old

When Joe, who has a diagnosis of Autistic Spectrum Disorder, joined Lapwing in 2016 at 17 years old, he would stay in his room too anxious to come out and start something new. Joe suffered with severe anxiety and had previously had difficulties whilst attending a college course which resulted in many months of missed education.

Initially, Lapwing started working with Joe in the home until he had built up trusting relationships with our tutors and coaches. Joe slowly engaged with activities on a 1:1 basis; he enjoyed learning how to cook independently, he participated in community based projects and worked on the Lapwing allotment as well as completing travel training to gain independent life skills.

Despite the initial success of the programme, Joe still didn’t accept himself as a young adult with ASD and he continued to experience fluctuating mental health. He really struggled to engage with the work we completed around his self-identity; he couldn’t see where he would fit in the world, often shutting peers out in the fear of appearing vulnerable.  Throughout the first three years at Lapwing, Joe worked mainly 1:1 with tutors and skills coaches very rarely interacting with peers, as was his wish. Joe’s acceptance of himself and the development of non-professional relationships would be crucial for his happiness. We slowly started to encourage Joe to meet new adults and then other students.  We set small achievable goals, supporting and developing Joe’s interactions with others.

We used one of Joe’s biggest interests to help him gain a weekly work placement at a garage (Solus Accident Repair, Stonham).  Learning how to communicate effectively and confidently in a group of adults was new to Joe and a big step forward. Joe learnt many aspects of panel beating whilst at the garage, spending time with the mechanics and experiencing different aspects of the job. Joe thoroughly enjoyed this placement and he developed immensely as a result of the experience.

Joe also went on to achieve a Silver Arts Award (Level 2) based around animation, which is one of his great interests.  This course and qualification gave Joe the opportunity to interview professional animators, teach others about the knowledge he had acquired, and create his own animation videos. His confidence and self-esteem grew.

Joe began to recognise qualities in others that matched his own and he started to accept himself. This gave Joe the confidence to join a Lapwing student group (the media project which created a podcast) in the autumn of 2020 and, after relishing this new opportunity, we experimented with other group settings.

Unsurprisingly, Joe struggles with changes to his routine and therefore school holiday periods, when his programme paused, were very difficult for him and he would often regress during these times with his mental health deteriorating significantly.  He benefited hugely from the summer interventions programme in 2021 where he accessed 12 sessions enabling a continuation of his programme to develop his life skills, independence and community access.

Joe’s final year with Lapwing (2021) was packed full of fun, engaging and developmental activities with peers his own age with Lapwing staff stepping back as much as possible. We were also able to model support and ways of working with Joe to other professionals so that a transition into adult care services was smooth and Joe was able to attend a range of ACS providers independently without dedicated 1:1 support by the end of the transition.

Quote from Joanne Watts (mum):

“When Joe was offered a place at Lapwing 6 years ago, we were not too sure what to expect. It was a difficult time and Joe was very vulnerable. Within a short time, the one to one teaching and emotional support and understanding he received began to have a positive effect. With input from fantastic staff and regular meetings to support his needs, Joe was able to access and learn so much. This really was a turning point for Joe and the family; to see him come on in so many ways from education to social and life skills.

The staff at Lapwing have been fantastic and we cannot speak highly enough of their care and support, not just to Joe but the family as a whole. The support and guidance have been priceless, and he is now well prepared for the next stage of his life. Thank you, Lapwing.”

B, 17 years old

B has been diagnosed with a complex neurodevelopmental disorder and ADHD, as well as several complex medical conditions. B came to Lapwing halfway through Year 12 after she was unable to gain a place in either mainstream or specialist group post-16 placements; all applications were unsuccessful as providers stated that they could not meet her needs. This led to B feeling rejected and impacted her already low and fragile self-esteem.  By the time Lapwing met B she had disengaged with the very notion of education and did not see the point.

B started her programme with a gradual increase in the number of sessions per week. Lapwing staff encouraged B to leave the house, something she only did very rarely with her family. Lapwing started to engage B with a wider variety of activities from art to cooking to educational visits all with embedded literacy and numeracy and she slowly became more willing to go out to new places with the support of staff.

We worked through the summer holiday period supported by grant funding and, during the autumn 2020, B began to engage with formal academic work including sitting assessments for English and mathematics. B has now expressed aspirations that she would like to work with animals, horses in particular, so her Lapwing programme now incorporates supported work experience at a care farm once a week. This has helped her to develop her employability skills in a practical work environment including facilitating teamwork with other young people to develop her communication and social skills.

B continues to participate in life skills sessions, working towards developing her independence for the future, with activities such as budgeting, shopping and cooking.  B also attends art therapy sessions once a week with a qualified art psychotherapist. This is helping B to have time and space to process her emotions and work on strategies to manage when she feels low or emotionally heightened.

B’s parents have stated that she now communicates with them more at home and that her behaviour has stabilised. They are starting to feel more hopeful for her future. “Lapwing are doing amazing work with B and at last we feel like we have the support we have been seeking for many years.  Lapwing are brilliant……we are really impressed with them” (B’s parents).

B has recently applied for a place studying animal care at a mainstream college for Sep 2021, which will provide her with opportunities to continue to grow and develop. Lapwing hope to continue to support her to make a successful transition.

B - full case study

Jordan, 19 years old

Jordan has a diagnosis of Autistic Spectrum Disorder and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. He has significant (undiagnosed) attachment difficulties and has suffered from severe anxiety and low self-esteem. When he joined Lapwing in 2018, he could write his first name only and could not read. Due to his ADHD, Jordan needed his learning to be active and physical. Jordan also experiences auditory sensory difficulties; he is over-responsive to auditory stimuli.

Initially Jordan’s programme involved 2:1 staffing due to his dysregulation and he was accessing the community and completing activities without peers due to his inability to manage social interactions.  A good rate of progress over time has resulted in 1:1 staffing, access to supported volunteering placements and a broad range of activities alongside peers, as well as formal academic English and maths sessions.

Jordan has developed his social, emotional and life skills significantly and now copes with change (in adults, activities, venues) with just a little support and reassurance needed. He now has a wide range of peers, whom he considers friends, and is making a successful transition to adulthood and community-based activities with minimal support.

“Lapwing is a valuable resource. The staff are friendly and dedicated. There was a perfect transition from his school. He has gained so much trust with all the staff and he can do so much more now. The staff have made him believe he can do it. He didn’t have the confidence to learn, now you can’t stop him – he just wants to do more and more!” (Jordan’s father).

L, 20 years old

L experienced many challenges and difficulties throughout her time in the mainstream education system and subsequently missed several years of education. During this time, she was homebound and received a diagnosis of Asperger’s syndrome.  An education, health and care plan followed.  Unfortunately, attendance at a reputable group alternative provision was too socially arduous, due to her extreme social anxiety, and could not be sustained.   Soon afterwards L joined Lapwing enrolling on a personalised post-16 programme in 2017 designed to develop her self-esteem and find a vocational pathway into adulthood.  Despite L’s extreme social anxiety, she clearly had huge potential and the Lapwing team, which included an art tutor and therapist, a chef, employability coaches and English/maths tutors, set out to give her a greater understanding of her own needs, strengths and talents, and to find a level of social interaction she could sustainably manage as she transitioned into adulthood.

L graduated from Lapwing in Dec 2020 with a Silver Arts Award, some valuable work/volunteering experience and greatly improved self-esteem. L now aspires to sell her art and, unsurprisingly, she has received several commissions already. Her success as a student at Lapwing culminated in L being able to take on a support role herself by working alongside other students and supporting them, particularly within their art sessions, where she could effectively model techniques. L excelled in this role and, as a result of her success, has become the first ever student to become a volunteer (following the completion of her education programme), and she will be supporting a Suffolk based art group as well as 1:1 sessions alongside Lapwing staff from 2021 onwards.

L - full case study

Matt, 18 years old

Matt has a mild general learning difficulty and a poor working memory.  Most significantly Matt has a diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder and this affects his social skills, communication and anxiety levels. Matt rarely left the family home and was unable to attend a reputable specialist small group provision during Key Stage 4 and effectively dropped out of education until Lapwing’s involvement commenced half way through year 11.

Initially the Lapwing programme was mainly based in the home and designed for Matt to re-engage in education, build trusting relationships and continue working on his literacy and numeracy development while also pursuing vocational qualifications.  Throughout the 1:1 sessions, Lapwing really focused on furthering Matt’s personal development in terms of his communication, confidence, social interactions and resilience.

Over two and a half years, through dedicated and highly personalised tutoring and coaching, Matt made significant progress and achieved Level 2 Functional Skills qualifications in mathematics and English, a Level 1 Business Logistics qualification and a Level 2 Nutrition and Health qualification.  Matt chose not to transition to college preferring to follow a direct route into employment and a range of supported work experience and community based visits were used to explore Matt’s potential pathway and develop his independence, employability skills and confidence outside his structured routine. This led onto independent volunteering at a local library where, following completion of his Lapwing programme, Matt now remains a highly valued member of Suffolk Library’s staff team. Matt has come from being ‘stuck’ in his bedroom to being a suitably qualified and employable young man who can realistically aspire to a career.

“The Lapwing tutors are a great match for Matt and the understanding and skill they have shown has restored Matt’s confidence in education. This has gone a long way to helping Matt to finally reach his potential” (Matt’s parents).

Richard, 20 years old

Richard has a diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder and specific learning difficulties affecting his communication, socialisation and anxiety, as well as his literacy and numeracy capabilities.  A bespoke programme was commissioned to help bridge the gap for Richard to progress from college, where he felt he had become ‘stuck’, to the real world of adulthood and potential employment.

Richard’s programme consisted of 1:1 tutoring and mentoring sessions, mainly based in the community – libraries, hired kitchens and supported work placements including working at a café and a museum.  Richard attained maths and English Functional Skills qualifications, practical catering skills and experienced the work environment with appropriate support.  With Lapwing staff alongside, Richard was able to focus on developing his functional literacy and numeracy in the work place and his overall employability, significantly improving his communication, confidence, social interactions and resilience as a young adult within the wider world. This one year transition programme enabled Richard to take meaningful steps towards independence and future employment as he demonstrated to himself that he was ready to enroll on a supported internship in September 2018 to commence the next stage of his route to employment.

Richard - full case study