At North Star 180, our KS4 Vocational Curriculum is designed to provide pupils with meaningful, accredited learning opportunities that prepare them for adulthood, further education, employment, and training. Learning is practical, engaging, and personalised, enabling pupils to develop sector-specific knowledge alongside valuable life and employability skills. Through a broad range of vocational pathways, pupils are supported to build confidence, independence, and aspirations whilst achieving qualifications that recognise their strengths and interests.

Intent

The intent of the KS4 Vocational Curriculum is to:

Provide pupils with access to accredited vocational qualifications that reflect a wide range of interests, strengths, and future aspirations.

Develop practical skills, employability skills, independence, confidence, resilience, communication, and problem-solving through real-world learning experiences.

Support preparation for adulthood by enabling pupils to explore potential career pathways and understand further education and employment opportunities.

Promote engagement in learning through hands-on, practical approaches that meet the needs of pupils with SEND and align with EHCP outcomes and school values.

Provide recognised qualifications that allow pupils to successfully progress to college courses, apprenticeships, employment, or further vocational study.

The vocational curriculum is ambitious and inclusive. Pupils can access a range of pathways including Sport, Land-Based Studies, Food Technology, Art and Design, Design & Technology, Duke of Edinburgh’s Award, and Digital Literacy. Each pathway is designed to develop transferable skills alongside subject-specific knowledge, ensuring pupils are prepared for future learning and adult life.

Implementation

The KS4 Vocational Curriculum is implemented through:

A structured options programme where pupils rank their preferred vocational subjects and are allocated accredited pathways that best match their interests and aspirations.

Delivery of a broad range of qualifications including GCSEs, BTECs, Functional Skills, and the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award.

Practical, project-based, and experiential learning opportunities that enable pupils to learn through doing and apply skills in meaningful contexts.

Teaching approaches that support SEND learners through scaffolding, modelling, visual supports, practical activities, and personalised learning pathways.

Ongoing assessment through coursework, portfolios, practical demonstrations, assignments, and qualification-specific assessment methods that inform future planning and support progress.

Opportunities to develop employability, communication, teamwork, leadership, organisation, resilience, and independence across all vocational areas.

Staff use practical resources, real-life scenarios, outdoor learning opportunities, technology, and industry-related activities to make learning accessible, engaging, and relevant. The curriculum supports pupils in making connections between their learning and future pathways beyond school.

Impact

The impact of the KS4 Vocational Curriculum is demonstrated by:

Pupils achieving recognised qualifications and accreditation that support future progression.

Increased confidence, independence, responsibility, and engagement in learning.

The development of transferable employability skills including communication, teamwork, organisation, leadership, resilience, and problem-solving.

Pupils successfully applying practical skills and knowledge in real-life contexts and vocational settings.

Improved readiness for further education, apprenticeships, supported employment, and future careers.

Progress towards EHCP outcomes relating to independence, communication, community participation, and preparation for adulthood.

Secondary – Building on Primary

In secondary, the KS4 Vocational Curriculum builds directly on the foundations established throughout primary and lower secondary learning. Pupils deepen and extend their practical skills, personal development, communication, and independence by applying prior learning in increasingly meaningful and real-world contexts. Through accredited vocational pathways, pupils are encouraged to make informed choices about their interests and aspirations whilst developing the confidence and transferable skills needed for adulthood.

Learning increasingly focuses on preparation for adulthood, employability, community participation, and future progression routes. Pupils develop greater independence, responsibility, and self-management through practical activities, coursework, projects, leadership opportunities, and work-related learning experiences. This ensures that they are well prepared for their next stage of education, training, employment, and life beyond North Star 180.

Vocational Options Include:

• Duke of Edinburgh Bronze Award
• Functional Skills Digital Literacy
• BTEC Level 1 Introductory Diploma in Sport
• BTEC Level 1 Land-Based Studies
• Food Technology (BTEC Home Cooking leading to GCSE Food Preparation & Nutrition)
• GCSE Art & Design
• BTEC Tech Award in Art and Design Practice (Design & Technology)