STRETCH Programme at The Polygon School

Ethos

The STRETCH Programme has been set up with the Local Authority so that we can work with a pre-agreed number of pupils who, due to a variety of reasons, struggle to attend school. Pupils on the STRETCH programme display needs that exceed the usual needs of pupils admitted into the school. We use several venues and providers to ensure that each of the pupils on the STRETCH Programme receives a fully personalised timetable based on their individual needs.

Intent

Our main focus is on pupil engagement, raising attendance, and nurture.

Pupils’ timetables are developed around a combination of:

• What a pupil is motivated by
• What a pupil needs to do to progress during their time at school
• What a pupil needs for transition after The Polygon

We recognise that every pupil has their unique strengths and it is our job to identify and develop their strengths so that pupils can take their place in, and make a positive contribution to society and their local communities.

Qualifications

Where appropriate, pupils will work towards academic qualifications. This will either happen as 1:1 delivery at an off-site venue or pupils will come into School to join a group for a specific lesson. This is dependent upon the needs of the individual pupil.

Implementation

• Learning in a safe and secure environment.
• Planned, structured, and sequenced lessons.
• Utilising both on and off-site resources.
• A broad range of equipment and experiences.
• Qualified and experienced staff.
• Consistent marking and feedback using marking policy
• A range of assessment techniques including the use of ICT.
• Consistency in approach to behaviour management in line with school policy.

Impact

We expect positive outcomes for pupils and hope to see an increase in participation and engagement levels. Positive progress can be monitored through attendance, emotional literacy data, progress in workbooks, and achievement of accredited awards.

We further support our pupils by signposting potential and helping with the transition to career pathways and opportunities for further education.

Examples of STRETCH Programme timetables

• 1:1 academic work
• Fishing
• Boxing
• Bushcraft
• ASDAN
• Mechanical skills
• Vocational skills
• Attending alternative providers e.g. NXT