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Post 16

KMS offers education for Post 16 students who may not yet be ready to progress onto a mainstream college, employment, training or apprenticeship. KMS provides a nurturing learning environment with small group sizes.

Our aim is to develop learning skills, confidence and self-esteem so learners are able to:

  • develop literacy skills
  • develop numeracy skills
  • develop social and communication skills
  • prepare for adulthood
  • prepare for the world of work

Courses include a blend of classroom learning, and opportunities for work experience.

Our Preparation for Life & Work Pathway Courses

Preparation for Life & Work focuses on three key areas to support students to improve their confidence, independence and employment opportunities, to guide and support them when moving on from KMS.

Post 16

Next Steps

The focus of this accredited course is to prepare students for further education, apprenticeships or progression into employment, to increase their confidence and social skills, as well as improve their Functional Skills Maths, English and ICT skills. We aim to support students to learn the skills to manage personal challenges and to enable students to have greater independence in their learning and personal lives. Students will create a portfolio of evidence and assessment will be through observation and written work. Students will also have the opportunity to undertake a one or two day per week work experience placement.

This sixteen hour per week course runs over five days and also includes Functional Skills Maths, English and ICT at Entry Levels or Level 1. Key components of all of our Preparation for Life and Work Pathway Courses are the Employability Skills & SMSC (Spiritual, Moral, Social and Cultural Development) Programmes which are designed to equip students with the necessary skills, knowledge and confidence to take on adult life in the working world.

Post 16
Post 16

Creative Industries

Our Preparation for Life and Work Pathway Course in Creative Industries is ideal for those learners with an interest in the fields of photography, film, animation and graphic design.

Students will be given a broad introduction into key concepts within creative industries. This is an area of huge growth and the course programme has been designed to give learners a base skill set that can be applied effectively to the broader media and creative sectors. The emphasis is on providing learners with hands on experience working to industry standards within the fields of photography, film, animation and graphic design.

Students will work to brief to create responses in real world scenarios, both internally set and externally, where applicable. The programme of learning is split between the practical application of skills and the creation of a digital portfolio, this can be used as a pathway to further education or application to a creative apprenticeship.

This sixteen hour per week course runs over five days and also includes Functional Skills Maths, English and ICT at Entry Levels or Level 1. Key components of all of our Preparation for Life and Work Pathway Courses are the Employability Skills & SMSC (Spiritual, Moral, Social and Cultural Development) Programmes which are designed to equip students with the necessary skills, knowledge and confidence to take on adult life in the working world.

Post 16

Catering / Food Technology

Our Preparation for Life and Work Pathway Course in Catering/Food Technology would ideally suit those learners aspiring to work in the Hospitality and Catering Industry.

Understanding food is a life skill that should be central to the development of all young people. This pathway has been designed for learners that have a passion for cooking and aims to equip them with practical skills to produce healthy and nutritious meals. The program of learning has been created to nurture and develop a number of other associated skills, such as health and safety, legislation, cooking to a budget, menu development and teamwork, all within a real-world working environment.

Year one focusses on building confidence, communication skills and cooking methods and principles. As part of the program learners produce a portfolio of work, which will be assessed formatively throughout the year with an emphasis on tutor feedback, to encourage their development. Year two aims to build on previously learnt skills and present learners with new challenges that culminate in the designing and delivery of a hospitality event.

This sixteen hour per week course runs over five days and includes Functional Skills Maths, English and ICT at Entry Levels or Level 1. Key components of all of our Preparation for Life and Work Pathway Courses are the Employability Skills & SMSC (Spiritual, Moral, Social and Cultural Development) Programmes which are designed to equip students with the necessary skills, knowledge and confidence to take on adult life in the working world.

Post 16

Preparation for Life & Work

KMS aims to improve the job prospects of young people by equipping them with skills and qualifications, and empowering them with real life skills and experience needed to succeed in moving forward into the world of work.

Post 16

Preparation for Life & Work focuses on three key areas to support students to improve their confidence, independence and employment opportunities, to guide and support them when moving on from KMS

SMSC & British Values

The KMS SMSC (spiritual, moral, social and cultural development) programme is designed to equip students with the necessary skills, knowledge and confidence to take on adult life in the working world.

SMSC stands for Social, Moral, Spiritual and Cultural studies. Within the curriculum, students will develop a broad knowledge of British Values, Equality & Diversity, Independent Life Skills, Charity & Community Work, Healthy Lifestyles and Career Development. We aim to ensure that students leave KMS with the skills necessary for adult life, the working environment and independent living. SMSC lessons are once a week and incorporate project based learning to embed the topic of each term. SMSC also provides learners with a safe space to discuss current affairs and explore who they are as individuals.

At KMS we recognise the importance of integrating British Values into our curriculum. We do this via structured SMSC lessons once a week and by incorporating them into daily life at KMS.

The British Values are:

  • Democracy
  • Rule Of Law
  • Mutual Respect
  • Tolerance
  • Individual Liberty
Post 16 Post 16

Employability

Employability gives students the skills needed when applying for jobs, positively supporting career progression after KMS.

As part of this programme of learning, students will be encouraged to undertake a work placement component of their course. This enables students to develop their confidence, working attitude and ethos. We believe in the effectiveness of these placements, and we try very hard to match the right learner to the right placement, taking into account each individuals strengths and personalities. The value of this component of the course gives students an opportunity to use skills previously learnt throughout the programme in a real-world scenario. These skills include:

  • Growth mindset toolkit – developing the key skills and mindset to support students as they transition from education into the world of work
  • Confidence and assertiveness building – helping students to build confidence, self esteem, resilience and motivation
  • Exploring personal strengths for employment – helping students to understand that sensible career choices lie where strengths and personality meet
  • Wellbeing Toolkit – designed to inform students of the importance of mental wellbeing and the effects it has on future success and career prospects
  • CV writing – helping students understand the purpose of a CV and explore ways they can make themselves stand out from the crowd
  • Interview skills – helping to equip students with the tools to prepare for interviews
  • Financial survival skills – teaching students how to manage finances safely, successfully and independently, including credit cards, current accounts, renting, insurance and fraud.

Careers Guidance

KMS is committed to embedding the Gatsby benchmark of good careers guidance to include:

  • A stable careers programme
  • Learning from career and labour market information
  • Addressing the needs of each student
  • Linking curriculum learning to careers
  • Encounters with employers and employees
  • Experiences of workplaces
  • Encounters with Further and Higher Education
  • Personal guidance
Gatsby benchmark of good careers guidance

KMS work in partnership with the Education Business Programme (EBP) who aim to enrich the KMS curriculum by actively engaging employers in the development of their future workforce and equip young people with a better understanding of personal skills and their future choices.

EBP Kent

The KMS Careers Programme is reviewed and updated on an annual basis. The next review will take place in March 2021.

Post 16

Meet the Team

Image of Sharon

Sharon Mount - Director, Designated Safeguarding Lead

Image of Steve

Steve Fuller - Director, Designated Safeguarding Lead

Image of Nadia

Nadia Law - Senco

Image of Marc

Marc Henry - KMS Deputy Manager, Designated Safeguarding Lead and Tutor

Image of Dave

Dave Neal - Higher Level Teaching Assistant

Image of Clive

Clive Sax - Teaching Assistant

Image of Lisa

Lisa Hudd - Teaching Assistant

Image of Charlotte Brennan

Charlotte Brennan - Teaching Assistant

Image of Steve Sass

Steve Sass - Tutor

Image of Sandie Smith

Sandie Smith - Tutor

Attendance

As a student at KMS, you will be required to maintain 95% attendance. If you manage to do this for the entire academic year you will be able to attend our attendance reward trip at the end of the academic year.

To encourage good attendance, KMS has in place a system of first day calling. This means that parents/carers will be sent a text/email on the first day a student is absent without explanation, to establish a reason for the absence.

We also strongly discourage booking medical appointments or holidays during your timetabled days. If this is unavoidable we will require proof of the medical appointment or for you to complete a holiday request form 6 weeks before your holiday and return this to our centre manager.

Our holiday request form can be downloaded below or copies are available from the KMS office.

Holiday Request Form Attendance Policy

Term Dates 2021/2022

First Day of Term Last Day of Term
Monday 6th September 2021 Friday 22nd October 2021
October Half Term - Monday 25th to Friday 29th October 2021 
Monday 1st November 2021 Friday 17th December 2021 
Christmas Holiday – Monday 20th December 2021 to Friday 3rd January 2022 
Tuesday 4th January 2022 Friday 11th February 2022
Half Term - Monday 14th to Friday 18th February 2022 
Monday 21st February 2022 Friday 1st April 2022 
Easter Holiday – Monday 4th April to Thursday 18th April 2022
Tuesday 19th April 2022 Friday 27th May 2022
May Bank Holiday – Monday 2nd May 2022
Half Term - Monday 30th May to Friday 3rd June 2022
Monday 6th June 2022 Wednesday 20th July 2022 

Assessments and Examinations  

  • Baseline Assessment: 1st – 5th November 2021
  • Interim Assessment: 21st March – 25th March 2022
  • End of Year Assessments, Exams and Portfolio Building: 20th June – 20th July 2022

Staff Inset Days (students do not attend KMS):

  • Monday 18th October – Friday 22nd October 2021

Exam Dates to be announced once confirmation has been received from Awarding Bodies.

Transport

If you or your young person requires assisted transport to college, you will need to apply directly to your local authority. You can use the links below to do this:

Kent County Council SEN Transport

KMS cannot make the application on your behalf. However, if you need any additional information for your application please contact us. These applications need to be submitted at least 6 weeks prior to the start of your course. We recommended submitting them as early as possible to avoid disappointment. It will be your responsibility to arrange transport to and from KMS until your application has been processed by your local authority.