Working Towards Animal Welfare and Conservation (Aspire Broadway) C&G

This course is designed for students with a special educational need or disability with an interest in animal welfare, conservation and the outdoors.

Students attend placement at a local animal sanctuary feeding, cleaning and caring for sick, injured or abandoned animals.

Animals on-site at placement include goats, sheep, poultry, pigs, ponies, ferrets, foxes, guinea pigs, emus, owls, birds of prey, raccoons and many more.

Students work to maintain an allotment at a community garden where they learn about the land, growing fresh produce and conservation.

There are opportunities for Forest School activities including natural fence building, caring for wildlife and outdoor cookery.

All Aspire curriculum promotes preparation for adulthood which includes personal independence, employment, looking after yourself in the home, travel and community cohesion.

All students will undertake work experience in our Aspire Shop, learning essential transferable skills such as customer service, problem solving, teamworking, basic finance and marketing.

Please note that ‘full time’ courses are between 16-18 hours per week and are not 5-day provision. Maths and English is taught as part of this study programme.

If your travel is provided by school, sixth-form or local authority, this will need to be reapplied for prior to starting college.

Areas covered can include (but aren't limited to) the following:

• Workplace safety
• Making a familiar journey
• Behaviour at work
• Bed down farm animals
• Clean poultry accommodation
• Recognise trees and plants
• Recognise and care for tools in conservation
• Maintain a footpath
• Feed farm animals
• Move a farm animal
• Recognise types of animal housing and bedding for small animals

Students are assessed through witness statements, Q&A, observation and practical application, collated as a portfolio of evidence.

Formal assessment of maths and English will take place if suitable for the student.

Small financial contribution to educational visits, when required. Personal stationery. Suitable clothing for outdoors. Steel-toe capped boots. Heavy duty gardening gloves. A waterproof coat.

C&G Skills for Working Life Entry Level 2 or Entry Level 3

All Aspire courses are for one academic year. Progression onto further study is dependent on maintained attendance, positive records of behaviour and evidence of significant progress made within the year.

Students studying on ‘Working towards’ courses may progress into mainstream Entry to FE in an area of their interest or transfer onto Aspire’s Working towards Employment pathway which leads to a Supported Internship.

Applicants will be invited to attend a needs assessment to ensure support needs can be met. Following this, a mandatory taster session is arranged to provide transition into the area and for suitability for the programme to be assessed. If there are any concerns about suitability or our ability to meet support needs, this will be discussed with you. There are no formal entry requirements for this course.