Referrals & Commissioning

Referrals & Commissioning

Friends of Frampton Farm works with schools, Local Authorities, Virtual Schools and other education professionals to provide part-time alternative education, external tuition and vocational learning for children and young people who may benefit from a practical, non-traditional learning environment.

We welcome enquiries from professionals who would like to discuss whether Friends of Frampton Farm could form part of a learner's wider education package.

Who Can Refer?

Referrals and commissioning enquiries may come from:

Mainstream schools

Special schools

SENCOs and inclusion teams

Local Authorities

SEND and EHCP teams

Virtual Schools

Alternative Provision teams

Other education professionals

Parents and carers are also welcome to enquire; however, where a learner remains registered at a school, any placement taking place during normal school hours must be discussed and agreed with the school and/or relevant commissioning body.

What Type of Placement Can Be Commissioned?

Friends of Frampton Farm provides part-time education, typically between 2 and 12 hours per week, depending on the learner's needs, programme and agreed package.

Placements may include:

Alternative provision and re-engagement

External tuition

Practical animal care

Horticulture and land-based learning

Practical land based construction activities

City & Guilds qualifications

AQA Unit Award Scheme programmes

Individualised practical learning

Small-group provision

1:1 provision where appropriate and commissioned

Programmes can be developed around the learner's needs, interests, intended outcomes and existing education package.

Learners We May Be Able to Support

Our provision may be suitable for learners who:

Are experiencing Emotionally Based School Avoidance (EBSA)

Have reduced or disrupted school attendance

Are becoming disengaged from education

Are at risk of suspension or permanent exclusion

Have SEND or SEMH needs

Find larger or traditional classroom environments difficult

Engage more successfully through practical learning

Would benefit from a vocational element within their curriculum

Need to rebuild confidence and engagement with education

Would benefit from working towards recognised qualifications or smaller accredited achievements

Every referral is considered individually.

Our Referral & Commissioning Process

1. Initial Enquiry

The school, Local Authority or referring professional contacts our education team with an initial overview of the learner and the type of provision being considered.

2. Learner Information

Before agreeing a placement, we will request relevant information to help us understand the learner's needs and assess whether we can provide a safe and appropriate placement.

Depending on the learner, this may include:

EHCP, where applicable

Current SEND/support information

Individual Education Plan or support plan

Attendance information

Relevant risk assessments

Behaviour or regulation support plans

Safeguarding information relevant to the placement

Medical or accessibility information relevant to safe participation

Current educational provision

Intended outcomes for the placement

Details of any 1:1 or additional support requirements

Information should be shared securely and in accordance with data protection requirements.

3. Suitability Assessment

Our team will review the information provided and consider whether Friends of Frampton Farm can appropriately meet the learner's needs.

As a working farm and practical learning environment, we must consider the safety and wellbeing of the individual learner, other learners, staff and animals.

Not every referral will be suitable for our environment, and accepting a referral for consideration does not guarantee that a placement will be offered.

4. Visit to Frampton Farm

Where we believe that we may be able to meet the learner's needs, we will usually arrange a visit.

This gives the learner an opportunity to see the environment and meet members of the team and allows us to consider how comfortable they are within the setting.

Parents/carers and relevant professionals may also attend where appropriate.

5. Agreeing the Programme

If the placement is considered suitable, we will work with the commissioner to agree an appropriate programme.

This may include:

Proposed activities or qualification pathway

Level of staff support

Intended outcomes

Attendance arrangements

Communication and reporting arrangements/p>

Review points

Start date

Where appropriate, provision can complement education being delivered by the learner's school, Local Authority tutors, college or other providers.

Commissioning & Funding

Placements can be commissioned directly by schools, Local Authorities and other authorised education services.

Funding arrangements must be agreed before a commissioned placement begins.

Where a learner has an EHCP or an Education Otherwise Than At School (EOTAS) package, funding must be agreed through the appropriate Local Authority process.

Having an EHCP does not automatically provide funding for attendance at Friends of Frampton Farm.

For further information, please see:

Local Authority, EHCP & EOTAS Funding →

Working in Partnership

Friends of Frampton Farm provides part-time provision and is not a school.

Where learners remain registered with a school or are attending as part of a Local Authority education package, we work alongside the responsible school, Local Authority and other professionals involved in their education.

Clear communication is important to ensuring that the placement supports the learner's wider educational plan.

For further information, please see:

Depending on the commissioned arrangement, we can provide information regarding:

Attendance

Engagement

Progress

Qualification progress

Achievements

Areas requiring additional support

Agreed outcomes

Placement reviews

Reviewing Placements

Commissioned placements should have a clear purpose and intended outcomes.

We encourage regular reviews so that the school, commissioner, learner, family and Frampton Farm can consider:

How the learner is engaging

Attendance

Whether the level of provision remains appropriate

Qualification or accreditation progress

Any changes in support needs

Appropriate next steps

Provision can then be adjusted where appropriate and subject to agreement with the commissioning organisation.

Qualifications & Progression

Where appropriate, learners can work towards recognised City & Guilds qualifications and AQA Unit Award Scheme achievements as part of their placement.

These can provide meaningful evidence of progress and achievement and may support future progression into further education, college, apprenticeships, training or employment.

Safeguarding

Safeguarding is central to our provision.

Relevant safeguarding and risk information must be shared with us before a placement begins so that appropriate arrangements can be considered.

Please see our Safeguarding & Wellbeing page for further information about safeguarding at Friends of Frampton Farm.

Discuss a Referral

Professionals do not need to know exactly which programme a learner requires before contacting us.

If you think a young person may benefit from attending Friends of Frampton Farm, please contact our education team for an initial discussion.

We can explore the learner's needs, intended outcomes, current education package and potential provision before deciding whether to progress to a formal referral.

Email: education@framptonfarm.co.uk

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