Provider Access Policy Statement

(To include The Department of Education, July 2021: “Baker Clause” and the Provider Access Legislation, January 2023)

Ownership:  Walton Leigh School

Date updated: 25.01.2024

Walton Leigh School fully supports the statutory requirement for students to have direct access to other providers of further education training, technical training and apprenticeships.  The school will comply with the new legal requirement to put on at least six encounters with providers of approved technical education qualifications or apprenticeships for all students that it is deemed appropriate for. This will be done as part of community learning during educational visits, targeted work experiences in school and offsite, as part of Daily Living Skills/ Work Related Learning curriculum in addition to providers attending careers events at school. As Walton Leigh School caters for students with severe and profound learning disabilities, access to these encounters will be based on individual needs of our students as appropriate.

The updated provider access legislation specifies schools must provide at least six encounters for all their students, during school Years 8-13.

• Two encounters for pupils during the ‘first key phase’ (Year 8 or 9) that are mandatory for all pupils to attend.
• Two encounters for pupils during the ‘second key phase’ (Year 10 or 11) that are mandatory for all pupils to attend
• Two encounters for pupils during the ‘third key phase’ (Year 12 or 13) that are mandatory for the school to put on but optional for pupils to attend.