The Powerhouse

The Powerhouse is West SILC's 16-19 provision, based in dynamic, bespoke surroundings.  Staff ensure that every aspect of the students' day is geared towards 'functional skills', independence and employability.

Staff have high expectations of all students and our experienced and knowledgeable staff ensure that all students grow into developed, independent, confident young people.

At The Powerhouse, each students' learning journey is based around the 'Foundation Learning Programme'.  This is focused into two main areas: 'Learning to Live' and 'Learning to Earn'.

These two strands enable students to develop their skills in real life situations.  We replicate scenarios they will enounter in their current and future life and then support and build upon these skills.  We recognise this is not only based in classroom learning.  Students access the communnity regularly to ensure they develop transferrable skills needed in the wider world.

Students are grouped and taught based on ablity, not age, with differentiated learning resources utilitsed to meet their individual needs.  Across the week, students will access three days with a Teacher the additional days are then tailored the individual’s needs in bespoke manner.This may take the form of two life skills/PSHE sessions or work experience, appropriate to the individual's learning journey..Our modern, onsite facilities enable students to develop skills in an environment that mirrors real working environments as much as possible, such as our on-site kitchen built to professional standards. 

In this instance, students across the three classes will learn about health and safety, food preperation and are supported to cook lunches for their peers.

Students learn to develop their wider independence and home management skills supporting them to build upon their personal, social and moral key skills.

At The Powerhouse, staff place a high value on students learning employability skills and due to this our range of placements and opportunities for students continues to grow each year.  This growth has enabled us to match skill sets with future ambitions to give students the opportunity to make informed decisions on future college placements and employment.

The breadth of placements includes supermarkets, computer and technology businesses, kitchens, hairdresseers, a multitude of cafes, rugby and football clubs, art and craft shops and dog groomers.  As our students move through the curriculum it may become appropriate for them to access more than one placement per week.

Students have the option of staying at The Powerhouse for a maximum of three years however each learning journey is bespoke.  Some students are ready to move onto their next stage of learning or employment after one or two years.  Some prefer to stay for longer.  There is no one journey, only what is appropriate for the indvidual.

The students at The Powerhouse work towards qualifications in Functional Skills English, Maths and ICT which range from Entry 1 up to Levels 1 and 2 (GCSE equivalent) aslo working towards accreditation in ASDAN Employability or Personal Progress.

To ensure that all students make reasoned choices about their future, staff ensure they are well supported to source appropriate post-19 destinations with college visits, applicataion forms and transitions.

Staff at The Powerhouse believe all students should leave The SILC not only with a raft of qualifications transferrable to the next stage of their life but with the confidence and security of knowlede and learned skills gained from their time at our inclusive and supportive setting.

useful links for parents/carers

future destinations our ALumni have moved onto:

parent/carer feedback about our Powerhouse site

NOVEMBER 2019