Oaklands College

Welcome to Learning for Independence and Future Employment (LIFE), our provision for students with additional support requirements and/or special educational needs and disabilities.

We offer a variety of full-time pre-entry and entry Level programmes, through to Level 2 courses that meet a broad and diverse range of special educational needs across the three departments.

Whether our learners begin with us in Springfield, Supportive Learning or Foundation into Vocation, our courses aim to meet the needs of students based on their individual needs, EHCP outcomes (where applicable) and specific learning style.

Our courses help our students become more independent at home, in their local community and, if meaningful to the individual, those who wish to progress into lasting employment or education at a higher level of study.

Springfield is our SLD and PNI specialist provision based at St Albans Campus. These courses are open to anyone with a currently maintained EHCP who may have significant learning, physical, communication, sensory, medical or behavioural support needs including needs that are defined within the autism spectrum range of conditions. Courses are highly supported, usually on at least a 1:1 basis, with a multi-disciplinary team approach being a core ethos across all classes.


Supportive Learning is our MLD specialist provision based at St Albans Campus. These courses are open to young people with additional needs and a currently maintained EHCP working at entry level one equivalent milestones or above, including conditions that are defined within the autism spectrum range, communication needs and behavioural support requirements.

Foundation into Vocation is the MLD and SEMH provision based at St. Albans Campus.
The department has 3 courses on offer, Pathway 4, Foundation into Vocation and Supported Internship. The courses are designed to facilitate student progression, to help them reach aspirations to study a Vocational specific course in Further Education, or to help students into Employment.
The department’s teaching, learning and assessment is specialised to facilitate academic studies for young people with a variety of educational needs, including moderate learning difficulties and/or disabilities, and conditions that fall within the autism spectrum range, students that Social, Emotional and Mental Health needs, as well as, students who have been out of education due to various reasons.

Pathway 4
Pathway 4 is a 4 day offer with a supported learning environment and a small peer group. The study programme includes Maths and English (Functional Skills and GCSE), Life skills, PDR, C&G E3 & L1 in Employability Skills, Options. This course is to help students acquire the social and academic skills to work towards progressing onto Foundation into Vocation or Supported Internship.

Foundation into Vocation
Foundation into Vocation is a 3 day offer with a leaning environment that encourages students to develop their social skills, whilst facilitating learners to acquire transferrable academic skills that can be used in a higher-level Vocational course. The study programme includes, Maths and English (Functional Skills and GCSE), Life Skills, PDR, Qualification in E3 Vocational Study.

Supported Internship
Supported internship is a full-time programme for students with EHCP’s and live in Hertfordshire. Students will be required to attend their learning Programme 2 days a week and attend work placement up to 3 days a week. The aim of this course is to gain skills and behaviours for the workplace, assisting students into Employment. This is an exit out of education, and into employment. The learning programme includes, Maths and English (Functional Skills and GCSE),PDR and C&G E3 & L1.

Young people with special educational needs and disabilities

Young people who have profound, complex or severe learning difficulty or disability.