Additional Learning Support
Supporting Every Student to Achieve Their Best
At Christ the King, we believe every student deserves the opportunity to thrive academically, socially, and personally. Our Additional Learning Support (ALS) Department is dedicated to providing tailored support to help students overcome challenges and reach their full potential.
Why Choose Christ the King’s ALS?
- Individualised attention tailored to each student’s needs
- A supportive and inclusive environment
- Opportunities to build academic, social, and life skills
- Commitment to developing confident, and independent learners
We are proud of the progress our students make and the positive impact the ALS department has on their lives. If you have any questions or would like to learn more, please get in touch!
Accessibility, Inclusion, and Equity
We are committed to creating an environment where every student feels valued, supported, and empowered. Accessibility, inclusion, and equity are at the heart of everything we do.
We work closely with students, parents/carers, and staff to remove barriers to learning and ensure that all students have equal access to education and opportunities.
Our goal is to nurture a community where diversity is celebrated, and every student is given the tools they need to succeed.
Our ALS Area
The ALS department is based in a dedicated, well-equipped area designed to be a safe and welcoming space for all students with additional needs. It is always staffed with experienced team members ready to offer support with coursework and other learning needs.
The area includes a variety of learning resources tailored to different styles and needs, as well as a sensory room providing a calm environment to help students regulate and relax.
This supportive environment encourages students to build confidence and independence in their studies.
What We Offer
Our experienced ALS team provides personalised one-to-one sessions to address individual learning needs. Whether it’s help with understanding classroom material or developing specific skills, we’re here to support each student’s unique journey.
Our ALS team is specially assigned to support students working alongside them in lessons to support access to teaching and learning.
Success in English and Maths is vital for future opportunities. Our targeted workshops focus on building confidence and improving skills in these core subjects, helping students prepare thoroughly for their GCSE exams.
Building strong social skills is essential for life beyond school. Through engaging activities and group sessions, we help students develop communication, teamwork, and confidence in social settings.
Our unique ALS Café is more than just a space – it’s a hands-on learning environment where students develop important life skills. Running tea and toast mornings for staff, students gain valuable experience in organisation, teamwork, and customer service. All proceeds from the café go to a chosen charity, fostering a spirit of community and giving back.
Trips and Visits
We believe learning happens both inside and outside the classroom.
The ALS department organises exciting trips and visits to enrich students’ experiences and broaden their horizons.
Previous trips include:
- A week-long residential trip to Kingswood
- National Citizen Service programmes
- Visits to the cinema
- Educational trips to The Migration Museum
These trips provide opportunities for personal growth, team building, and new learning experiences.
Student Progression
Our students consistently demonstrate excellent progression after leaving Christ the King. The majority go on to university, while others pursue apprenticeships or employment.
We work closely with the careers team to support students in making informed choices and planning their next steps, ensuring a smooth transition to further education or the workforce.
Student Testimonials
John has secured a place to study Social Science, Community Development, and Youth Work at Goldsmiths University this year. He recently delivered a keynote speech at the Lewisham SEND Conference held at Greenwich University, presenting in front of 300 attendees.
John’s Testimonial:
“My name is John Agyekum, and I am a student at Christ the King’s Emmanuel! That’s until I’m about to leave soon enough and start university in September this year, but it has been wonderful being in this sixth for college. I want to share with everybody the wonderful opportunities that this school has given me and how they have helped me in the long run as well. It has been a privilege being a member of the Additional Learning Support community. It is a welcome place for anyone who is looking to make friends and socialise with others and there’s also so many activities to do there such as board games, drawing, colouring, gaming and many more that you can enjoy there. I always went there every day and was expected to show up by other people too. That’s not all though, because there were a lot of Learning Support staff who stuck with me and stayed by my side throughout helping me in my journey and making me who I am today. Those teachers were Ms. Mohamed and Ms Banaz. There were so many other ALS staff and teachers, and they helped me a lot throughout my years at CTK. They have helped me to believe in myself, keep pursuing opportunities and to keep going, which is why I have a developed a can-do attitude, even when I am faced with the hardest of challenges. Thanks to my time spent here, I am now feeling confident that I’ll do very well in university and push myself to achieve absolute success. As I mentioned, I’ve had several opportunities that I took on to build my confidence such as going on residential trips which meant being away from my family it was so much fun and I would love to do this again. Additionally, I’ve even done a speech at Greenwich University, where I explained that I’ve gotten the right support within sixth form and what is next for me. My family and I agree that I made the right choice in coming to Christ the King as it has an excellent ALS department that has helped me to be successful and reach my goals.”
Shannay is progressing to her final year of Level 3 BTEC Health and Social Care. She is the ALS Student Council Representative for the Emmanuel site and has been a strong advocate, successfully representing the voice of ALS students at her site.
Shannay’s Testimonial:
“I started at Christ the King in 2023 on a Health and Social Care BTEC Level 2 course. I am now coming to the end of my first year of the Health and Social Care Level 3 course and have one year left to study. I am currently applying to study Psychology and Counselling at the University of Greenwich. I aim to either go into teaching or counselling when I graduate from university.
The ALS room at Christ the King has been beneficial to me as it offers a quiet place to study and the staff there are very supportive, helping me to achieve with the best grades possible. They have done this by giving me extra support in my lessons, which has definitely given me an advantage and helped me to succeed in my studies. Being a member of the Additional Learning support community has helped me grown in confidence; I have represented my fellow ALS students at School Council meetings as well as at the Champions of Inclusion event at Catford Civic Centre I have also sung solo in the CTK choir. My favourite trip with the ALS department was when we went to see Inside Out 2 at the cinema, I enjoyed it because I got to socialise and meet new friends.
I would recommend Christ the King to students who want to attend sixth form, it is like a home from home, and I have really made progress here.”