Accent Nijkerk is a school for Protestant 'Praktijkonderwijs'. Praktijkonderwijs is a kind of education focused on practical education. Our school provides education for youngsters between the ages of 12 to 18 years. Our type of school is established for pupils who are not able to follow one of the regular kinds of secondary education, because of learning arrears and learning difficulties so our pupils all have Special Educational Needs. tudents who follow ‘Praktijkonderwijs’ have an overall failure in their learning progress, mostly coherent with reduced cognitive abilities (all our youngsters have intelligence quotients between 55 and 80). There can be assumed that - even with a lot of extra care - in almost all cases these students will not be able to achieve a degree in the regular system of secondary education in The Netherlands. Our students are often social and emotional vulnerable, which can manifest itself in internalizing (behavioural) problems (for example anxiety, social anxiety, low resistance, strong inhibition of behaviour) or externalizing behaviour problems (such as aggression, hyperactivity and concentration problems).

Praktijkonderwijs is for many students the last school they visit. Praktijkonderwijs does not provide a regular diploma in a particular profession. In this form of education students will be guided to work in the labor market, with or without additional support and / or facilities.

In our education, students learn through practical experiences. They learn by doing. We link theory with practical assignments and internships. The aim of our education is to lead students to work. They develop skills they need to work successful on the labour market.

In addition to work on the competencies needed participate in work, attention is paid to the learning skills that increases self-reliance. It involves social skills, but also for practical things like cooking and doing household chores. Besides that our students are introduced to various sports and hobbies. They learn how to fill their free time.

Accent Nijkerk is one of the approximately 160 schools for this kind of education in the Netherlands. Our school is a regional organisation. Youngsters from 16 municipalities visit our school.

Vision and mission

The education in our school is inspired by the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We also pay attention to matters of faith. This happens during openings of the day, the Christmas and Easter celebrations and charity actions, but also in practice. Identity is something that belongs to be deepened by experience, meeting and celebration. The identity of Accent Nijkerk is that students feel safe and find an open and warm atmosphere, are encouraged to perform well, know that there is interest in them and their relationships outside our school, in solidarity with one another and that they learn have respect for each other's views.

In our school we don't see and treat the pupils as 'pupils with learning disabilities' but as 'pupils with opportunities, who learn in a different way'. A great part of these opportunities we can provide in our education. Our education follows the needs of the student: every student has as much as possible his or her own individual programme, tuned into the possibilities and wishes of the student.

Our education aims to create the best possible way for students to develop, so that they can achieve to participate, so independently as possible, in the social life with all of its facets.

Our students receive, in most cases, only education in our type of school and thus a good preparation for future employment and participation in social life. When possible we prepare students to follow other programs after leaving our school.

Basis principle is to start with the capabilities of the student!

In Secondary Education it is often the case that the pupil follows the fixed program of a school: the student must meet certain requirements with regard to the learning and behaviour. Accent Nijkerk students do not follow an education, but education follows the pupils

Other basic principles:

- the student central of each process

- students are not in education but education follows the pupil

- parents / carers are partners in the triangle school-student-parents

- belief in the potential of young people

- mobilize the surroundings as partners in the educational process (municipal, labour market, civil society and youth organisations)

e have got 254 students in school. Most of the students live at home with their families. A part of the students though live in a home for youngsters, who have social or behaviour problems or who faced problems at home (disabuse, anger, ..). In Nijkerk there is a special home for those youngsters who also have to cope with learning disabilities. Al those youngsters living there visit our school.

There is a mix of social backgrounds. Our students all have special needs. We have 40 staff members.

Expertise:

- dealing with behaviour problems

- we have some specialised teachers according practical lessons (cooking, textile, technical work)

- pedagogic skills

- a team of coaches for internship

Courses offered

Education Accent Nijkerk consists of modified basic education (lower) career with work orientation (middle years) and preparatory work in an appropriate training pathway (superstructure). In the middle years the same areas and targets are considered in the basement, but the emphasis is more on career orientation and practice. The superstructure is based on the competency profiles' Transition education / labor practice session for labor preparation. The ultimate goal is employment support and social independence. In education, this is seen by the focus on the work areas, housing, leisure and social participation (citizenship). The core curriculum focuses on:

-Dutch and communicative skills;

- arithmetic and mathematics;

- ICT;

- Career and practical orientation (LPO);

- culture and society;

- physical education;

- English.

The curricula offered at three levels, adapted to the level of learning possibilities of the students.

The hands-on (practical) learning is offered in collaboration with the Groenhorstcollege, Corlaer College, Accent Amersfoort, The Netherlands ROC MN and MBO Amersfoort (all other schools in the region). The following practical learning / training is provided by Accent Nijkerk:

- painting;

- wood processing;

- metal processing;

- hospitality and cooking

- textiles;

- animal husbandry;

- technique;

- BVCA;

- plant cultivation;

- care;

- welding; make-up and hair;

- automotive

- working in a shop;

- cleaning;

- electro.

In addition, the following courses are offered:

- carcare;

We closely work together with organisations to help our students and families according accompanying the youngsters in any way in life. We work together with:The government and governmental departments

- Town council of Nijkerk and other municipals where our students live

- Therapists

- Social work

- The association of companies of Nijkerk

- The local police

Facilities

We have a school building with 14 regular classrooms and besides that we have a classroom for technical lessons, a classroom for lessons with textile and a kitchen. Other practical lessons are provided by other schools in the region we cooperate with. We have a garden around the school with a small glass house.

ICT and multi media

We started implementing computer assisted learning last year. We purchased a digital programme in which more and more theory and practical exercises will be inserted and which gives the students the possibility to make a digital portfolio. Working with this program is still in its infancy. One of our goals for the next years is to implement this ICT program.

Besides that we have the availability of digital whiteboards in every classroom. We have a small film studio in our school, which the students and we can use for example for making films or digital journals. This facility is available, but not in use in the last few years.

Needs and reason to run this project:

Last but not least, we are experienced in providing practical education. However, we have to conclude that that is mainly provided for preparing on the labour market. Our scores for succes on that part are very good. But we see a lack of social and general skills according to the students who leave school. They are also not fully well-grounded for being an independent citizen. We see a lack of practical skils for running a household, although that is one of the three main goals of our education! We realise we need to implement more practical activities to work on the general skills of our students. They need and deserve that in their development to an more succesfull independent life. We have a lot of facilities in school, wich are not in use now. This project gives us the oportunity to activitate the possibilities we have and achieve the goals we have as school.