Prospectus 2015/2016 alderwasleyhall.com Our Vision Statement ‘We all work together to create a happy and caring environment which enables our students to learn and communicate with confidence and grow as valued members of society.’ 2 Contents Welcome to Alderwasley Hall School 4 Education and Enrichment Activities 6 Residential Provision 8 Extended Curriculum for Residential Students 9 Therapies and Specialist Support 10 Meet the Team 12 Referrals and Assessment 14 How to Find Us 15 The Local Community 17 Term Dates 18 Policies 19 General Information 20 3 Welcome to Alderwasley Hall School The choice about which school to send your child to is an extremely important one for any parent or carer. We hope that this prospectus will give you lots of interesting and useful information about why Alderwasley Hall School could be the right place. Our aim is to support all the young people in our care to fulfil their aspirations, develop their independence and equip them with the skills and qualifications needed to help them achieve their goals, now and in the future. We recognise that all young people have individual needs, and we endeavour to tailor our provision to meet need in a holistic way. Students receive support from a range of specialist staff, including one of the largest Speech and Language Therapy and Occupational Therapy school teams in the United Kingdom. We also offer a wide range of academic and Alderwasley Parents Together and the vocational courses and experiences to meet students’ individual needs and interests. School Trust We have a range of residential placements to Alderwasley Parents Together is the school’s parent support accommodate students who may live a long way from group. The group meet six times a year to network and to school, or for whom the transition of travel is difficult. share experiences. Residence is an excellent way to develop additional independent living skills, try out new activities, form The School Trust supports students to take part in lifelong friendships and have lots of fun. extra-curricular activities which they may not otherwise be able to access due to affordability. This may include taking The only way to be sure about which school is right for part in peripatetic music lessons or the purchase of clothing your child is to visit and decide for yourself. Please contact for special events such as the school prom. The School our Assessment Team who will be pleased to arrange a Trust runs fundraising events throughout the school year, visit and answer any questions you may have. including the school’s Summer Fair which takes place in July. We encourage all parents to get as involved as possible in both groups. Angela Findlay “ The school makes good provision for the Head Teacher spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of students. Within a relatively short time, students develop self-confidence and begin to understand how to relate to others. Students in the post 16 provision often demonstrate mature, adult relationships and the ability to take responsibility for shaping their future lives.” Ofsted Education 2014 4 Our Aims Our Values Our aim is to deliver the best educational provision for We promote the following values in our students: young people with Specific Language Disorders, Aspergers Syndrome and Autistic Spectrum Disorders’ Respect for others, by treating each all of whom experience complex speech, language and other well and fairly and sharing unconditional communication needs. positive regard The aim of all aspects of the curriculum is to prepare Tolerance of others, by allowing people to be students for adult life by developing the skills, different and accepting those differences knowledge and understanding which they need in order to choose, set and achieve their personal goals Curiosity about the world around us, by asking and live their lives to their full potential. Those goals questions about the world may include academic aspirations, vocational or career plans, hopes for independent living or choices of rewarding leisure and recreational pursuits, all Independence at an appropriate level, by taking underpinned by the ability to form strong social and risks and trying new experiences personal relationships. Learning as much as we are able, by trying new To summarise, Alderwasley Hall School’s aims are: things and working hard To fulfil social and communication potential We are able to offer a range of flexible placement To fulfil academic potential options, including: To provide a memorable and enjoyable experience 52 week residential – full residential care; our To fulfil independence potential sites are registered as children's homes 38 week residential – part-time residential care We strive to achieve these aims by addressing the midweek individual needs of every student through the delivery 39 to 51 week residential – where there is a need of Speech and Language Therapy programmes, to provide additional residential support to meet Occupational Therapy programmes and educational the needs of the young person and their family programmes, underpinned by high quality care Day placements provision and all driven by an individual student’s Statement of Special Educational Needs. “The school’s main aim is to ensure that everyone ‘works together to create a happy and caring environment which enables students to learn and communicate with confidence and grow as valued members of society’. It intends to achieve this ‘through high quality education and therapeutic interventions in a caring and supportive environment.” Ofsted Education 2014 “The school’s arrangements for the development of students’ life skills, working towards independence in adult life, are exemplary. Excellent arrangements for students’ transition to further education or employment are skilfully managed with an emphasis on the uniqueness of the individual.” Ofsted Education 2014 5 The school has a range of specialist facilities across the School and Sixth Form Centre sites: Education Tennis courts Horticulture area All young people will be provided with a broad, Art and design suite balanced and relevant curriculum which takes into Hair and beauty salon account the needs identified on their Statement of Life skills residential cottage Special Educational Needs/EHC plan (where Science laboratories applicable). The timetables and study pathways are Technology suite individually tailored to need, ability and aspirations. Music suite Each group of students follows a curriculum which is Swimming pool underpinned by learning, which gives them the Climbing wall opportunity to develop the skills they will need in adult Squash/badminton courts life. This means that whatever the ability of the Gym/fitness suite student, our plans and targets for that young person Kayaks will progressively develop the skills necessary to Transport fleet of mini-buses and cars function competently and confidently in adult life. The Primary Centre offers a highly staffed education The school has links with the surrounding base for young people aged from 5 to 11 years of age. community, which enhance the activities and These students are taught by a very small number of opportunities students experience while at the school. familiar staff and follow a primary curriculum. These include: At Key Stage 3, young people gradually begin to Dethick, Lea and Holloway Historical Society widen their sphere of familiar staff and access a greater Wirksworth Heritage Centre range of specialist resource bases. They are taught the skills necessary to progress on to Key Stage 4 through Local fire station access to the curriculum at an appropriate level. Matlock Pottery Workshop Carsington Water Reservoir When they reach Key Stage 4 young people will Eco and Stone Centre follow individualised timetables, incorporating a Local primary and secondary schools and combination of Entry Level and GCSE core subjects colleges (taught in academically grouped classes) along with a range of other subjects which are taught in tutor Derby Moor School is a Derby City school, rated as groups. Outstanding by OFSTED and with whom we have developed formal links. We have ever increasing Our Sixth Form Centre offers a highly individualised collaborative working practises in a number of educational, therapeutic and residential programme subject areas which currently include, aimed at addressing the transition from Key Stage 4 to Modern Foreign Languages, PSHE Art, Dance and adulthood. For further details please request a copy of Humanities. Future planning will increase joint the Alderwasley Hall Sixth Form Centre working and provide increased opportunities for Prospectus from the school office. learning and wider experiences for the staff and students who attend Alderwasley Hall and Derby Moor. Students also make use of the local leisure centre, the nearby High Peak Trail and Cromford Mill and Canal. Some of our students may develop specific interests or skills, or require particular academic achievements to enable their plans for the future. Others may have already achieved a particular qualification and want to progress to the next level of study, or study at a level which we cannot support at the school site. In these cases we identify a suitable distance learning course (e.g. the comprehensive range of IGCSEs, online distance learning) or approach the local secondary schools, with which we have strong links. We are happy to supplement our academic curriculum, where appropriate and possible, to accommodate the needs and wants of our