Our school offer

The multimodal approach is used to support communication at our school. Using a mixture of signs, symbols and speech, pupils can access and develop their communication skills. The daily use of Pragmatic Organisation Dynamic Display (PODD), supports the signs and symbols element, helping pupils to communicate a wide range of topics eventually leading to pupils using a larger vocabulary of words.

This is markedly due to the support of staff, who are trained in teaching and supporting pupils with autism, and who continue to learn and extend their knowledge to meet the needs of our children. This has helped us to cultivate a culture of support and has proved to provide pupils with a safe environment and a real sense of belonging, resulting in them making strides in progress. 

We actively encourage our pupils to take part in meaningful opportunities for them to share views, hopes and their experiences through Pupil Voice. Each class votes in a class rep, who meet each term, where they also represent the voice of their peers. By actively participating in conversations, they develop their social skills so that they confidently contribute to the school community by entering conversations with the school’s Senior Leadership Team, where they discuss, negotiate, and even manage budgets.

As a school, we are all too aware of our environmental footprint which has resulted in the formation of Eco Warriors, a group of pupils who meet each term to take action and save the planet. The team are often found maintaining the school grounds by picking up rubbish. They have also planted herbs and have an ongoing campaign of encouraging everyone to switch off lights and turn taps off.

Our diverse community, made up of pupils and staff, is the perfect backdrop to introduce and learn about different cultures from one another and feel comfortable and safe while exploring the topic. We also experience different cultures through food and field trips, allowing pupils to be more aware and respectful of others and recognise that we are all different.

To make pupils more socially aware and, in turn, more accepting of the people they live and learn alongside, the school community comes together to celebrate awareness days, religious and cultural events, fundraise for charities and welcome visitors.

Our small community of girls come together to attend Girls Club. The weekly club offers pupils the opportunity to develop friendships while taking part in pupil-led activities, such as coding, hosting parties, and anything they would like to experience. The time together is also an opportunity to discuss growing up and puberty; permission from parents and carers is sought for the topic. Additionally, the sessions are data-led, highlighting the developmental needs of pupils which teachers consider when facilitating activities to close the gap in learning through play.