Our school offer
Our aim is to provide pupils with a range of opportunities so that they can reach their full potential.
Redefining education
We redefine education by seamlessly integrating three essential pillars: education, therapy and futures. We don't just educate; we nurture support and propel our pupils towards a future where their potential knows no bounds. Join us on a transformative journey, where education extends beyond textbooks, therapy and nurtures resilience, and futures are shaped with purpose and promise.
Education
We foster an excitement and a love of learning in our pupils by following the national curriculum. Our curriculum and tasks set are challenging yet achievable, enabling children and young people to grow in confidence and prepare for life beyond the classroom. We also provide enrichment activities through educational visits and field trips to support and enhance learning experiences.
With a backdrop of our small class sizes, with no more than nine pupils per class, each child and young person receives a bespoke curriculum tailored to their needs, which is fully integrated with our social development programme.
Our commitment to a well-rounded education includes a focus on social development. Through activities that promote collaboration, friendship, social interaction, and teamwork, pupils build essential interpersonal skills. These experiences help them develop communication, empathy, and the ability to work well with others. By developing friendships and a sense of community, children and young people learn to value diverse perspectives and support one another, creating a positive and inclusive learning environment that strengthens their social growth.
The results speak for themselves as young people leave us with nationally recognised outcomes at a level that is right for them, ranging from entry-level certificates to functional skills, BTECs and GCSEs. This equips them to confidently take their next steps into further education, apprenticeships or employment.
Our outstanding offer
We provide unique learning opportunities for our pupils to help them engage with learning so that they can develop skills and grow in confidence to become proud members of our school community.
Pupils studying at Key Stage 2 and 3 who are identified as requiring additional support in their social and emotional development are referred to the appropriate nurture group. Nurture groups are supported by clinical, pastoral, teaching and support staff, who work to ensure that the right level of support is provided and goals are set to measure outcomes.
The Key Stage 2 Nurture Group focuses on supporting pupils with social, emotional and mental health needs and Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD), whilst Key Stage 3 supports pupils with ASD.
The specialised classrooms are designed to support the needs of pupils and allow for opportunities to build trusting relationships with teachers and highly trained teaching assistants, who consistently work to develop the social and communication skills, whilst also developing the resilience of our pupils so that they can progress and prepare for life beyond school.
Each Nurture Group is designed to support pupils as they continue to study the National Curriculum which is tailored and incorporates the personal interests of each pupil, enabling them to engage with learning and increase their knowledge and skills.
We have officially partnered with the Johan Cruyff Foundation, which was set up by one of the world’s greatest sporting icons. The aim of the organisation is to support and develop sports activities for children and young people all over the world.
The school’s state of the art Cruyff Court, is an all-weather pitch which supports small group sports, including football, basketball, volleyball and netball, and an additional grassed field area. The aim of the space is where pupils can grow, make friends and improve their mental health.
Our vocational offer provides pupils studying at Key Stage 4 and 5 the option to access a range of externally accredited qualifications in our simulated work environments.
The hands on experience, coupled with staff who have worked in industry, is the perfect backdrop for pupils to build their confidence and develop a host of skills that they can put directly into practice. This opportunity can help them to fully understand the nature of their chosen industry, inspiring them to reach their full potential and plan for their future career paths.
Pupils that access our vocational offer progress by either attending college or go on to successful employment with credible organisations.
The vocational offer includes the following subjects:
- Land Based Studies
- Construction
- Motor Vehicle Engineering
- Hospitality and Catering
Pupils at Key Stage 3 can enjoy taster sessions so that they too can start planning for their future careers.
The school’s dedicated area for the primary provision ensures our pupils feel safe in the purpose built setting, whilst still being very much part of the school community.
The experienced and diverse staff team ensure pupils access the National Curriculum in a personalised way, with regular interventions to increase Literacy and Vocabulary so that they are able to articulate their thoughts and feelings.
The primary provision follows a topic based curriculum which helps teaching and learning become more interesting, relevant and motivating. This approach enables pupils to make connections, transfer knowledge and apply it as they build their understanding and confidence. This has ultimately resulted in continuity and comprehension of the topics being more thorough, whilst pupils are able to apply critical thinking as they identify, categorise, compare and find themes.
The topic based curriculum facilitates the engagement of learning and discreetly allows for pupils to enjoy subjects that they previously did not. For example, the topic of Romans in Britain will see pupils exploring the Roman Empire and their impact on Britain at the time and the legacy it left future generations. In Art, pupils get creative and make Roman busts and mosaics, while in Design & Technology they build a chariot and an aqueduct. Dance and Music sees pupils create a dance/drama of an invasion and a battle. English lessons explore debating on the subjects of opposition or collaboration and in Geography they locate and understand the extent of the empire.
For some young people with special educational needs a residential boarding placement can offer the right balance of education, support and stability that will then allow them to make rapid academic progress and develop socially.
The young person will attend the school as a day pupil, benefiting from the expertise and support we offer whilst the residential offer provides a warm and welcoming environment that allows for the development of positive relationships with peers and adults. The dedicated staff team creates a family atmosphere where shared experiences provide opportunities for personal development and a sense of belonging.
Our young people live in our boarding houses and return to their home setting on a weekly or fortnightly basis.
Our strong ethos and co-ordinated approach sees school and boarding staff work closely with parents and carers to enable each child or young person to develop into confident, independent and ambitious young adults.
The approach has a strong focus on enriching each young person’s social and communication skills which enable them to make friends, engage in new activities and experiences, and move forward with an ambition to discover and learn. The school and boarding staff teams both support and positively challenge each young person to widen their scope of life experiences and encourage them to experiment and undertake a fresh challenge, which ultimately results in them improving their knowledge, skills and ability. Every pupil is guided by experienced and empathetic professionals who will be able to plan and adapt to ensure pupils achieve and succeed.
We aim to provide pupils with opportunities so that they can reach milestones in education and make progress with their emotional wellbeing and social development. The teaching, support and clinical staff team at Oversands are an integral part of reaching this aim as the expertise and drive of our professionals ensure pupils access a range of programmes so that they can flourish and enjoy learning in our inspiring environment.
Therapy
Our on-site Clinical Team provide pupils with unrivalled levels of therapeutic support, in terms of the level of expertise, the ratio of qualified therapists and clinicians to children and young people, and the range of therapies offered. Pupils have the support of our Psychiatrists, Psychologists, Therapists, Speech and Language Therapists, Occupational Therapists and other specialists as required.
We believe that unless a child or young person is able to feel emotionally safe and secure, they are less likely to fulfil their personal, social and educational potential. Our unique approach to supporting young people through our Wave Model enables them to go on to realise a future filled with aspiration and achievement.
Oversands School's Clinical Team complete thorough and skilled assessments that support a shared understanding of the complex needs we see in our children and young people. This enables us to put purposeful and appropriate interventions in place and assess our effectiveness through the tracking of outcomes and impact.
Futures
At Oversands School we are dedicated to raising the aspirations of our pupils, while also equipping them with the skills and confidence to realise outstanding outcomes.
The Futures programme inspires and connects pupils with their next steps beyond education, utilising a growing network of over 350 employer partnerships, including the likes of Microsoft, Mercedes and John Lewis, to provide outstanding experiences of the workplace and ongoing opportunities and support.
Our Futures sessions provide practical guidance on job applications, confidence-building, networking, and workplace expectations, giving children and young people the tools to navigate their career paths with clarity. Complementing this, our Futures curriculum enriches academic growth while developing personal development and career readiness, ensuring they are prepared for their chosen paths. With no upper age limit on support, the programme boasts a 100% success rate in transitioning students into education, employment, or training.