Helen Allison School Prospectus
Accept difference. Not indifference.
Our school’s mission Helen Allison School provides high quality education and care within a safe and stimulating environment for individuals with autism. We deliver a holistic approach that ensures individuals are supported and encouraged to achieve their full potential, which will equip them with skills for life.
The school makes outstanding provision for ...spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. This is shown by positive relationships and outstanding behaviour. Ofsted 2009
Welcome
to Helen Allison School It is an honour to be the principal of this wonderful school for children and young people on the autism spectrum. We provide education for children from 5 to 19 years old and weekly boarding for children and young people from 10 to 19 years. Our enthusiastic and caring staff take the time really to get to know each child or young person who comes here. They have an excellent understanding and awareness of autism and Asperger syndrome. Using this personal and specialist knowledge we design a curriculum that meets the specific learning needs of each individual child. Our goal is to create a safe and structured environment so that each child or young person can be happy and progress. Staff have a warm and supportive relationship with the children and young people. This enables staff to work closely with them as part of a group and individually. Finding out their likes and dislikes is often the key to how they will learn best. We offer a broad and flexible range of subjects. Many of our older children take externally accredited courses, including ASDAN (work-related qualifications) and GCSEs. I look forward to welcoming you to our school.
Dr Jacqui Ashton Smith Principal of Helen Allison School
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Our approach We offer a broad and relevant education. Our structured environment meets the specific needs of children and young people with autism and enables them to thrive. Our children and young people have a range of abilities. High staffing levels means we can provide small group teaching as well as individual support. Our dedicated teachers use practical and visual aids to help develop social and communication skills. We follow the National Curriculum and break it down into modules that meet individual needs. Education should be fun and we try not to let our children and young people’s diagnosis limit them, we focus on their strengths. They enjoy educational visits in the community and many social activities. We want all our children and young people to develop skills and interests in as wide a range of areas as possible. We want them to try new experiences and widen their horizons.
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We believe in education for life and through the broad range of experiences we offer, our children and young people come to appreciate and learn from their environment. Our ultimate goal is for all of them to lead an adult life as full and equal members of society. We understand that your child’s safety, care and happiness are of paramount importance to you. We have extremely robust safeguarding procedures and practices in place and provide a nurturing and high quality environment to make sure that your child feels safe and cared for. We are committed to the Every Child Matters strategy and believe in and champion the rights of every child in our school to be healthy, safe and happy and to achieve and make a positive contribution.
The school is exceptional and has made a major difference to my child’s life. Parent 2008
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The school places great importance on the development of selfconfidence and members of staff use praise and encouragement very effectively to raise self-esteem. 4
Ofsted 2009
Our support Parents are our partners in the education of their child. We work closely with parents and provide support whenever you need it. We use a contact book to help with communication between the school, residences and home, so everyone involved knows what is happening both in and outside school. We hold parent lunches, parent/teacher consultation evenings, Parents and Friends’ Association meetings and host parent interest groups, which include some training. We welcome parents at many of our school events such as school productions, sports days and family fun days. Parents are also welcome to visit us for advice and support for any problems they may be having at home. We are always happy to discuss these with you. Your child’s progress and well-being is the most important thing to us. We work together with you to provide the best possible education for them. A parent information booklet is available from the school.
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SPELL All services in The National Autistic Society use the SPELL framework to support people with autism. It’s a unique and well-established system, developed through nearly five decades of experience by our own professionals and practitioners. We work on the principle that every person with autism is different. SPELL guarantees that individual need is at the heart of everything we do.
SPELL stands for: Structure: People with autism can find change very frightening and sometimes struggle to cope in new or unfamiliar situations. Our safe, predictable and reassuring environments and activities give people with autism the opportunity to increase their independence, develop their communication skills and reduce their anxiety. Positive expectations and approaches: We build on the natural strengths and abilities of the people we support so that their confidence and self-esteem can grow. We identify the barriers that each person faces and work with them to overcome these and achieve their goals and potential.
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Empathy: We try to see and understand the world in the same way that a person with autism experiences it. This means focusing on individual interests and preferences, understanding what motivates, distresses or preoccupies each person and using those insights to help us deliver the best possible care and support. Low arousal: We respond to people’s sensory needs by providing surroundings and activities that are calm, focused and free from clutter and distraction. By using well-established relaxation techniques and introducing new sensory experiences in a gradual, supported way, we help people increase their independence in all aspects of life. Links: The framework of support we establish for each person should carry over into all other areas of life. By developing a shared, consistent approach that links family, the wider community and other support services, we are reducing the difficulties faced by people with autism and moving together towards a world where they have the same opportunities as everyone else.
Helen Allison is an outstanding facility. Parent 2009 7
Adults adopt a calm and understanding approach and their firm and consistent behaviour management, allied to good curricular provision and close links with the boarding houses, help to underpin pupils’ outstanding personal development. 8
Ofsted 2009
Our assessment & reporting Individual education plans (IEPs) All students at our schools have an IEP. These contain details of key short-term targets and strategies for each child and are agreed, and regularly reviewed, with parents and, where possible, the child. IEPs focus on the following areas:
> social, communication and interaction > social understanding > behaviour > independence > social skills. Each pupil’s IEP takes into account the views of parents and professionals and is shared at the pupil’s annual review alongside reports on communication, behaviour and learning. Pupils who are judged to be at the appropriate academic level will take the National Curriculum standard assessment tests (SATs) at the end of key stages 1 and 2. We report these results to parents at the end of the year. At the end of each year, all our pupils are assessed in all National Curriculum subjects. The school has a system which tracks the progress of every pupil in the school.
We fully support the Government’s Every Child Matters agenda and play a part in the Aiming High for Disabled Children programme.
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Our curriculum Our curriculum embraces different aspects of traditional subjects. It is presented in ways that will interest our children and young people and delivered in a practical and structured manner. Throughout their time at our school, we encourage our children and young people to be actively involved in their own education. In the Primary Department children spend most of their day with their own teacher and support staff. There is specialist teaching in PE, music, ICT and art. Each classroom has computers, a domestic area and a one-to-one room. Young people in the Secondary Department stay in their tutor groups for daily English lessons. Other subjects, which include Religious Education, Modern Foreign Languages, Design and Technology, Art, ICT and Science are usually delivered by subject teachers. Support staff for each group move with their class.
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When a young person is 14, a transition plan is drawn up. This plan charts the direction of their education until they are 19. The Further Education Department offers a three-year modular programme. Each young person has an individual timetable. The curriculum focuses on improving problem solving and decision-making and helps develop life skills. ‘Real’ experiences in the community such as work placements also develop independent living, money and work skills. Some of our young people attend local colleges. Personal, Social, Health and Citizenship Education (PSHCE) is a key component of our curriculum at every key stage. PSHCE includes a range of vital life skills: at Key Stage 4, for example, students learn about careers and participate in work experience. With parental consent, students receive sex and relationship education as part of our PSHCE curriculum: we see this as essential preparation for growing up and adult life.
The staff are all wonderful and my son is the wonderful, confident person he is because of your school. Parent 2009
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The school excels in promoting excellent and creative methods to encourage independence. 12
Ofsted 2009
Our facilities We provide co-educational facilities for up to 70 children and young people together with weekly residential facilities for up to 28 young people. There is continuity of learning and care from primary age through to further education. The school has a large hall/gymnasium, a dining room, a range of ICT facilities, a social communication room, a well-equipped library and a careers library for our young people in further education. We offer many different activities both in school and in the community. These may include:
> regular swimming sessions at the local pool trips into the community > wtoeekly support learning > rock climbing (secondary students) kiing, water-skiing and outward bound > sactivities (further education students) > expressive arts > drama lessons. Support services Our two full-time Speech and Language Therapists work with all our children and young people in school and in the residences. They draw up a plan for each of them which outlines how their language and communication skills can progress.
They run ‘circle time’ groups for our primary children and social communication groups at secondary and further education level. They also work with small groups and individuals, where extra help is needed. The team supports parents, often sending learning materials home. They train staff and keep them up-to-date with each individual’s progress. Our Psychology department comprises an Educational Psychologist and two Assistant Psychologists, who build a profile for every child in the school. They conduct individual sessions and work in class groups at school and in the Further Education Department. They provide a night-time service at the residences and support our Short Break service. We contract an Occupational Therapist who comes into school to work alongside our staff to develop sensory profiles and curriculum support.
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Our residential care We design individual programmes for each child or young person who stays in one of our residences to ensure his or her specific needs are met. Residential and teaching staff are in regular close contact to make sure there is consistency and continuity of care. There is a high staff to pupil ratio and each residence has waking night staff. Each young person stays in a personalised bedroom. All the residences have welcoming communal areas and low arousal decoration. Computers with internet access are available for homework and leisure.
Our residences No 11 has a greater emphasis on the use of structure, timetables and visual supports and on the use of the low arousal approach. Mealtimes are ‘family’ affairs where our young people are encouraged to sit together and interact. No 12 provides a more homely environment with a domestic kitchen. This means our young people are more involved in preparing meals and have more opportunities to learn independent living skills. No 27 accommodates mainly young people with Asperger syndrome. It provides many opportunities for socialising and interaction. The environment is very homely and affords many opportunities for personal growth and development. Individual bedrooms, available to all young people, allow for personalising living space. Some joint activities are run for all young people, but the residences also tailor their activities to reflect the interests of the young people living there. A short break service is available during the evenings, weekends and holidays for children and young people with autism. Our motivated and dedicated staff create a fun, homely and happy atmosphere. Young people with short break funding can be accommodated in any building during the week. We take time to ensure the house they are based in best reflects their needs.
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There are excellent support, care and activities provided for boarders to meet individual need. Ofsted 2009
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Our admissions Educational provision: Primary school: pupils aged 5 to 11 – three classes Secondary school: pupils aged 11 to 16 – five classes Further Education Department: students aged 16 to 19 in tutor groups Residential provision: No 11: ten residents No 12: five to ten residents and short break No 27: Wendy Brown Flat: four residents No 27: Elizabeth Flat: four residents Children and young people are referred to our school by their local authority, who will fund their place here. This is in line with NAS policy and we cannot accept applications for private funding. Once we have received all the relevant reports and application forms, we make a visit to see your child at their school or at home and invite you to visit the school.
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Our admissions panel will then decide whether our school can meet your child’s needs, and if there is a suitable class and/or residential place for him/her. They take into account whether your child is compatible with the children already at our school and your child’s level of functioning, any learning difficulties and the length of journey from home to school. Children and young people are admitted when there is a suitable place for them in a compatible group rather than on a ‘first come first served’ basis. All our children and young people are diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder, but if your child has any additional needs, we will determine any adjustments that may be needed. Over the first two terms, we carry out an assessment to review your child’s progress. Once your child is at our school, we regularly review their achievements. Annual review meetings are held with parents, but we are always happy to talk to you about your child’s progress at any time.
The National Autistic Society The National Autistic Society is the UK’s leading charity for people affected by autism. We were founded around a kitchen table in 1962 by a group of parents who were passionate about ensuring a better future for their children. Today, our UK-wide network of specialist schools and education services gives hundreds of children and young people the opportunity to grow and learn in a reassuring environment, with teachers and support staff who understand their needs. For over 45 years, we’ve built our success on the principle that every child that passes through our doors is unique. Each student has their own support programme based around their needs and ambitions. Together with them and their families, we’re building the better future that our founders hoped for.
The National Autistic Society 393 City Road London EC1V 1NG Switchboard: 020 7833 2299 Email: nas@nas.org.uk Website: www.autism.org.uk Autism Helpline: 0845 070 4004 Advocacy for Education service: 0845 070 4002 Parent to Parent support line: 0800 952 0520
Helen Allison School Longfield Road Meopham Kent DA13 0EW Tel: 01474 814878 Fax: 01474 812033 Email: helen.allison@nas.org.uk Website: www.autism.org.uk/helenallison Further Education Department 12a Overcliffe Gravesend Kent DA11 0EF Tel: 01474 359281
Helen Allison School
Residences 11 & 27 Overcliffe Gravesend Kent DA11 0EF Tel: 01474 535079 Short Break Services 12 Overcliffe Gravesend Kent DA11 0EF Tel: 01474 535079
All details and information contained in this prospectus are correct at the time of going to print in 2010. We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expect all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.
Accept difference. Not indifference. The National Autistic Society is a company limited by guarantee registered in England (No.1205298) and a charity registered in England and Wales (269425) and in Scotland (SC039427), registered office 393 City Road, London, EC1V 1NG.