Victoria Education Centre & Sports College 12 Lindsay Road Branksome Park Poole Dorset BH13 6AS
Victoria Education Centre & Sports College prospectus
T: 01202 763697 F: 01202 768078 www.livability.org.uk/victoria Victoria Education Centre & Sports College is part of Livability, one of the UK’s largest disability charities. We work to create choices for disabled people and bring life to local communities. Livability offers a wide range of services to around 8,000 disabled people and their families. As well as Victoria Education Centre and Sports College, we also run Hinwick Hall College in Northamptonshire and Nash College in Kent. These both specialise in education and therapy for young people with special educational needs. We also run residential care homes and services that support people in their own homes. Our wheelchair accessible hotels and holiday homes are based in some of the UK’s most popular tourist destinations.
Central office: 50 Scrutton St, London EC2A 4XQ Tel: 020 7452 2000 Fax: 020 7452 2001 Email: info@livability.org.uk Web: www.livability.org.uk Livability is the operating name of Grooms-Shaftesbury, a company limited by guarantee. Registered charity no: 1116530 Livability is the new face of John Grooms and the Shaftesbury Society
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ACHIEVING THROUGH BELIEVING
Welcome
Welcome to Victoria Education Centre & Sports College Victoria is a residential special school for young people aged from 4 to 19. All our students have physical disabilities or complex medical conditions and many have additional needs including communication difficulties, learning difficulties and sensory impairments. We have a good reputation and we enjoy strong relationships in the local community. We welcome diversity in culture, religion and ability and we value the contribution that every child and young person makes to our school. In 2007 the Department for Children, Schools and Families awarded us specialist status as a Sports College with information communication technology (ICT). Not only is this based on our equipment and facilities, but I believe it reflects our school's commitment to excellence and to providing the best education possible. Choosing a school is a daunting task for any parent. You obviously want the best for your child. Although this prospectus tries to convey a flavour of our school, nothing gives as good an impression as a visit. If you think that Victoria is the place for your child, do pay us a visit - we are always proud to show off our school. Or you can see for yourself at www.livability.org.uk/victoria
Chris Davies Principal
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Our philosophy Philosophy
At Victoria we believe 01
the individual young person must be at the centre of all that we do. Every student must be respected, valued and nurtured, and their voice must be heard.
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learning is the key to students' future lives. We believe that successful learning comes from skilful teaching, an innovative and personalised curriculum and from a real partnership with families.
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learning should be fun. We emphasise the development of self-esteem and confidence.
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everyone's achievements should be recognised and celebrated.
We want our school to be ONE
A warm, welcoming community of students, parents and staff. We want to offer support and opportunities for personal growth and lifetime learning for all.
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A place that prepares students for their future lives. We teach students the skills, knowledge and confidence to enable them to gain as much independence as they possibly can. We help students to make choices and provide opportunities for them to become part of the wider community.
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A place where everyone is respected and where everyone works at and develops good relationships and friendships. Our school must be a safe place for learning and fun, where we support students' emotional, social and spiritual development.
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A place where our students can receive an education that meets the highest expectations. We provide an exciting curriculum which meets each student where they are and provides them with challenges and opportunities for growth.
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LIFE
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Learning
Learning at Victoria The curriculum We provide a broad and balanced curriculum, which is accessible to all our students and provides smooth progression and continuity from the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) through to post-16. The whole curriculum offer includes the National Curriculum and additional elements incorporating enrichment opportunities, cross-curricular themes, learning outside the classroom and out of school hours learning. The aim is to offer students a curricular experience which enables them to develop the skills and competencies to live a full life and realise their potential. Our school is based on Christian principles and we promote the values of enthusiasm, curiosity, creativity and determination, encouraging every student to participate actively in the life of our school and community. We value the achievements of all students and strive to ensure that they achieve success in all aspects of their learning. We offer an impressive range of sporting and out of school activities alongside an enhanced creative curriculum designed to nurture the students' confidence and self-esteem.
Enrichment All our students are encouraged to express themselves to the best of their ability through sport, drama, music, dance and art. These activities, and many more, play a huge part in their personal and social development. Each day, the welcome programme offers an exciting, flexible, individualised 30-minute session, when students can work on 'core skills' and prepare for learning.
Our weekly Learning Enrichment Activity Programme (LEAP) gives students the opportunity to choose from a range of enrichment activities such as African drumming, rebound therapy, fitness and film making. We offer educational visits plus recreational, social and physical activities. Each year our students stage a production. Sporting, drama and music events feature strongly, as well as art and design which is an important part of our curriculum.
Progress through the curriculum On admission, each student will undergo a comprehensive multidisciplinary baseline assessment. This is linked with their Statement of Special Educational Needs and will identify the student's needs and priorities for learning. Students' progress is closely monitored throughout the year to inform planning, to keep account of the range of experiences covered, to celebrate achievements and to provide information for reporting. Annual and transitional reviews ensure that every student reaches his or her full potential and continues to receive the correct level of support.
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Support for Learning
Secondary department (Key Stages 3 and 4)
Wherever possible, students are taught in appropriate Key Stage groups. Each teacher works with a Lead Learning Support Assistant (LLSA) and Learning Support Assistants (LSAs) in small class groups.
Students are offered an appropriate range of National Curriculum subjects. The Centre offers a range of qualifications and awards including GCSEs, Entry Level Awards, ASDAN, National Arts Award and Sports Leaders Awards. In addition, a key emphasis is placed on the development of life and work-related skills.
Every student has an Individual Learning Plan, setting out their needs, goals and priorities. These plans form the basis for all our teaching. They are reviewed on a termly basis to make sure that each child is catered for and that achievements are celebrated. The therapy teams offer an integrated service supporting students within the classroom and working alongside teachers and LSAs. Therapeutic intervention supports students with their communication, abilities and physical wellbeing, all of which are paramount in enabling successful learning. All teachers consider the Every Child Matters outcomes when planning their work. Students' awareness of the outcomes is encouraged through termly activities.
Learning
ICT access The use of computer and assistive technology plays an important role in helping students access the whole curriculum. All students are assessed when they first join the school to ascertain what ICT equipment and specialised software would best enhance their learning. As a result, each student has their own workstation which has been customised to accommodate their individual needs.
Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) The Early Years Foundation Stage can set a firm foundation for a child's education. With lots of play and fun, we help students to develop vital skills - from creativity and communication to self-confidence and making friends. At the same time our therapy team works focuses on developing mobility. An EYFS profile involving the child, parent and teacher is undertaken to map progress.
Primary department (Key Stages 1 and 2) The emphasis at this stage is based on a thematic approach to learning. In addition to more formalised English, maths and ICT, all children benefit from swimming, games and music. At these Key Stages, therapists continue to work alongside teaching staff and support students in the classroom. Emphasis is now placed on mobility and sitting posture. There is also a focus placed on the students accessing the curriculum following an ICT assessment which is updated and amended through Key Stages 3 and 4.
Post-16 The post-16 department is based in Carmel House, a large separate Victorian building set in beautiful wooded grounds adjacent to the school. Students spend between one and three years in post-16 education at Victoria. Subjects on offer include: exercise studies, music technology, photography, personal and social development, and functional skills in English, maths and ICT. These are available from NVQ entry level to level two. We understand the importance of learning life skills at this stage, so also place emphasis on independent travel training and home management.
Sex and relationships education Sex and relationships education is taught within lessons like science, personal and social health education (PSHE), independent living skills or religious education. As well as these set occasions, we ensure that individual students have opportunities to discuss these issues with nurses, support workers, voluntary external visitors and even past students who may be able to offer useful information. Parents have the right to withdraw their children from the teaching of sex and relationships education if necessary.
Social and Emotional Aspects of Learning Social and Emotional Aspects of Learning (SEAL) is a concept which encourages students to explore their feelings and relationships in a safe environment. The government has set out key themes to follow and we adapt these for our students' needs. Older students learn about themselves in relation to the wider community and develop skills such as communication and negotiation.
Religious education Religious education is taught from a Christian standpoint using our local authority's agreed syllabus. We use both lessons and less formal learning opportunities to ensure that students learn about and respect religious beliefs other than their own. Assemblies are an important part of our school day. Parents have the right to withdraw their children from RE lessons and from assemblies by written request to the principal. We can also make arrangements to attend religious services for students of other faiths.
Work-related learning and careers We provide a guided, realistic and flexible careers education programme to enable students to make decisions about their future in further education, training or employment. Visits to industry and work centres are organised to meet the needs of each student. Where relevant, students are given opportunities to experience work placements. A Connexions personal advisor visits on a regular basis to help students plan for further education, training or employment.
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Living at Victoria Victoria has flexible residential facilities for students. We can accommodate weekly, fortnightly, termly and 52-week boarders. We re-registered as a children's home in 2007. There are four residential units, one of which is multi-sensory and one is a respite or short stay-unit. The accommodation is of a high standard and most students have a single room with an overhead hoist. There are shared lounges with snack-making facilities. Our bathrooms and toilets have all been adapted and one of our kitchens is also fully adjustable. We encourage students to decorate and personalise their bedrooms. We work hard to ensure that residential students keep up good communication with those at home. Students' key workers facilitate communication between parent and student through communication books, telephone calls or via web-cam. Each residential unit has web-cams available for use. There are many activities for residential students to get involved in, both in and out of school. Students attend external activities such as Girl Guides, youth clubs and drama groups. Other hobbies include shopping trips, bowling, cinema visits and meals out. We also invite young people from mainstream schools to join our activities to encourage reverse integration and understanding. Living
Our residential staff are well-qualified and experienced. They provide a high level of support which is available around the clock. Our staff rotas ensure that there is a qualified nurse awake and available to help any student 24 hours a day.
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Respite We are registered as a children's home and are able to offer short-stay accommodation to any of our students. We organise sleep-over weekends for friendship and peer groups. We believe that planning leisure time is an important life skill, so staff work with students to make great weekend plans. At the weekend, students have access to all the school's facilities, as well as minibuses which can take them to local attractions and activities. Our respite service is flexible and can be accessed through direct payments, agreement with local social services departments or privately.
Safeguarding our students At Victoria, the safety and wellbeing of each of our young people is at the heart of all we do. Every student has a number of people that they can turn to for help or to communicate their worries and concerns. Each child has a caseworker who helps to coordinate communication between the child, their family, therapy teams and teachers. We also have a clear complaints procedure and regular visits from independent professionals who can hear any concerns students may not feel comfortable sharing with school staff. Students also have access to on-site counselling and a psychologist if these services are of use. We follow the Dorset County Council safeguarding policies and Livability guidelines and all staff are trained to safeguard our students. We have designated safeguarding officers to deal with students' concerns. Living
We want to ensure that the school is a safe, nurturing environment for each one of our students.
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Sports at Victoria Victoria was recognised as a specialist sports college by the Department for Children, Schools and Families in 2007 and in 2009 OFSTED, the Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills, called our sports “outstanding�. This would be a great achievement for any school, but we are particularly proud to be one of the very few special schools with this award. Physical education and sport have long been strengths of our school. We believe that disability should be no barrier to sport, whether for fun or at the highest levels of competition. For this reason, every student is encouraged to get involved in a whole range of sports and activities, all tailored to their abilities. Victoria has fantastic sports facilities that include a large sports hall, a fitness room, soft play area and swimming pool. We have plans to further develop these facilities in the coming years by adding a specialised outdoor sports area and rebuilding the swimming pool. After school and at weekends, we offer an extensive programme of sports which includes: athletics, table cricket, dance, boccia, hockey, and both ambulant and wheelchair football. As London prepares to host the Paralympics in 2012, there is real excitement among staff and students alike. Our dream is to see students past and present competing as part of Team GB. In a society which often pities or patronises disabled people, having medal winners and record breakers within our school raises everyone's confidence and aspirations!
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SPORTS
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Sporting links Sport gives us great opportunities to make links with the wider community. Not only are we able to share our facilities and expertise with others, but students benefit from building relationships with their peers in mainstream schools. We work particularly closely with a number of local schools, arranging joint sports events and activities. As part of our commitment to nurturing young leaders, older students visit schools and day centres to help coach disability sports. Sports open an exciting door to travel. Students from as early as Year 1 go to take part in regional and national sporting competitions. Residential experiences boost students' confidence and self-esteem. As well as competitions, pupils take part in Duke of Edinburgh expeditions and outdoor activity weeks.
Sporting successes Our teams and individual athletes are very successful, with students regularly competing at local, national and international levels.
Competitions
Level achieved
Table cricket
National Champions: 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006 and 2007
Kielder Challenge (an outdoor teamwork competition linked with a mainstream school)
National Champions: 1998, 2000, 2005 and 2009 Team unity award: 1997 and 2001
Sports
Athletics
Students regularly win medals at national level and have even set national records
London Mini Marathon
Students regularly compete A Victoria student won the event in 2008
Boccia
Students compete in local, national and international competition, regularly achieving podium places
Football
Junior and senior teams regularly play both ambulant and electric wheelchair football
Swimming
Students take part in local and national swimming galas and regularly place highly
Dance
Students take part in local festivals and regularly have opportunities to perform
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Therapy and medical Victoria is more than a good school. Our on-site therapy teams mean we can offer holistic support - meeting students' ongoing health and physical development needs. The teams are based at the school, so we are able to plan students' appointments to fit into the school day. One of the real strengths of our school is the communication between staff from different disciplines. This means a physiotherapist can advise a teacher on how a particular student can sit more comfortably in lessons. Or a speech and language therapist can discuss a child's communication skills with the support worker who helps them get dressed in the morning. Every new student has a series of assessments which form the basis of their individual plans. These plans are used by therapists to focus on each individual's needs, supporting them to reach their goals and become more independent.
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Physiotherapy The physiotherapy team at VEC offers a needs-led service offering both individual and group treatment sessions and hydrotherapy where appropriate. Each student is allocated a physiotherapist who is responsible for designing a treatment programme; they liaise with classroom staff regarding standing programmes and seating positions. Our aim is to integrate physiotherapy techniques throughout the whole school day, enabling the students to achieve maximum independence and increased functional skills. The physiotherapy department comprises two main treatment areas. Skilled physiotherapy staff carry out individual treatments and group sessions using a wide variety of equipment. This includes a gait analyser which allows children to be properly assessed when walking, as well as 'BABs' which simulates horse riding. Regular clinics are organised and run in the department; these include orthotics, wheelchair services and visiting consultants. There is a daily pain clinic and lie-downs are encouraged at lunchtime. We are all aware the positional change is vital. Orthotic clinics run fortnightly with full involvement of the physiotherapy staff. There are also termly clinics with a specialist orthopaedic consultant as well as half-termly wheelchair clinics. The opportunity for students to be seen on site reduces the need for outpatient appointments and enables both therapy and parent input. The swimming pool is heated to hydrotherapy temperature and is used by the physiotherapists to carry out movement and exercise with the children in a warm, enjoyable environment. Students will be able to move more freely, stretch muscles and joints and increase mobility, all under the careful guidance of the physiotherapy team.
Occupational therapy The aim of occupational therapy is to enable students to reach their maximum potential. As a new student, assessments are carried out in personal care (toileting, bathing, showering and dressing), feeding/drinking, hand function, splinting, accessing classroom equipment, seating, ICT, independent living skills and their sensory needs. The purpose of this is for us to gain knowledge of the student's skill areas that we can then work on together, to enable them to reach their personal goals and become more independent. Equipment may be provided or programmes established to assist the student in reaching their targets.
Speech and language therapy (SaLT) Victoria recognises that communication is the foundation underpinning all aspects of students' educational and social development. This is reflected in our 'communication charter', a bill of rights promoting communication skills across the Centre. Our speech and language therapist and assistants work closely with the education, therapy, medical and residential teams to ensure students have the best possible access to communication through an integrated approach. We respect the principles of 'total communication' and aim to promote the development of spoken language, Makaton signing, PECS, high- and low-tech AAC (Alternative and Augmentative Communication) and social use of language, as individual needs dictate. We have access to a wide range of AAC devices for assessment and loan, including the latest technology in eye gaze and environmental control.
Students' eating and drinking skills are assessed as part of the multi-disciplinary team, in close liaison with our local videofluoroscopy service and dieticians.
Rehab engineering
Nursing There is a team of registered nurses within the Centre with varied experience in children's nursing. Students who require regular medical procedures such as enteral feeding, tracheostomy care, suction, catheter-isation, stoma care etc, can all be supported on site. Students with asthma, epilepsy and allergies are carefully monitored and treated as necessary. The nursing team also organises weekly clinics for the community paediatrician, dietician and orthoptist half-termly visits, annual dental visits and community school nursing team for routine immunisations.
The school has an engineering department with a well-equipped workshop and a full- time rehab engineer and assistant. They provide support for the therapy teams (physiotherapy, occupational therapy, speech and language therapy, nursing) and teaching staff. Materials and techniques from the disciplines of mechanical, electrical, electronic, plastics and chemical engineering are utilised to provide unique solutions to the students' needs of access and interfacing with home and school environments. Existing equipment may be adapted to an individual's prescribed requirements or may involve the design, prototyping and manufacture of one-off highly specialised equipment, including seating, mobility and communication and computer access. The department also provides support for the school's residential units' equipment and technical installations alongside outreach for the local community. The department practises recycling wherever possible.
Our occupational therapists work closely with the student and their family, other departments in the school and outside agencies to ensure continuity of service.
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How to find us Victoria is on the south coast between Bournemouth and Poole. From Bournemouth take the A35 (Wessex Way / Poole Road) west and turn left onto St Aldhelms Road. Then turn left into Lindsay Road and find Victoria on your right. From Poole, take the A35 (Commercial Road / Bournemouth Road) east and turn right into St Aldhelms Road. Then turn left into Lindsay Road and find Victoria on your right.
By rail Branksome train station is a short walk from the school. Unfortunately, with stairs down to both platforms, it is not wheelchair accessible.