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 Our homes are dual registered as a children's homes and independent schools for children with special needs (Behavioural, Emotional and Social Difficulties). This means not only that we can ensure a genuinely integrated approach to our pupils therapeutic care and education but that no time is wasted in reinstating habits of regular attendance, study and achievement in children who may have experienced considerable disruption to their education. Although our children's homes and schools share sites, with the completion in November 2010 of our new school building at Hillgate Farm ("The Barn") both schools now enjoy dedicated school premises separate from the living quarters. All pupils go off to school just like their peers attending mainstream schools and follow a full school timetable of at least 25 hours per week, in stimulating surroundings. Teaching is initially delivered 1:1 by qualified the therapeutic care team. Later, as we successfully address the behavioural, emotional and social difficulties which brought the pupils to Da Capo we find that many pupils are able to return to shared and small group teaching.
We hold regular assemblies,PHSE Days, Project Weeks and other joint endeavours precisely in order that our pupils have plenty of opportunities to experience small group educational experiences alongside their 1:1 education.
Therapeutic care,healthy lifestyles and individualised education are planned and delivered in an integrated manner to ensure that each supports and reinforces the work of the other. Each pupil has a tailor-made Individual Education Programme with full access to the National Curriculum. Individual learning targets, teaching methods, materials and resources are selected on the basis of assessed special needs and abilities, preferred learning styles, pupil’s interests and contribution to the overall placement plan. Progress is systematically monitored and reported. Formal accreditation of achievement includes ASDAN and GCSEs (AQA & Edexcel). We are, of course, also able to make use of our wonderful location, environment and resources to provide a rich and stimulating curriculum for all manner of learners and learning styles. We have introduced a Forest School component to our curriculum in addition to established outdoor education such as animal husbandry, poultry keeping and market-gardening.
Copies of our all our Education Policies including Curriculum and Assessment Policies and Behaviour Policies are available on request.
Our Policy on exclusions is simply stated. We have never excluded a pupil. We do not exclude pupils.
Hillgate Farm Independent Special School had it's most recent Ofsted inspection in October 2010. The report was sent to parents of pupils and is available on request.
The Stubbs most recent Ofsted Independent Special School inspection was combined with inspection of the children's home in July 2010. Both reports were sent to parents and are available on request.
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