WELCOME TO THE GRANGE SCHOOL
The Grange School in Thatcham is an independent, co-educational school that provides day placements for children and young people with autism.
The Grange School is an inclusive school that celebrates diversity and recognises that every child is different and unique. We pride ourselves on offering a nurturing environment where pupils feel supported, safe and confident to take risks within their learning in order to grow and flourish. We are committed to treating all members of our community with empathy, understanding and respect.
The Grange School supports children and young people in key stages two to four who experience difficulties associated with autism, social, emotional and mental health development, speech and language development, or who may have been exposed to trauma and/or adverse childhood experiences. Our pupils may also have additional developmental needs, that impact their ability to access a mainstream provision.
At The Grange School, we provide an enriching and exciting curriculum for of our pupils to enable them to access their education successfully and to achieve their long-term aspirations. We are committed to championing difference, encouraging curiosity and developing creativity in all pupils in order to foster a lifelong enthusiasm for learning.
We include opportunities for our pupils to explore and develop their individual passions and interests and to find success in areas of personal strength; this will include academic subjects, sports and learning outside the classroom.
We believe that our school is an inspiring environment that encourages pupils to develop enquiring minds, high personal expectations and an understanding and respect for others. We recognise that individual development, including self-esteem and self-respect, are essential for enabling our pupils to lead happy, successful lives. We aim to ensure that our pupils develop into caring, happy, confident and adaptable young people, equipped with good academic skills, and an eagerness to continue developing their academic and social skills into the future.
The Grange School adopts a restorative approach, where therapeutic practices are at the center of all that we do. We aim to create an atmosphere where the Phoenix Learning and Care ‘HEART’ values of Honesty, Empathy, Aspiration, Respect and Teamwork are woven into everything that we do for our pupils and their families.
Rebecca Shaw
Head Teacher
- Smaller class sizes of: 1 teacher, 1 teaching assistant & 4/5 pupils
- 35 place co-educational school
- In-house integrated therapies team
- Key Stage 2-4
- 1:1 support available
- Broad, balanced and engaging curriculum
DELIVERING OUR ETHOS AND VALUES
At The Grange School, our ethos and set of core values are at the heart of all that we do.
Our values of ‘nurture’, ‘flourish’, ‘grow’ and ‘be kind’ not only guide our bespoke programmes of learning and personalised curriculum, but also underpin our day-to-day interactions with each other as members of our school community and our wider work within the local community.
We believe that by creating a school culture where kindness is key and the individual needs of our pupils are central to every decision we make, we can:
Nurture our pupils, tailoring their individual curriculum to best support their educational, social and emotional needs.
Support our pupils to flourish, creating a supportive environment which helps them to feel safe, encouraged and confident.
Provide our pupils with the perfect conditions to enable them to grow throughout their school journey, and beyond, equipping them with the skills and experiences required to achieve personal success.
We work closely with our pupils, their families and professionals to create bespoke programmes of learning which are tailored to the educational, social and emotional needs of all pupils, supporting them to reach their full potential. Our personalised curriculum acknowledges the national curriculum and meets the individual needs of our pupils, whilst also supporting them to meet the outcomes identified in their Education Health and Care plan (EHCP).
To achieve this, every pupil has individualised plans, outlining their strengths and areas of need, and how we can best support them, and a personalised Learning Journey to plan their curriculum pathway throughout their time at The Grange School. Our goal is to provide access to the best possible academic, social and emotional outcomes as well as preparing our pupils for the next stage of their education and adulthood by equipping them with the skills required to achieve personal success and to become active members of society.
THE CORE OFFER
Our curriculum offer includes small class sizes with a maximum 5:1 pupil to staff ratio, and a primary model where pupils have dedicated key adults.
Pupils will have their own personalised learning space where they are able to grow in confidence whilst feeling nurtured and encouraged to develop as individual learners and active members of our school community. We achieve this through our inclusive multidisciplinary approach to learning and development, supported by access to our team of highly qualified therapeutic practitioners, and through our bespoke and individualised programmes of study. We also provide a comprehensive enrichment curriculum which has been carefully structured to develop lifelong, transferrable skills and to cultivate an appreciation of the environment and sustainability. This experiential based learning approach supports our pupils to develop independence and self-confidence and to successfully transition into life outside of The Grange School.
- have high expectations of our pupils.
- create a safe and positive learning environment in which pupils can flourish and grow effectively.
- provide all pupils with a broad range of subjects and qualifications, including accredited examinations, where appropriate.
- provide opportunities for pupils to develop their curiosity and knowledge through a range of enrichment activities and experiences.
- provide opportunities for pupils to cultivate their current interests in order to become more proficient in these areas.
- ensure positive home-school relationships in order to enable parents, carers and guardians to take a full and active role in the education of their children.
- We are a specialist provision that creates bespoke packages for pupils with complex learning needs.
- We tailor our curriculum to ensure that it meets the need of all of our pupils.
- We are a truly therapeutic school with an in-house therapy team who can support the special educational needs of our pupils.
- We offer a range of interventions to support pupil progress in all areas.
- We develop strong relationships with a variety of stakeholders and outside agencies in order to effectively utilise a multidisciplinary approach to supporting our pupils throughout their time at our school.
- We develop carefully structured, individualised transition plans for all our pupils to ensure that they are able to make successful transitions.
- We integrate a values-based curriculum to support our pupils with developing confidence, creativity, curiosity and self-regulation.
- We are an attachment aware school where barriers to learning are successfully addressed in order to improve the academic attainment, health and wellbeing of our pupils.
- We believe that all behaviour is a communication and aim to understand each pupil in order to effectively support them.
- We use restorative approaches to support pupils with developing the skills and mental agility they need to forge positive relationships, cope with conflict and rebuild friendships if problems arise.
- small group teaching with a maximum of 5 pupils per class.
- 1:1 and small group intervention work, transitional support and exam preparation for up to 2 hours per week.
- rigorous academic progress tracking and assessment through the use of BSquared tracking software.
- targeted literacy, numeracy and emotion coaching interventions.
- termly reports and regular meetings to discuss progress, areas for development and agree outcomes with parents, carers and guardians.
- weekly enrichment and self-esteem building activities.
- weekly outdoor learning opportunities.
- examinations and accreditation. - GCSE, ASDAN. AQA units, Functional Skills, NCFE.
- restorative approaches.
- individualised Learning Journeys
- bespoke education packages to meet individual needs and achieve aspirations.
- robust safeguarding systems, including close liaison with external agencies and relevant stakeholders.
- weekly success reports to parents and carers.
- specific learning interventions and supportive ICT equipment.
- bespoke PSHE and SRE learning opportunities to support the individual needs of pupils.
- calm and consistent learning environment.
REFERRALS & ADMISSIONS
Pupil intake to The Grange School is determined through an assessment process. Parents, carers, guardians and social workers are welcome to contact the school for more information once you have read our prospectus. We take applications at all points of the year.
- Information about the school is supplied to prospective parents, carers, guardians, social workers and placement teams via the website and by enquiry.
- Parents, carers, guardian and/or the Local Authority make an application for a place at the school.
- The Grange School’s Senior Leadership Team will review the paperwork supplied in the application and make an initial decision on whether the school is a suitable setting.
- If the Senior Leadership Team consider that the school is a suitable setting, a visit to the pupil’s current school and home will be arranged to continue to assess suitability.
- Following these meetings, the Senior Leadership Team will decide whether a place will be offered. This process should be concluded within the statutory fifteen-days unless further information is required in which case this will be requested within that timeframe.
- If a place is offered, parents, carers, guardians will be invited to the school for an initial meeting where all relevant information can be shared. The pupil will also be invited to attend this initial meeting and will be given a tour of the school, where appropriate.
- A member of the Senior Leadership Team will continue to liaise with the pupil’s previous education provision to gather additional relevant information about the pupil.
- A date will then be agreed for the pupil to commence their new provision at The Grange School.
- The Grange School will send out an admissions and welcome pack which will include information about the school for both parents, carers, guardians and the pupil.
- An individual risk assessment of the pupil will be completed prior to admission.
