Greenfields Specialist School for Communication

Special Education Needs

Greenfields School is set in its own grounds in the Kingsthorpe area of Northampton. Our accommodation offers a friendly environment and provides many modern facilities for our students. Facilities include our fully equipped music and drama studio, the sensory room and our hydrotherapy pool which all provide the latest in visual and sensory stimulation. We have a recently completely refurbished library. There are many other facilities and resources that are designed so that we are able to offer our students the best opportunities for their learning and personal needs to be met. At Greenfields we teach National Curriculum subjects, R.E. and Personal, Social and Health Education and Citizenship. We offer relevant curricula, therapies and experiences supported by a multi-disciplinary approach. This enables students to develop essential social, physical, communication and academic skills, which build upon their strengths, in order to lead as full, satisfying and independent lives as possible. We aim to: • Provide effective education to meet the individual needs of students and develop their skills and knowledge through broad and relevant curricula. • Promote and develop active partnerships with students, families, staff, governors, professionals, friends and the community. • Develop students’ understanding of society and the community, including the development of social awareness, codes and conventions. • Prepare and guide students in their transition from school to their future lives. The curricula, which are central to fulfilling the school aims, are designed to be flexible with particular emphasis on the needs of the individual. We aim to provide a curriculum that is relevant, challenging and meaningful based on five elements: • The need to communicate with others. • The need to develop self-awareness and independence. • The need to understand their environment and the world in which they live. • The need to be creative and appreciative of creativity in others. • The need to better understand their life. Access to the National Curriculum is offered to our students through a variety of approaches including the Literacy Strategy and Numeracy Strategy. This enables each individual student to benefit from the wide range of learning experiences that the National Curriculum has to offer, modified in a manner, which is appropriate to each of our individual student’s interests and ability. This means that some of our students may attend specific lessons on the core and foundation subjects whilst others will experience the National Curriculum on a multi-sensory level. All of this is reinforced with an emphasis on the use of whole school cross-curricular themes. The Post 16 course is a preparation for students for adult life. We introduce students to and prepare them for their next placement. The final years at school have particular emphasis on extending individual development in living skills and self-care to enable students to be as independent as possible. We encourage students to develop their skills through an experience of work. For some students this will be by taking responsibility for a task within the school environment and for others a work placement, partnered by a member of staff, in the local community. Our Young Enterprise project develops business skills giving students the experience and responsibility of developing and selling products. Students work towards nationally recognised accreditation at an appropriate level. Greenfields is well staffed with opportunities for all staff to develop their skills in SEN and specialist areas. In addition to the teaching staff, teaching assistants support the work of the school with a minimum of one in each class with many classes having more according to the needs of the students. Staff receive training for a variety of health, welfare and health and safety issues. The school is further supported by site and office staff. School meals are cooked on-site and additional lunchtime staff are available to support students during meal and leisure times. Greenfields School provides specialist teaching for students within the Autistic Spectrum. Two classes, grouped by age, offer a high staff to student ratio and are organized using TEACCH principles. This approach provides a structure that aims to develop the independence of each student using programmes tailored to meet their individual needs. The multi-sensory impaired unit provides appropriate specialised learning environments that minimise the effects of dual impairment and maximise the opportunities for learning and consider the impact of the environment on the learning of the deafblind student. Curriculum delivery uses specialised deafblind techniques, which focus on the development of communication, and self help skills. Technological aids are used to develop communication and staff use different methods of communication. These include adapted body signing, objects of reference and raised Moon text. The enhanced curriculum includes specialist learning programmes, independence and therapeutic support. The school has a policy of total communication so that every child’s individual communication skills are recognised as an integral part of their educational life. Alternative and Augmentative communication methods including the use of technologies are a feature of the school. We have close links with other professionals from Social Care and Health. These include a full time school nurse and physiotherapist and speech and language therapists attend the school at least once a week. As part of a joint social services and education project social workers are based in school for part of the week. Occupational therapists, wheelchair technicians, staff from the Visually and Hearing Impaired Services and the education welfare officer visit the school. A weekly orthotic clinic is held in school and the community dental service visit annually. Staff from Connexions attend student’s transition planning meetings and are closely involved with students and families. Quetionnaire details completed by GSG.

Interpreting catchment maps

The maps show in colour where the pupils at a school came from*. Red = most pupils to Blue = fewest.

Where the map is not coloured we have no record in the previous three years of any pupils being admitted from that location based on the options chosen.

For help and explanation of our catchment maps see: Catchment maps explained