Hill House School

Hill House School is part of the Caretech Group and is a 52-week co-educational residential school specializing in the care, education, and therapy of up to 30 young people between the ages of 11 and 19, described as autistic and who have a range of associated needs. Our young people will typically have severe learning difficulties and would normally have an Education, Health, and Care Plan (EHCP). Hill House School maintains an ethos of individual learning through experience with the aim to support our young people to achieve independence and appropriate community access at their level. This approach will include fully integrated clinical and therapeutic support. Hill House has 28 residential placements and can offer the flexibility of a day placement for up to two local students.

Communication, self-regulation, resilience, independence and discovery are the life skills that we value and encourage at Hill House. We take an integrated team approach to enable our staff to support our young people to develop their communication skills, to access and practise a range of self-regulation strategies, to build independent life skills and to thrive in their time at Hill House as they build resilience whilst discovering so much of the world about us. Using a range of communication aids including Talk pads, new SMARTBOX technology, young people are consulted about different aspects of their care, from food and leisure time to home decor and off-site activities. We have a non-aversive, positive multi-disciplinary approach which is integrated across all settings and aspirations. Staff and student well-being is a priority.

Each student has an Individual Education Plan which is linked to their Education, Health and Care Plan and is drawn up with staff across care, education and therapeutic settings to encourage consistency and enable small steps of progress. Outcomes are regularly reviewed by staff on an ongoing basis, with a formal internal review with all involved parties on a termly basis during the IEP review meetings. Hill House has access to a diverse multi-disciplinary clinical team both on and off site.

Our clinical team works alongside and in partnership with the whole staff teams of care and education, providing training and support to ensure that the whole school environment is effective in meeting the therapeutic needs of our students. We aim to ensure that all areas of need and objectives from the individual’s EHCP are well provided for.

Hill House is an ‘Eco School’ and promotes One Planet Living® with a focus on sustainability and care for the natural world around us. There is a strong emphasis on nurture and respect for all, for students, staff and the environment. Hill House School is located within the village of Boldre, in the New Forest. It is just a short drive from a range of local beaches and is situated within the wide acreage of the New Forest National Park. We are close to a main line railway station at Brockenhurst with regular trains nationwide. Bournemouth, Southampton and Winchester are all within easy reach. The school benefits from a rural setting and young people access the community, which includes a small village shop just minutes away from the school campus.