Beech Lodge School Prospectus

Welcome to Beech Lodge School

Beech Lodge School is a unique co-educational independent day school for children and young people who are unable to achieve their potential in a conventional school setting.

Founded in 2013 the school opened with only 5 pupils in a small converted barn in Hurley.

Over time we extended into a second building nearby and today we occupy wonderful spacious brand new purpose-built buildings set in a beautiful tranquil environment with extensive grounds and state-of-the-art facilities for our pupils to thrive.

At Beech Lodge we provide an innovative and nurturing approach to education for those children who require an individually tailored learning environment to reach their academic potential, build social and life skills, have access to therapeutic and specialist interventions and above all the educational tools with which flourish.

Child development and attachment theory underpin our entire school approach with a focus on the importance of relationships embedded throughout the whole school community. Alongside pupils’ academic progress, social and emotional development is a high priority at Beech Lodge and it is from here that Fagus, the UK schools-wide educational resource for emotional and social development was created.

Beech Lodge was always intended to be an alternative school, a unique high-quality setting that puts the particular needs of our pupils first. We are very proud to have successfully achieved that aim and a visit to the school will bear that out.

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Our Approach Beech Lodge is committed to providing care and education, creating a nurturing environment to foster resilience, develop a growth mindset and provide opportunities for achievement.

We accept children who would benefit from a high teacher/pupil ratio and small class sizes.

We are committed to the following areas: n n n n n

Emotional and social development Educational development Development of communication skills Physical and sensory development Independence and life skills

We have three provisions at Beech Lodge:

Nelson

Lionheart

Our Nelson pupils may have social & emotional difficulties, adverse childhood experiences and negative experiences of school which have impacted on their emotional wellbeing and ability to achieve their academic potential. These children may have been bullied, misunderstood, have high anxiety levels, sensory and communication difficulties and require a very nurturing and empathic approach.

Our Lionheart pupils have a diagnosis of Specific Learning Difficulties such as Dyslexia and Dyscalculia.

They will have good social skills and may be working 1-2 years behind their peers academically. They may have low self-esteem and lack of confidence which affects their motivation to learn.

Nelson pupils may require therapeutic interventions for attachment and trauma-related difficulties as well as Speech & Language, Play and Occupational Therapy.

Classes in Nelson are no more than 8 pupils with one teacher and one teaching assistant in each.

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Beech Lodge School | Prospectus

We enable and empower these children to understand that “great minds think differently” and give them an appropriate and tailored curriculum to follow at their individual academic levels. Lionheart pupils are taught

by Dyslexia / Dyscalculia specialists and may require Speech and Language Therapy and Occupational Therapy.

Classes in Lionheart are approximately 10 pupils with one specialist teacher and one specialist teaching assistant.

individual timetables, 1-1 attention, specialist support and therapeutic interventions such as Play Therapy and CBT.

Nelson and Lionheart pupils have classroom learning separately but enjoy play time and activities such as Art, Drama, Music, Yoga, Food Tech, Outdoor Learning and Sport together.

Classes in Meadow are bespoke sizes with the maximum size being 6 in a class. However due to the nature of the provision many children work individually or in pairs with teachers, pastoral staff and TA’s.

Meadow

Therapy

Sometimes pupils come to us who are unable yet to join either Nelson or Lionheart and need a little longer to transition into the main school. Their negative school experiences may have led to school-refusal or long school absences. These children may not be ready to integrate into the busy flow of established classes and need gentle re-introduction into the school environment with care, empathy and understanding. Meadow pupils may require

At our Therapeutic Hub pupils can access Speech & Language Therapy, Play Therapy, Music and Art Therapy and we have a fully equipped Occupational Therapy room. We have an in-house Clinical Psychologist who oversees the delivery of therapeutic interventions which may also include anxiety-related therapy and CBT.

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Our Curriculum The curriculum has been adapted to interest pupils, capture their imagination and enable them to learn in realistic settings with special importance placed on practical learning and creativity.

We take account of the National curriculum with an emphasis on literacy and numeracy with cross-curricular links across subjects.

Our Facilities We are deeply committed to improving both the educational opportunities and employment profiles for our pupils. We offer a range of externally accredited, nationally recognised qualifications to all pupils. We offer GCSE, ASDAN, AQA Unit Awards Schemes and Wider Key Skills.

Our brand new purpose built school set in 10 acres of land has excellent facilities with great opportunities for children to explore and grow. n n n

Pupils participate in vocational courses including Construction, ICT, Animal Management and Land Based Studies. Work related learning is provided with local businesses and includes work experience placements.

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Vision, Ethos and Values Vision Our vision is a school community that provides our pupils with the opportunity to be truly accepted, understood and supported. We prepare our pupils to become effective members of society and leave us with the range of skills, experience and qualifications to enable them to successfully transition to the next stage of their lives.

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Beech Lodge School | Prospectus

Well-appointed

classrooms with high-tech equipment 1-1 classrooms, chill-out and break out spaces Dance and Sports Hall Life Skills and Food Tech facility Art, Science and Music Rooms Transition Hub with therapy rooms Extensive grounds, play equipment and playing fields Outdoor learning classroom and facilities Well stocked lake

Ethos

Values

We create an environment which is nurturing, supportive and responsive to the individual needs of our pupils and their families.

At Beech Lodge we model the following values to develop pupils’ social, moral and spiritual characters:

At Beech Lodge, every day is a new day; acceptance, empathy and good humour is embedded throughout our school approach.

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Acceptance Tolerance Responsibility Positivity Integrity Humour Friendship

We achieve these values by teaching the importance of being part of a wider communities.

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We fondly refer to our pupils as “sparky square pegs in the round hole of education�. We give them the round hole in which to fit.

Admissions At Beech Lodge an open and honest Family/School relationship is vital to ensure your child gets the most from their time at school and for all of us to feel confident that we are working towards the same realistic goals.

We want you to be absolutely sure that we will be the right school for your child and so all admissions are based on informal interview, assessment and meeting with the team.

To find out more about Beech Lodge School or to arrange a visit go to www.beechlodgeschool.co.uk Call us on 01628 879384 or email: admin@beechlodgeschool.co.uk

Beech Lodge School Stubbings Lane Henley Road Maidenhead Berkshire SL6 6QL