Philip Southcote School Learning for Life
Extraordin
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“… the support we all got from teachers & staff was outstanding. With 10 pupils to a class, the small size of the school and the community spirit within this place is really more like a big family than a secondary school!” YEAR 7 PARENT
Welcome We believe every individual is unique and special and deserves the best educational opportunities; we facilitate this by providing a safe, exciting and challenging learning environment, created by a hardworking and dedicated staff team. We are proud of all our pupils and their range of achievements, not only learning, but in their social skills, their sense of fun and their contribution to the Southcote Community. We encourage all our pupils to be as independent as possible, both in their learning and in their social and personal development. We encourage you to play an active part in the school’s life and your child’s learning journey by communicating with us, joining us in special events and promoting the principle values of the school. It is only by working together as one big team that we can make our school the best it can be!
Our Philosophy The philosophy of our school is embedded in our school’s motto “Learning for Life” where we place equal importance on: • Academic Progress • Physical and Emotional Wellbeing • Enrichment and Skills for Life Every year we open our doors to new pupils and their families. We hope that through this prospectus you learn more about our school. That said, not all questions can be answered in such a short publication. Our vision is to create a Centre of Excellence with the child at the heart of everything we do. We hope you join us on our journey.
Fun
Aspirational
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Every Child Can...
Succeed
Our goal is that all our students are enabled to be active learners, to be curious and given opportunities to take risks, have fun and explore their ideas. Learning in our school does not stop at the classroom door. Our curriculum balances meeting individual needs with ensuring pupils access broad, balanced and rich learning experiences. Communication is at the heart of our curriculum and this empowers our pupils as individuals to develop the knowledge, skills and experience, which make the learning journey enjoyable and meaningful.
“A school where curiosity is encouraged, challenges are overcome and achievement is celebrated.� TEACHER
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Expectations Our school follows a values-based approach to learning which focuses on celebrations, choices and consequences. We recognise that pupils thrive in an environment that models positive relationships and high expectations. Pupils are encouraged to earn House Points/Merits by demonstrating our core values: • Trust • Respect • Responsibility • Courage • Kindness • Excellence
Every Child Is Part Of Our...
Community Our unique school is full of diversity and we are rightly proud of the therapeutic provision on offer to our community. Our Deaf Pupil Provision and Physical Development Team, offer highly personalised support and interventions and are complemented by our NHS partners, Occupational Therapy, Speech and Language Therapy and the Physical and Sensory Support Service. We provide as many opportunities as possible for our pupils to take part in stimulating and challenging activities with many pupils enjoying the Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme, school sporting matches, swimming lessons, community support group and dance and singing workshops. Our pupils are at the heart of the Southcote Community, being an integral part of shaping their own future through learning opportunities in the classroom, residential visits, clubs, being part of a team and the whole school community.
Responsibility
Sixth Form Our Sixth Form, within the grounds of Philip Southcote School, welcomes students with an EHCP between the ages of 16-19. Students will follow one of five Progression Pathways dependent upon their overall learning level. Each Pathway provides a comprehensive learning package to prepare students for adult life in the wider community, with bespoke additions of college placements and work experience to enhance their opportunities. All students focus on Maths and English and Personal and Social Education (P.S.E.) as the core curriculum. Pathway specific qualifications include Personal Progress or Independent Living which incorporates land maintenance, animal care, health and safety, food preparation and cooking and managing money. Our Wooden Spoon CafĂŠ offers students a valuable experience of food and drink preparation, health and safety in the workplace and customer service. This is run by Post 16 staff and students and is open to the general public three days a week. We pride ourselves in maintaining our environment and caring for the natural habitat. We have an established garden, where students may socialise and take part in practical learning opportunities, which ‘feed’ into the curriculum in many ways. In addition, students have the opportunity to attend residential activities each year and are encouraged to take part in regular physical activities at a variety of venues in the local community. We encourage all our students to challenge themselves and take personal responsibility to become the best version of themselves that they can be!
Therapies S.A.L.T. Direct Speech and Language Therapy (S.A.L.T.) is provided by Surrey County Council. S.A.L.T. enables our pupils to use their existing communication skills effectively and also supports pupils to develop and learn new functional communication skills. Interventions may be delivered in an individual, paired or small group basis. Please see the school website for further details regarding the therapy team.
Occupational and Physiotherapy Support The school has a Physical Development Team who work under the guidance of Surrey Occupational Therapy and Physiotherapy Service. Our team supports pupils to develop a wide range of life skills including areas of personal care, food, eating, domestic and independence skills. We encourage young people to complete their therapy exercise programmes through the use of the physiotherapy room, sensory room, in the hydrotherapy pool or by using our outdoor fitness equipment.
E.L.S.A.
(Emotional Literacy Support Assistant) We have the mental health and wellbeing of all pupils at our core, but for pupils who would benefit from additional support the school has 2 members of staff trained as E.L.S.A. staff. Areas that can be covered by our E.L.S.A. assistants include social skills, understanding emotions, bereavement, anger management, self-esteem, drawing and talking.
Sensory Room Our dedicated sensory room supports pupils to improve physical coordination and motor development. This also provides a space for ‘nurture groups’ and E.L.S.A. sessions and can be used to support pupil’s emotional regulation throughout the school day.
Courage
“Staff have great knowledge about and understanding of, every pupil and are fully committed to working in partnership with our parents and carers.� TEACHER
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Frequently Asked Questions Here are answers to what we find are the most frequently asked questions. If you have any questions that are not answered here, please do contact the school office and we will be happy to help!
Absence We are fully committed to promoting school attendance by providing an environment and ethos where children feel safe and can build positive relationships with their peers. We do all we can to encourage parents/carers to ensure children in their care achieve maximum possible attendance and that any problems that prevent attendance are identified and acted on promptly.
Attendance
Rewards
Attendance at school is critical in developing a sense of wellbeing and belonging, as well as academic success. We have high expectations of our pupils and families to ensure that pupils are attending school daily and are committing to their learning and our school values. To celebrate pupils’ attendance, we award “Outstanding Attendance� certificates each term for pupils who have made every effort in this area. This means pupils could gain 3 certificates each year!
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Special
Educational Needs
Philip Southcote School is a Maintained Special School specialising in working with children with learning and additional needs. The Special Education Needs Policy of the school, along side our S.E.N. handbook and S.E.N. Local Offer provides clear information about how we support our young people. You can find these documents on our school website. Our school staff are highly committed, experienced and trained to be able to support children who have difficulties with: • Cognition and Learning • Communication and Interaction • Social, Emotional and Mental Health • Sensory and/or physical health
Our Policies For a school to offer high quality education and care, it needs policies. Policies help us develop and define a consistent set of rules, regulations, procedures and protocols. At Philip Southcote School, we believe policies are vitally important as they help us to create standards of quality for learning and safety, as well as expectations and accountability. If you care to know more about what policies we have, you can either call the school office and ask for a copy of a policy, or go online to our website http://www.philipsouthcoteschool.co.uk and visit “Our School” and “Our Policies”.
Key Policies Some of our key policies are: • Child Protection and Safeguarding Policy • S.E.N.D. Policy • Relationship Policy (Behaviour) • Attendance Policy • Anti-bullying Policy • Complaints Policy • Online Safety and Internet Use Policy • Relationships and Sex Education Policy • Charging and Remissions Policy
Inclusive
Holidays Our school has a good level of attendance. We do not advocate holidays during term time and we expect all holidays, visits to see family etc, to take place during school closure periods. All school holiday dates are published on the school website in advance. Holiday requests during term time must be applied for in writing, using the appropriate application form, to the Headteacher. Holiday requests during term time are not normally granted except in very exceptional circumstances. If holidays are taken during term time without permission, this may result in a penalty notice and parents may be fined.
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Contact
The Office If your child in unable to attend school, please notify the school office, either by telephone or by email by 9:15am on the first morning of absence. A written note is also required if your child is unable to take part in PE. You can email the office using the following email address: info@philip-southcote.surrey.sch.uk, or telephone the school reception.
Collection If your child has to leave school during the school day we must, for safety reasons, have a request from you and he or she must be collected by an adult. Children will never be allowed to leave the premises by themselves during school hours. If they are collected during the school day, you will be asked to sign them out at the office.
Philip Southcote School Learning for Life Addlestone Moor Addlestone Surrey KT15 2QH T 01932 562 326 E info@philip-southcote.surrey.sch.uk W www.philipsouthcoteschool.co.uk School Day: 8:45am - 3:15pm
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