Description
Oliver House School is Independent Secondary school in Not applicable for kids aged 6 to 19 (Gender - 6 to 19 )
Oliver House School is an independent specialist school for boys and girls aged 6 to 19 who have mild, moderate and severe autism and associated complex learning needs, behaviours that may challenge and/or associated anxiety.The school offers a warm and welcoming environment, where a positive education allows all pupils to experience success. The ethos was created on the belief that a positive, supportive and achieving culture is essential for creating an outstanding school that meets the needs of young people who previously have had negative school experiences. These pupils need an understanding environment in which to rediscover success, self belief and re-engage with learning.
Facilities
Stage 1
At the heart of the curriculum at Oliver House School is a focus on addressing the triad of impairments and sensory issues (as shown in the central blue area of the curriculum map). Addressing these issues first ensures that a young person is regulated, ready to learn, communicate and that their behaviour is manageable.
Stage 2
When the central issues have been addressed and they know how they are going to work with the young person, they can then progress the individual’s care and learning plan to incorporate autism specific strategies (shown in the second yellow banding on the diagram).Oliver House School has staff qualified in specialist approaches to autism, including ABA and TEACCH. They actively encourage all the staff to participate in SCERTS training and Intensive Interaction training for those working with children with very severe learning difficulties that struggle to engage with the world. The Social Use of Language Programme is run in-house by our speech and language therapists and the Alert programme helps young people with regulation to get them in the right space for learning.
Stage 3
From GCSEs, College to Duke of Edinburgh. These tailored activities include business and enterprise, travel training and transitioning to college. The curriculum model offers a high degree of flexibility. If, at any point during their placement, a young person has difficulties, they can focus support back onto the core elements (coloured blue in the diagram) as these underpin everything we do here at Oliver House School.
Features
Things to note
Built with the individual in mind
The main school building is split over two levels, with the upstairs catering for young people with high functioning autism and the downstairs designed for those with more complex needs. There are a number of sensory rooms around the site, including a dark room and a ball pool area, as well as a spa bath, play room and outside play area. There is also an indoor exercise area with trampolines and exercise bikes which the young people can use.
Individual classrooms
Each student has their own classroom which they are encouraged to personalise; they can decorate it according to their preferences and needs, such as having a microwave in the room if they have anxiety around food or a radio playing music if they are particularly sensitive to noise.
Off-site activities
Every pupil at Oliver House School has their own highly individualised curriculum, developed in consultation with the young person themselves and their parents/carers. The plan includes details of any activities they have chosen from the wide range of options offered by the school in the local community.
Outcomes-focussed activities
The activities programme at Oliver House School is an integral part of each pupil’s personalised learning curriculum and feeds into their individualised learning plans. There will be personalised targets set around each activity e.g. swimming may involve targets around going with a peer or going to a public pool. We ensure that everything we support a young person to do is helping them take a small step towards their targets and often this can be accredited through AQA.
Extra Curricular
Please check the school website link for details.
1.26 miles
