Stormont House School

At Stormont House School, our staff, students, parents and governors work together to provide a nurturing learning environment that develops students’ talents as well as targets their individual needs. The support of the whole school network enables students to overcome barriers and achieve their personal best.

Our Sixth form provision offers our students an opportunity to continue to achieve in their studies and to experience the wider world of work. Stormont House School Sixth Form supports and prepares students for their future progression and transition into employment and independent living through its offer of extended and supported work experience and work-based learning. Students continue to have access to our strong pastoral support and careers advice.

Stormont House School is pleased to welcome you into our Year 12 and we wish you every success for your studies and your future. Students at this school have complex and inter-related special educational needs to the extent that their ability to learn, thrive and develop in a secondary mainstream setting is significantly affected. The vast majority of students arrive on secondary transfer from mainstream primary schools.

Although students’ social communication, emotional and social development needs may impact on their behaviour at times, the school is not appropriate for conduct disorder or other emotional and behavioural difficulties that present an ongoing significant risk to others.

Some of our governors are parents/carers, some are staff, and some come with a range of experience in business, the creative sector or the local community. The whole governing body is crucial to the success of the school and holds the school leadership accountable for the progress of students and the quality of education provided. Having a governing body with a wide range of backgrounds allows different points of view to be heard as we try to improve the school still further. Sometimes the governors have to make difficult decisions about budgets or choosing priorities for the school. Ofsted's judgement is that our governors provide exemplary support to the school.

After school clubs are usually open to all students and are free to attend.Students interested in attending a club should request an application form from Reception which must be completed and returned to Mrs Tracy Napier. Students can only start attending a club once their place has been confirmed.

The Internet and other digital and information technologies are powerful tools, which open up new opportunities for everyone. Electronic communication helps both teacher and pupils to learn from each other. These technologies can stimulate discussion, promote creativity and increase awareness of the context to promote effective learning. Children and young people should have an entitlement to safe Internet access at all times and all our students are required to follow the school Actable Use Policy.

The school operates several levels of internet filtering to ensure pupils enjoy positive and safe internet use and Staff are able to control and, if appropriate,make a record of students computer use.In the controlled environment of school we endeavour to promte the benefits that communication through digital technology can give them, increasing their knowledge and their general understanding of the world.

The school currently has places for 120 students. There are two classes of 10 pupils in each year group, covering Years 7 to 12 (ages 11-17). There are 20 places in each year group.Each class of 10 pupils is taught by a teacher and a Teaching Assistant (TA). In some cases there may be two Teaching Assistants if any students in the class have an ongoing physical condition that affects their learning, or require transitional or additional support agreed with the relevant Local Authority. This structure differs from the primary mainstream model of an individual Learning Support Assistant attached to particular student for a certain number of hours, and allows students to be grouped flexibly in order to meet their needs. There are sometimes additional adults working alongside the teacher and TA, for example creative professionals, specialist sports coaches or speech & language therapists.

As a parent or carer you will be aware of the importance and influence of digital commutation. Your children use it to view content, socialise and interact using a range of devices. It is understandable to be concerned about the unexpected risks they may have to deal with online.

All students follow a rich, broad and balanced curriculum that includes National Curriculum.Students are usually taught in classes of 10, there are 2 classes in each Year Group. Each class in every year studies English; Mathematics; Science; Art & Design; Design Technology; Food Technology; Personal, Social, Health & Citizenship Education (PSHCE); Physical Education (PE); Humanities (History and Geography); Religious Education (RE); Music; and Computing & Digital Expression (CDE).Spanish is studied in Year 7, Philosophy is studied in Years 8 & 9, Social Communication lessons run in Years 7 & 8.

Not all of our students needs can be met in the classroom by teachers and teaching assistants alone. A large number of students need additional specialist support at some stage, and we work closely with other agencies to provide this. Sometimes students are withdrawn from lessons to receive this support or follow a tailored programme, but it is equally important for specialists from other disciplines to work with teachers and other staff to tailor the current learning environment to meet an individual or a group need that bit better. Our speech and language therapists, in particular, focus on this in-classroom support rather than withdrawal methods. Some of the Multi-Disciplinary Team (MDT) are based in the school, while others, such as OT and physiotherapists, visit the school to assess and set programmes to be delivered by school staff.