Mapledown School

Mapledown is a special day school maintained by the London of Barnet, for students aged 11-19 with a wide range of learning difficulties, including severe and profound learning difficulties, Autism, sensory and physical difficulties. We are currently oversubscribed,

Mapledown provides a holistic environment for young people and their families, and we work closely with a variety of health professionals to ensure the health and therapy needs are incorporated in our students’ daily experience. We are committed to working in partnership with our parents to maximise the potential of everyone, and to prepare our students for adult life. Mapledown is a place of learning for all members of the school's community. We aim to ensure that all our students are given the dignity of challenge, opportunities to be heard, become as independent as possible and achieve their very best. The school and its two satellite provisions have a wide range of resources to support the curriculum, including a multi-sensory room, a hydrotherapy pool, a soft play cabin, a fully equipped gym and outdoor facilities.

We are a proud school serving students aged 11-19 with Special Educational Needs. As Barnet’s only secondary school for students with Severe and Profound Learning Difficulties (including Autism), we recognise that adopting a personalised approach is a critical key for each student’s development. We invest a significant amount of time assessing the students’ needs prior to joining the school, so that we can ensure students are placed in the most suitable class and/or provision, either on our main site or in one of our satellite provisions. This approach is repeated throughout their time with us.

Each day our students bring their own unique energy into their school. In turn we ensure that they receive a high quality educational provision delivered through the immensely capable and effective hands of our staff.

We have spaces for up to 90 students on our main site in Claremont Road. The school is organised into eleven classes in three distinct ‘Learning Zones’ and caters for children with a range of severe and complex learning and/or medical needs

All students have an Educational Health Care Plan or are admitted on an assessment basis. We have developed strong partnerships with families and carers and will always place the needs of students at the heart of all we do.

Our Vision
Mapledown is a place of learning for all members of the school's community - a learning organisation. Students’ needs and ambitions are the primary reason for doing the things we do and we believe that they are entitled to our respect and dedication. We are committed to developing a genuine partnership, based on equality of opportunity, for continuous improvement so that excellence, service, innovation and progress become a reality for students, families, staff and the wider community.

Our Mission
To build on or create plans and structures which will carry Mapledown forward so that our Vision is realised. This can only work if all staff subscribe to our Vision and work for it. We will strive for year-on-year improvements in our daily work so that we create:

• A dynamic and inclusive student focussed organisation
• Processes for monitoring, evaluating end improving our effectiveness
• Well-trained staff capable of meeting every student's needs
• Teams which offer mutual support and foster collective responsibility
• A place where staff reflect and learn continuously
• A school environment with facilities to enable student learning
• A place where people enjoy end take pride in their work
• A focus for support and service to families
• A centre of excellence, which we are proud to share

Our Aims

• Develop our students' communication
• Maximise their personal autonomy & independence
• Enable students to form social relationships
• Encourage maximum mobility
• Prepare students for the opportunities, experiences end responsibilities of adult life
• Promote students' spiritual and moral development
• Broaden students’ range of experiences