St Mary Magdalene Academy The Courtyard

The Courtyard vision: To offer an outstanding educational and social provision that will equip our students with the skills and experiences needed to discover and live out their potential.

The Courtyard School is a free school for students with special educational needs. The students who attend the school have a diagnosis of autism spectrum condition and/or speech, language and communication needs.

We provide a personalised curriculum for up to 54 students, aged 13-19. Each student who attends the school follows an individual curriculum depending on a number of factors, which include academic ability, social and communication skills and strengths. Due to our inclusive relationship with St Mary Magdalene Academy, we are able to offer a broad range of mainstream qualifications subject to an initial assessment.

We are also able to offer a therapeutic element to the curriculum, through our links with CAMHS, the Local Authority Educational Psychology and Speech and Language teams, the Islington Learning Disability Partnership and our on-site art therapy service. All students are provided with a keyworker to oversee all their pastoral needs.

Enrichment opportunities support our commitment to supporting the students in developing their social and communication skills. Students annually take part in the Shakespeare Schools Festival, a school residential to the Cotswolds, sailing courses at Islington Boat Club and art exhibitions.

There is also weekly enrichment clubs including craft club, chess, yoga, cooking and board games.

The aspiration for all students is to access the highest level of qualification possible whilst also equipping them with the skills to be able to live and work independently.

Please do contact the school directly to arrange a visit.

The Courtyard is a unique, supportive community made up of exceptional young people, parents, staff and governors. We know that effective pastoral care is linked to academic engagement and performance, therefore, we go to great lengths to foster friendly relationships among learners and work tirelessly to provide strong pastoral care. At the Courtyard we believe that pastoral care is the essential foundation upon which learning can take place. We have high standards of pastoral care as we believe it goes further than a basic commitment to welfare, with pastoral care extending to every aspect of school life in order to foster students’ personal development as much as academic success.

Each student at The Courtyard School has an Individual Education Plan which is written in collaboration with the school, parents/carers and the student, detailing how their emotional, social and education needs, described in their statement of Special Educational Needs or their Education and Health Care Plan (EHCP) will be met.

All students are allocated a key worker who meets with them regularly to talk about developments in their academic, personal and social lives. All pupils take part in Key worker sessions allowing them the opportunity to regularly discuss any concerns they may have with regards to their learning and development. These sessions are organised into KS4 and KS5 groups, during the sessions students follow a SCERI (social communication, emotional regulation and independence) curriculum whereby staff empower learning in each student so they become confident and independent learners. When appropriate, pupils are offered guidance and counselling to help them with all aspects of their school experience both academic and social. Any difficulties, whether they originate inside or outside The Courtyard, are tackled sympathetically and positively.

The Courtyard School holds bi weekly assemblies where the focus is on the pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural (SMSC) development and they are also an opportunity to celebrate student achievement.
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Our students also take part in individual Art Therapy sessions. Art therapy is a safe space for the students where they are offered the opportunity to create therapeutic art as a form of self-expression and personal healing. Sessions generally run on a 1:1 basis:as we feel that
it is important to provide individual students with a confidential space where they can be the entire focus of the session and work through any concerns that they may have privately and without fear of judgment. We at the courtyard understand that mental health is important; many young people have complex needs and we feel that it is imperative to accommodate these needs wherever possible. If you would like more information regarding the art therapy services offered at The Courtyard please contact Simone on: [email protected]