The role of Area Lead is an exciting opportunity for the right person to be involved with working alongside Strand Leads to ensure classes have effective staffing and to help with day to day management of support staff.
Brookfields is a special school with 233 pupils on roll. All pupils have a statement of special educational needs or an Education, Health and Care plan and are placed in the school by either the local authority or one of the neighbouring authorities. The school caters for pupils from 2 to 19 years old with PMLD, SLD, MLD, ASD and Sensory Impairment covering a wide range of needs and abilities.
Brookfields has 3 main buildings catering for the Primary School, Secondary School and a new purpose built Sixth Form for our Sixth Form pupils. The school is situated in large grounds with areas designated for Horticulture, including 2 working allotments; one for the whole school and one for Early Years, an orchard with chickens, a wildlife area with a pond, a quiet Sensory Garden with a fountain and plants selected specifically for their sensory qualities and a Multi-Use Games Area. The school also has a hydrotherapy pool on site, a Splash Pool and 2 Sensory Rooms, one with an integral soft play area.
Brookfields is a Total Communication Environment. All staff are trained in and use daily the Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS), other visual support such as Objects of reference, photos, individual timetables and signing to support understanding. Small classes and a high level of staff support mean that pupils’ individual communication can be observed and acted upon.
Staffing is organised within each Key Stage by pupil need and is largely determined by the agreed weighting given to each pupil by the authority and school. Pupils may have an allocated member of staff working with them on a 1:1 basis or more rarely, a 2:1 basis, when behavioural needs, medical issues or sensory impairment mean this high level of support is required for the individual to access their curriculum.
Each tutor group in Secondary and class in Primary has a teacher or full time equivalent and a Specialist Support Assistant or Specialist Subject Support Assistant within the class. Work takes place on one to one, small group and whole class basis and key stages come together regularly in either a Sensory or Reward Assembly, depending on the individual’s needs.
We have a full time Speech and Language Therapist (SaLT) on site, physiotherapist and Sensory Processing Consultant as well as access to an NHS Occupational Therapist (when stipulated on a pupil’s statement/EHCP). Our SaLT team join a class for a half term period at a time to assess and advise on the environment, strategies in use, and to model best practice.
We have an Autism and Behavioural Support Service (ABSS) on site with 2 teachers with advanced qualifications in Autism available to help staff and families in supporting their child with ASD. The Head of Service is fully off timetable working with staff, pupils and families to improve outcomes for pupils with ASD.
Parents and Carers are invited to attend Progress Meetings 3 times a year to discuss how their child has settled and the progress they are making. They are also invited to the Annual Review of their child’s Statement/EHCP and other meetings such as medicals and Joint Assessment Clinics held throughout the year at school.
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