Type of service: Day schools, Schools

Service URL: http://www.garstonmanor.herts.sch.uk

Garston Manor is a secondary school for students whose main presenting needs are a autism spectrum condition, moderate learning difficulty or a speech and language delay. The school offers two learning pathways, a secondary-model based route and the Differentiated Learning Centre (DLC) pathway. Students are referred appropriately based on their independence skills, communication and understanding and their achievement levels. .

Students entering the school on the secondary-model pathway are streamed into four small sized teaching groups covering years 7, 8 and 9 based on ability and needs. Students follow a secondary style timetable, with support for transition between lessons available. At the end of year 9 students are split into two teaching groups for core subjects, the rest of their timetable is dedicated to their option subjects and one day transition to college or experience of a school based agricultural course. Where necessary support from the school inclusion base, The Blue Room, is available. The Blue Room ethos is to “Dissolve Barriers to Learning”, by providing whatever support the students need to enable them to access all aspects of their education. It offers a calm safe space supporting students with their emotional regulation. .

In the DLC, there are three KS3 classes and one KS4 class. Class sizes are approximately seven in size, however they are flexible, with individual needs catered for within different cohorts of classes. The physical structure of each class is adapted to support students with autism, with the use of furniture, minimal distractions, visual aids, timetables and a predictable safe environment for all students. The communication methods used in classes are tailored to meet the needs of each student and can vary from signing, object and symbol exchange, to visual and written text. The staff have a close partnership with the speech and language therapist who assists in planning and setting targets for the students, as well as training. Links are made with the main school in the form of reading buddies, weekly assembly, shared lunch and break times and cross-curricular days. .

Aimed at: Adolescent , Child

Specialisms: Has autism-specific elements

Other specialisms: Learning disability

Level: NAS Autism Accreditation - Accredited

Year: 2017