Welcome to the

Turnshaws School

2003-2004

Prospectus

Turnshaws Avenue

Kirkburton

HD8 0TJ

Tel: 01484 222760

Fax: 01484 222761

e-mail: office.turnshaws@kirklees-schools.org.uk

website: www.cabletel-schools.org.uk/turnshaw.special.school

Head teacher - Gill Taylor

Chair of Governors - Ray Parker

Dear Parents and Prospective Student

We have pleasure in introducing you to our very special school through our school prospectus.  It has been written to provide you with information, some statutory, about the school and to give you a clear overview of the day to day activities, which the school provides.

Choosing a school for your child is very important and cannot be undertaken by looking at a prospectus in isolation.  We will be happy to arrange for you to visit the school so that you can see the excellent provision that would be available for your child if you were to make Turnshaws your choice.  Other information such as The Early Years Handbook and The Post Sixteen Handbook are available for you to look at.  These books will show you the progression that your child will make when moving through the school.

This prospectus provides basic information about the school, our aims, vision, curriculum and activities. Please feel free to contact me or any member of staff to discuss anything about the school. There will also be an opportunity for any parent to visit if necessary.  We look forward to meeting you.

Gill Taylor

Headteacher

2003

Turnshaws School Aims

To provide a relevant education through which the Early Years Curriculum, National Curriculum and Post 16 Curriculum are broad and balanced and accessible to all our pupils

To provide a safe environment for all staff and pupils

To promote the spiritual, moral, cultural, intellectual and physical development of pupils in the school and to prepare them for the opportunities, responsibilities and experiences of adult life

To encourage and develop personal interest, choice and decision making for all our pupils

To provide appropriate opportunities and challenges for all pupils

To provide a consistent approach by promoting Equal Opportunities for all pupils and staff

To develop positive relationships with parents and carers in a secure partnership at all levels of school life

To recognise everyone as being unique and to respect and value each and every member of the school

Our Vision

The winning line doesn't matter; it's who we take with us

The Staff

Administration

Nursing Provision

We have direct contact with the paediatricians at Huddersfield Royal Infirmary and they come into school for medicals and support.  The school nurse can be contacted at any time during the school day, please do not hesitate to telephone her.

Peripatetic Therapy Support

The School Day

Turnshaws is a day special school established and maintained by Kirklees Metropolitan Council.

There will be up to 5 pupil occasional holidays which you will be notified about.  If new Government initiatives are developed i.e. the Literacy Strategy Key Stage 3 etc additional days training could be taken.

Public Examinations

The school offers opportunities for pupils with severe and profound learning difficulties.

During the current year no pupils were assessed by National Curriculum Standard Assessment Tests.

No pupils were entered for public examinations over the past year.

Attendance

Transport is provided through the home to school transport.  There is therefore no pupil truancy.

The figures below are provided by the DfES.

Charging Policy

As required by the 1988 Education Reform Act, all activities within the school are provided free of charge. This also includes activities outside school hours if they are necessary for the study of the Foundation Stage Curriculum, National Curriculum or the Post 16 Curriculum. Parents are invited to make voluntary contributions to support these activities.  Students will be treated in the same way whether or not their parents choose to contribute and no student will be excluded from activities.  Parents on Income Support or Family Credit qualify for a subsidy for day visits.

Admissions Policy

Children are usually referred to us through the process of writing or revising a Statement of Educational Needs.  This is the responsibility of the Local Education Authority although as parents you may have instigated it yourselves.  You may wish to contact the Pupil Support Services at Civic Centre 1 tel. 01484 - 221474. Many people may be involved in the process of statementing, some of these professionals being doctors, educational psychologists, teachers from previous schools, Portage to name but a few.  Any parent considering admission is welcome to visit the school to see its provision, meet the staff and chat to the pupils.

Our School

Turnshaws is situated in the village of Kirkburton, which is about five miles from the centre of Huddersfield.  It is set in a rural situation but has many vibrant links with the immediate community.

Our Ofsted Report described the school as follows:

Turnshaws is a very good school with some outstanding features.  It provides a high quality of education for all its pupils enabling them to make good progress in all areas of their learning and development.

Turnshaws is a day special school for children with severe and profound learning difficulties.  Our children and students range in age from two to nineteen years and they all have very special needs.  Their learning difficulties cover a wide range from those whose profound disabilities demand a high level of care including medically recommended support through to those who despite their difficulties attain a self-reliance which enables a high degree of social independence. We have eight classes.  Each class has a teacher and either a Nursery Nurse or Educational Teaching Assistant.  We have support from numerous agencies including Speech Therapy, Occupational Therapy and Physiotherapy.  We also have a visiting teacher from the Hearing Impaired Service and Visually Impaired Service.

We promote inclusion for all pupils through social and educational interaction, community involvement and links with mainstream schools colleges and nurseries.

Medical Issues

The school has a full time nurse.  She is responsible for giving out medication to the pupils whilst they are in school.  She is also in school to offer advice to the staff regarding the medical condition of some of the children.  When your child starts at school the nurse will give you all the necessary information regarding the medical support which your child may need.  Some children in school have gastrostomy or jejunosomy feeds.  The gastrostomy feeds take place during the lunchtime period so that they can enjoy their lunch with their friends. A lunchtime assistant, nursery nurse, educational teaching assistant or a teacher will oversee the feed.  The nurse is very much involved with the procedure also.

The nurse will attend medicals in school and co-ordinates visits from the dentist, opthalmists and audiologists.  She liases with the professionals and will act on your behalf if you are not able to attend.

Your child's paediatric consultant will visit school on a regular basis but you are always invited to contact the school nurse if you have any concerns about your child.  She will be able to offer advice, or may refer you to a consultant.  At any time you can arrange to come into school to see the nurse and if you feel it is appropriate they can be present during reviews.  If you need to send medications into school we ask if they could be sent via the wallets which the escorts have on the transport vehicles and that they are clearly labelled with the correct instructions.

Our Curriculum

'The curriculum of the school is well planned and thorough.  It reflects the National Curriculum and a Developmental Curriculum.  It is a broad balanced and relevant curriculum.' (Ofsted)

The curriculum is the course of learning and we consider our pupils to be individuals. Through close observation and assessment we are able to give each child a personal and relevant approach to the curriculum which will be built around developmental guidelines. Within the framework of the National Curriculum your child will work within a particular Key Stage. These Key Stages are as follows:

If your child is in The Early Years they will follow a curriculum based around their individual needs. The Foundation Stage - as the curriculum is called - begins when your child reaches the age of three.  The Foundation Stage prepares your child for learning in Key Stage 1 and is consistent with the national curriculum.  They will then move through Key Stages 1,2 3 and 4.

In order to allow teachers to plan effectively and for children to be provided with a high level of quality teaching and learning the Equals curriculum which we follow at Key Stages 1 - 4 provides the necessary access into the National Curriculum.

Your child's class teacher will be assessing your child regularly and reporting all progress made to you. At the time of writing this prospectus we have no pupils who would be assessed on the Key Stage Assessment Tests.

The sporting aims for the children at Turnshaws are outlined in the PE Policy and Schemes of Work.  Sporting aims are addressed in an individual way with each child depending on their needs.  Sporting activities include riding, swimming, hydrotherapy, trampolining and gymnastics.

The Creative Arts at Turnshaws are blended within each child's Individual Education Plan.  They include art, music, and drama.

Music Therapy

A music therapist currently works at Turnshaws School for one day each week. Parents may request that their child attends music therapy sessions, and will be asked to fund part of the cost of sessions, with the remainder funded from the school budget. Parents are encouraged to discuss their child's use of the session with the therapist either through home-school books or via the telephone. A report outlining the child's therapy sessions is made for each Annual Review.

Individual Education Plans

Every child in the school has an Individual Education Plan (IEP).  This plan is draw up by the teacher through close liaison with yourself and other appropriate professionals.  The plan has a specific format and sets out a number of realistic targets for your child over the year.

Reviews

Every child who has special educational needs has an annual review of the provision that is made for them.  Each year we provide you with a School and Review Report and invite you to come into school and discuss it with the people directly involved with your child. You will also have the opportunity to meet other people who work with your child. Some of these may include an educational psychologist, the speech therapist, the school nurse, the occupational therapist to name but a few.  If however, you feel that you require lengthier discussion then we can arrange another perhaps, more formal review.  If your child is under 5 years of age they will have a six monthly review and when you child reaches 14 they will have a Transition Review which begins to plan for their future career after leaving school. The Leavers Review takes place in your child's final year at school.  At this meeting the choices available for your child on leaving school will be discussed.  We introduce your child to this link a long time before they leave so that they are familiar with their new environment.

Reporting Progress

The Report, which you receive, will give you thorough details of your child's work and progress.  It will refer to experiences and attainments in each of the National Curriculum subjects and also Religious Education. Your child will be constantly

assessed by the teacher involved.  In addition to the report your child will have a Record of Achievement book.  This record usually consists of photographs and examples of work to illustrate the experiences, which have provided your child with opportunities to learn. Every child in the school has an individual video which provides evidence of progress which is then monitored by the school. The school is always happy to discuss curriculum matters with parents.  The LEAs documents relating to the Education Reform Act (ERA) (1988) and arrangements for making complaints about the curriculum under section 23 of the ERA can be viewed at the school by contacting the head teacher.

Personal, Health and Social Education

'Provision for pupils' personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is excellent. All aspects of pupils' development are provided for through the school's daily life and a wide variety of special events and activities" (Ofsted 2002)

The school places great emphasis on the personal health and social development of its pupils.  Our aims are:

·        to promote and support the personal development of the individual emotionally, socially, physically, intellectually and spiritually.

·        to educate individuals as active and responsible members of several communities which include the family, the school or college, locally, nationally and globally.

·        to support the process of teaching and learning by developing personal and social skills, building self-esteem, valuing others and promoting positive attitudes.

·        to support the process of teaching and learning by developing personal and social skills, building self-esteem, valuing others and promoting positive attitudes.

The personal and social development of a child is part of a very complex web of experience drawn from everyday life.  The school recognises that approaches must respond to individual experiences highlighted accordingly to individual needs.  Each child's programme of personal, health and social education is then the subject of individual pastoral consideration and support.

The schools approach to Sex Education is that its general principles should be included within the overall cross-curricular approach to topics.  It is however; recognised that particularly in their adolescent years our pupils will need individual guidance.  It is always the intention of the school to consult parents and other carers at such times.  Parents have a right to withdraw their child from Sex Education lessons.

School Routines

The school day starts at 9.15am and finishes at 3.30.  If your child is absent from school due to illness, medical appointment etc. we would appreciate a note or telephone message from you otherwise an unauthorised absence will be recorded.

The lunch break is from 12.00 - 1.30pm.  During this time your child will receive individual attention whilst eating/being fed and if appropriate they will follow an individual feeding programme. The school meals are provided by the Direct Service Organisation (DSO) and are cooked and delivered from Kirkburton Middle School.  Your child will be offered a choice of main courses and there is a salad bar.  For children who have specific dietary needs the DSO will provide the necessary food.  Money is collected on the first day of the week and should come into school in a named purse or envelope - the correct amount is appreciated.  Cheques should be made payable to Kirklees M.C. From September 2002 this cost is £1.30per day.

Some children will be entitled to free school meals.  Applications should be made to:

Education Social Work Office

Upperhead Row

Huddersfield

HD1 2JL                    

School Activities

Some activities take place out of school time, i.e. visits to the theatre, music festivals, concerts, etc.  This year, the whole of the school is involved in a massive project with BBC Radio Leeds – Voices.  This project will take place over a three month period and there will be live broadcasts from many areas around Kirkburton, including Shelley High School and Almondbury High School. We are also hoping to take groups of children on residential holidays.

Some pupils, particularly the older children, meet together in the evenings to go to a wide variety of venues.  These include the cinema, restaurants, Ten Pin Bowling etc.

Many professionals visit the school to provide additional enrichment to the curriculum.  Over the past year we have had musicians, composers, a theatre group, storytellers, poets, mime artists, actors to name but a few.

Working with Parents

We believe that co-operation between school and home is absolutely essential and so welcome parents and carers into school at all times. Some parents come into school and work on a voluntary basis and others help with outside activities such as swimming and horse riding.  If you feel that you would like to come and help in school, have a chat with your child's class teacher or with myself. Our partnership with parents has been described as outstanding both in the quality and depths of links and in terms of the commitment to partnership these reflect.

We have a parents' support group which meets in the Parents Meeting Room in school.  If you would like any information about this group, please contact Martine Lindley or Julie Harty at school.

Home - School Agreements

This agreement is a statement that explains

·        the school's aims and values

·        the schools responsibilities towards its pupils

·        the responsibilities of the pupil's parents

·        what the school expects of its pupils.

The home-school agreement helps to secure the partnership, which we have with all our parents.

Positive Behaviour

Behaviour and relationships in the school are good.  Our pupils are friendly and courteous and we are extremely proud of this.  They show respect for each other and for property.

We have set basic rules and contracts in the school and in the class groups which we hope the children will adhere to.  If for any reason a child presents us with a problem the matter will be discussed with the child and the class teacher. You will always be informed either by a phone call, a letter or through the Home School Book.  Good behaviour is constantly praised and classes have reward systems for this.  We also have 4 House Groups in the school and each child contributes to their House.  The House Groups are Mars, Milky Way, Galaxy and Magic Stars.  The school has a Positive Behaviour Policy, which is available for parents to read.

Assemblies

In addition to their lesson time the children take part in three school assemblies each week. One of the assemblies concentrates on children's achievement during the week and pupils are given certificates of merit.  The collective worship assembly provides a time for positive messages, celebration of achievement and reinforcing our collective identity.  Sometimes individual classes will lead the assembly through music or drama.  The messages transmitted during the assembly are of a broadly Christian nature and parents who wish to withdraw their children are asked to write to the Headteacher.  If you do wish your child to be withdrawn, support will be provided for them during this time.

Religious Education and Collective Worship

Religious Education is taught throughout the school and is structured to meet a balance of factual knowledge and spiritual development.  The Kirklees Agreed Syllabus is used and this forms part of each child's entitlement as required by the 1988 Education Act.

The Early Years and Primary Base focus on one faith - Christianity.

The Middle Base also looks at Christianity in more detail and introduces Islam when appropriate.

The Post 16 Group continues with Christianity and Islam but other faiths may be introduced if it is felt appropriate for the individual children.  This may be taught through festivals e.g. Diwali.

Parents have the right to withdraw their child from RE and Collective Worship by contacting the school and alternative provision will be given to their child during this time.

Collective Worship is addressed in each child's class and also in whole school assemblies each week.

The school has no religious affiliation.

'There are exceptionally good opportunities for pupils to develop their social skills. Virtually every pupil benefits each week from at least one link with a mainstream school, college or other provision." (Ofsted 2002)

School Links

All children have access to other classes in the school, where appropriate activities are taking place.

Inclusion opportunities include the following: