The Caldecott School is a non-maintained special school catering for young people with social, emotional and mental health difficulties, including a range of communication needs, between the ages of 8 and 18. Governors, senior leaders and all staff teams work tirelessly to provide a safe, stimulating and nurturing learning environment where boys and girls can develop their full potential.
In helping children build a future, we are committed to developing support networks and strategies that young people will require in today’s society. Through a personalised curriculum offer, underpinned by a holistic approach to therapeutic interventions we aim to re-engage each and every learner. Our approach supports rapid improvements in pupils’ behaviour and builds the key competencies and skills pupils need for the next stage of their learning, be that moving between a key stage, re-integration to a new school or transition to college or work.
We are proud of the outcomes the learning community achieve at the Caldecott School and the ever-growing number of pupils, parents/carers and commissioners who recognise our success in working with some of the most vulnerable children in the south-east.
I hope you’ll enjoy finding out more about Caldecott School as you navigate the website and look forward to welcoming you to our school in person.
Stacey McShane
HEAD OF EDUCATION
Together, the staff teams at the Caldecott School are helping children with a variety of complex social, emotional, and mental health needs and communication difficulties needs build a future.
Robust and effective arrangements for Safeguarding and child protection are in place across the school. Staff follow clear policies and procedures and are vigilant to ensure that the welfare, health and safety of all our pupils are given the highest priority.
Governors, senior leaders (including those with designated responsibilities for safeguarding) and staff are fully trained. This includes the use of physical intervention, administration of first aid and the management of risk across the school.
“Safeguarding of pupils and the school’s work to promote pupils’ emotional well-being are very effective.” Ofsted, March 2017
A range of therapies is a central and integrated aspect of our offer and is provided on an individual, group and sometimes whole-class basis. Therapy is an essential driver of pupils’ progress and is organised in accordance with pupils’ Progress Plans and Education, Health & Care Plans. Our therapists are fully qualified and experienced professionals who work collaboratively and seamlessly with teaching & support colleagues to maximise impact on improving pupils’ social, emotional & mental health.
Whilst we employ or commission all our therapy services directly, we work with the multitude of agencies in as joined-up, efficient and effective a way as possible. This includes local authority SEN & EHC teams, NHS colleagues and social care services
Our therapy offer includes:
ArtArt therapy is a form of expressive psychotherapy that uses the creative process of art-making to improve a pupil’s physical, mental, and emotional wellbeing. In art therapy the pupil has the opportunity to express themselves using art materials such as paints, clay, drawing on paper, mask-making and sand play.
PlayPlay therapy is a form of psychotherapy that uses play to communicate with and support pupils in their self-expression, to explore their thoughts and feelings and make sense of life experiences. Play therapy sessions may include using sand, arts and crafts and a range of toys including animal and human figurines and sensory toys.
SALTOur speech and language therapist plans personalised one-to-one and classroom interventions following assessment of pupils’ communication skills. Speech & language therapy focuses on areas including attention and listening, social communication, emotional literacy (using words to express feelings), receptive language (understanding spoken language), expressive language (using words to express ideas), speech production (pronouncing target sounds/words accurately) and speech fluency (speaking without hesitations or stuttering).
OTOccupational therapy can help pupils with various needs including their physical, sensory, cognitive and motor skills. This, in turn, can work to enhance their confidence and self-esteem. Joy looks at the skills needed for pupils to learn and complete everyday tasks. She assesses and addresses any issues that might be getting in the way. This includes, for example, one-to-one and whole-class interventions to support pupils’ handwriting, their processing of information or being able to stay calm and concentrate.
Lead ClinicianFlorianna R works closely with both therapists and teachers in order to assess our pupils’ needs, develop strategies to addresses them, and help staff implement these strategies. Dr R regularly meets with our families, providing another vital link between home and school and encouraging the consistent use of successful techniques with individual pupils.
CAMHSChild & Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) offer assessment and treatment when pupils experience emotional, behavioural or mental health difficulties. We work exceptionally closely with CAMHS, including with their specialist psychiatrists and psychologists. This enables us to ‘fast-track’ assessment, support and treatment for our pupils and their families.
Family TherapyEmotion-focused family therapy (EFFT) works to encourage parents to be their child’s behavioural coach (to support their child in their behaviour patterns and transitions) and emotion coach (to support their child to approach and manage their emotional pain) over time. The final stage is to support the parent to facilitate relationship repair between them and their child.
NVRNon-violent resistance (NVR) is an approach to working with children who exhibit behaviours that challenge (including violent and aggressive/destructive behaviours), allowing staff and parents/carers working/living with such young people to gain the strength to challenge the unwanted behaviours in a calm way from a position of strength.
We offer a personalised curriculum model that is broad, balanced and relevant to the stage of learning of each pupil. Termly projects provide opportunities for pupils to access core subjects, develop skills for life and experience vocational alternatives to the traditional academic subjects. Throughout the year teachers will provide enrichment activities linked directly to the specific topic.
Therapy is woven into this curriculum model, which is also underpinned by a ‘values based approach’, whilst pupils are given every opportunity to develop their spiritual, moral, social and cultural understanding and gain a deeper understanding of British values, preparing them for life outside of school in a diverse and modern Britain.
Exam results for Year 11 pupils (2016)
4 pupils completed examinations in the academic year 2015-2016
The Governing Body of the Caldecott School has applied to the Department for Education (DfE) to make available to commissioners, parents and carers 10 residential boarding places.
As a parent or commissioner our prospectus will help you to get a strong sense of the unique learning environment, facilities and resources of the school. However, should you need more detail please contact us by telephone, email or via the website.
