School Address / Foredown Road
PORTSLADE
BN41 2FU
Telephone / 01273 417 448
Fax / 01273 438 619
e-mail /
The school is situated in Portslade Old Village and occupies a site on the edge
of the South Downs with views over the sea and Shoreham Harbour
Downs Park School is a Community Special School maintained by Brighton & Hove Council. It currently has 93 pupils on roll aged 4 to 16 years.
The school is staffed to provide an education for pupils with a variety of special needs, who are in possession of a Statement of Special Educational Needs as defined under the Education Act 1993. The school has expertise in a range of special needs which may be associated with learning difficulties, the foremost of these being in pupils with Autistic Spectrum Conditions.
Downs Park School's outreach services providetraining and development for governors, teachers and support staff across the city. Outreach programmes are tailored to meet individual pupil and school needs.
The school has established a Special Facility at West Blatchington Primary School. Thelocal authority are formalising the service level agreement for this provision and Downs Park school will provide the training and development for the staff team and offer SEN advice and support to the school.
Downs Park School aims to be a caring community dedicated to providing a high quality education to all of its pupils of whom we have high expectations. We value all who contribute to the process of teaching and learning and seek to enhance individual development based on high professional standards, mutual trust and respect of the essential worth and human dignity of all its members.
Aims
· To create an ethos in the school which encourages our pupils to feel confident and secure and in which pupils develop their self-esteem through success and achievement.
· To broaden each pupil’s horizons through new experiences and challenges.
· To offer a broad and balanced curriculum which is relevant and challenging and is appropriately differentiated to meet the individual needs of the pupils.
· To realise the potential of every pupil and help each develop as an independent, productive and contributory member of society.
· To involve parents and support them in the care, development and education of their child.
· To extend and offer advice and support to colleagues with pupils with special educational needs in mainstream schools.
· To promote a happy atmosphere where children feel valued and learn together effectively in a spirit of equality and feeling of personal self-worth.
· At Downs Park School we strive to be a place where pupils, staff, helpers, families and other visitors will be made welcome and comfortable and where we will treat each other with respect.
· We believe that all children and young people have the right to protection from neglect and abuse and that their welfare is of paramount importance. Downs Park is a place where learning and personal development takes place in a climate of trust and confidence and where we value everyone's unique contribution to our community.
· Everyone has a responsibility for safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and for ensuring that they are protected from harm.
· All staff and volunteers working in the school have a duty to ensure that children are safe and protected and we all have a duty to ensure that if there are any concerns relating to the welfare or safety of a child the Pan – Sussex Child Protection Procedures are followed.
· We will always try to work in partnership with families but in any conflict between the needs of the child or young person and those of parents/carers or professionals, the needs of the young person must come first.
· We are committed to safer recruitment and selection procedures to ensure that all staff and volunteers have been appropriately screened prior to appointment, and to the provision of appropriate child protection training through the staff induction programme and within continuing professional development opportunities.
Prospective parents and carers are welcome to visit the school at any time. Please contact the school to make an appointment.
Pupils are placed at Downs Park by the Local Authority.
Any queries concerning admissions should be directed to
SEN Team
Kings House
Grand Avenue
Hove BN3 2LS
Telephone 01273 290000
Once a placement has been agreed by Brighton and Hove Local Authority pupils may join the school at any age and at any time.
Whenever possible we try to set up a period of transition tailored to the needs of the child.
Taxi, minibus or coach transport, is provided by the Local Authority, for those pupils who are unable to travel independently to school.
From the September following their 14th birthday some pupils are provided with bus passes to encourage them to become more responsible for their travel to school and to develop their independence skills.
Each pupil’s need for free transport is reviewed annually by the LEA.
Downs Park was opened in 1963 as The Downs School and had 5 classrooms with additional rooms for woodwork and food technology. In September 1988 the school changed its name to Downs Park.
In 2002/2003 the school underwent an extensive building programme, adding an additional floor. In 2011 more building works were carried out to provide more specialist accommodation and further changes were made during 2014.
Ground Floor· Life skills room/ large Food Technology area / · Performing Arts room for drama and music
· School hall
· Meeting room / · Fully equipped Science Lab
· Sensory room / · 2 Primary classrooms with outdoor play spaces
· Speech and Language/
Occupational Therapy room
· Library
· Toilets / · Key stage 1 ASC -
o classroom
o quiet room,
o sensory room
o outdoor area
· Offices & Storage / · Changing rooms
First floor
· 7 Classrooms, 3 of which contain a quiet room and one has its own toilet
· Design Technology room
· Art room
· Pupil toilets / · Staff room
· Learning Inclusion Support (LIS) –
o 2 small classrooms/quiet rooms
o calming room
o office
o toilet
Outside space
Outside we are very lucky to have a large playground and field where we have 2 fitness trails and a tyre park
At present the school is divided into Lower School, Upper School and ASC departments.
Lower School has five classes
· Shark Class (Years 3, 4, 5 & 6)
· Seahorse (Years 3, 4, 5 & 6)
· Turtle Class (Years 7 & 8)
· Octopus Class (Years 7 & 8)
Upper school has 3 classes
· Year 9
· Year 10
· Year 11
The ASC department has three classes
· Dolphin Class Foundation and Key Stage 1 (Years R, 1 & 2)
· Starfish Class Key Stage 2 (Years 3, 4, 5 & 6)
· Jellyfish Class (Years 7, 8, 9, 10, & 11)
At present every class has the equivalent of one full time teacher and one teaching assistant. ASC classes are more highly staffed and generally have two teaching assistants. Some pupils have a one to one teaching assistant depending on need and availability. The lower school, Foxes Class and Owls Class are taught using a topic based approach with all classes working on the same topic.
Learning and Inclusion Support (LIS) - Supporting all our students
The Learning Support Service aims to enable successful access for pupils to all areas of school life, from lessons to break times, trips and so on. We encourage pupils to ‘give things a try’ and support them when facing difficult challenges involved in growing up and being part of a school.
The support includes: anger management, assertiveness, social skills sessions, in class support etc. We have bespoke programmes for those pupils who need something additional to the main school curriculum, including mainstream experience sessions.
We work closely with families and other agencies in supporting pupils’ needs and making school successful
Dolphin class – our KS1 class (ASC)
Our specialist trained staff work towards providing the kind of stimulating learning environment that promotes key independence, social and communication skills. We provide activities that encourage children to investigate explore and learn through first hand experiences. Reception children are assessed through the Foundation Stage Profile.
Providing for success
The children follow a whole class visual timetable that helps them follow their daily school routine. This is important because children thrive in a class with good structure – as well as the clear boundaries and consistent handling that staff put in place.
We implement the TEACCH method of teaching through one-to-one sessions. Our class is well resourced, including a sensory light room that offers the chance for ‘time-out’, relaxation and interactive play-centred sessions.
Our class works very closely with the Speech and Language Therapist that works in school every week. Together, we share information on students, planning and putting into place the strategies to meet their individual targets – in class as well as SALT sessions. Children have access to other areas within the school, like the hall for PE, music and cooking rooms and our library. Close contact with parents is kept through home-school books and regular staff-to-parent contact.
Starfish class – our KS2 class
Starfish class is our Key Stage 2 provision for pupils with a diagnosis of ASC. It is a small group of pupils with a higher staff ratio than in the main part of the school
Starfish class is purpose built and has its own ‘quiet room’ – a much needed neutral space for students to use to recover from agitation, conflict or just for chilling out in.
The pupils are given opportunities to mix with the other primary pupils and attend assemblies, playtimes, lunchtimes and special events, such as concerts, days out or sports days. They also integrate in a variety of lessons depending on their needs, abilities and interests. We place a great emphasis on integration; it widens the students’ social contact and experience in a controlled and successful way.
ASC in Secondary
In the secondary department Jellyfish class provides additional support to children with Autistic Spectrum condition who require a more specific approach to learning.
The student’s classroom and learning methods are highly structured to help them focus and lessen anxiety. Pupils have the opportunity to learn in small groups and 1:1. We aim to promote independence and lifelong learning linked to life skills.
We work with individuals to reduce anxiety and support them with managing their behaviour. We work closely with parents to support with developing independence skills at school and home to prepare pupils for when they leave school. Daily contact is made with parents via home/school books and home visits are offered if needed.
Pupils are offered regular curriculum based visits and have the opportunity to attend a residential life skills camp.
Parents and Carers are provided with a curriculum map at the beginning of each term so they will be equipped to answer questions at home and also may wish to supplement their child’s education with extra experiences.
We provide all pupils with a curriculum that
· Is balanced and broadly based
· Prepares pupils for the opportunities, responsibilities and experiences of real life
· Promotes the pupils’ spiritual, moral, cultural, mental and physical development
Pupils follow the National Curriculum at their own level which maybe outside their chronological Key Stage or Year.
Assessment
All pupils in school are assessed on a regular basis. Assessment takes place informally by teachers and teaching assistants during every lesson so that questions and work can be tailored to meet the individual needs of pupils.
Pupils are assessed in reading accuracy and comprehension, spelling and maths twice a year using standardised tests; pupil’s progress is checked over time. We also moderate work in maths, English and science every term and these National Curriculum levels are entered into a school data base.
Individual pupils have targets in subjects that allow them to know where they are and where they are aiming for and what they have to do to get there. This is done in a child friendly way.
English
English is a vital part of the curriculum at Downs Park School. The skills learned in speaking and listening, reading and writing are essential to all other areas of a pupil’s school life. Therefore an emphasis is placed on raising all pupils’ levels of literacy, both within the class and in small group and individual lessons. This subject works closely with the Speech and Language service to include an individual’s targets.
Within Key Stage 2 and 3 pupils are class taught and the subject is included within the themed topic work. Pupils access the library regularly and read books by well known children’s authors as class readers. Group work and setting ensures that pupils’ learning is aimed at their level and they are stretched according to their abilities.
In Key Stage 4 all pupils are entered for public examinations and follow an Entry Level English course which extends their learning of literature but also addresses their functional English needs.
Pupils read and write poetry, read and perform Shakespeare, give presentations on topical issues and enjoy a rich variety of classic and modern stories from England and the USA.
Maths