Living at West Heath

CARE "THE PROVISION OF EMOTIONAL, SOCIAL, SPIRITUAL AND PHYSICAL COMFORT"

Support with achieving learning targets.
Dependability
Security and acceptance
Predictability and safety
Differentiation between individuals
Bodily comfort
Guidance and tuition in personal behaviour

Below is a table produced by our students showing how they see boarding benefits various aspects of their lives:

ASPECT (as identified in an inspection schedule)	STUDENT COMMENT

Attendance	"I feel better prepared for the school day" "I feel more ready to learn"
Literacy and numeracy	"I get support with my homework" "I have help to do every day tasks such as handling money"
Academic achievement in relation to potential	"My Key Worker talks to my teachers" "I am involved in choosing targets and personal challenges and we celebrate when I achieve them"
Non academic achievement in relation to potential	"I can choose the activities I enjoy and am good at"
Personal role and responsibility in learning situations	"I am given responsibilities, I make a contribution to the life of the school"
Personal role and responsibility in social and other situations	"I am always encouraged to learn and make friends"
Relationships, friendships and teamworking	"I chair house meetings and cook for others"
Character, moral and personal development	"Staff believe in me and expect me to behave well"
Age appropriate personal responsibility	"When I mess up people help me to sort things out"
Age appropriate life skills	"I am involved in keeping my house looking good, cooking, managing the money we are given, learning to travel on my own, keeping clean, doing my washing, organising and planning important things in my life"
Personal Identity	"I have a Key Worker" "I have a life story book with photos"
Health and Leisure	"I have joined Army and Air cadets and go to the sports centre in Sevenoaks" "We do our own shopping" "We do lots of activities like skating, swimming and Laser Quest"

Why?

Boarding is available for those students who will benefit from the extended learning opportunities and to give students living further away the chance to come to our school.

Where?

Our students live in “homely” style, well equipped small boarding houses in the school grounds. All have an individual study bedroom and each boarding house has broadband internet access. In our 32 acre site we have a wide range of excellent facilities which students can access beyond the school day. Students who board have more opportunities and time to pursue informal, formal and structured leisure or hobby activities and generally have great fun!

What?

Care staff work with each student outside the school day, supporting them as they grow. All adults working in the school take a positive interest in all aspects of our students' lives and development. The PEP planning process ensures that we have a base-line from which we can provide a consistent and formal approach to identifying and meeting each student's needs across the 24 hour day.

How?

Boarding allows our students more opportunity to spend time with each other and with alternative adult role models.

They are encouraged to learn from one another, developing their understanding of the impact and consequences of their behaviours on others.

Youngsters are actively encouraged to play a part in the planning and running of the boarding house in which they live, taking responsibility for each other's welfare and their environment. This may include developing independent living skills like menu planning, budgeting, shopping and cooking.

We want our students to understand that they can have fun and make mistakes and learn in the safety of a supportive and responsive environment.

To achieve these aims for our residential students, each has a nominated Key Worker appointed to them from the care staff team. This Key Worker is responsible for co-ordinating and responding to all aspects of a student's life whilst living in the school. They liaise closely with the group tutor team and the youngster’s parents or carers.

Key Workers are full and active members of the school. They are a consistent and stable influence in the life of individual students which is essential to ensure that all students experience good quality care whilst living with us.

We recognise that night times and sleeping can be very difficult for some of our students. We have Waking Night staff working in all of our boarding houses so that students have someone they can talk to when necessary.

The principle of promoting self worth and value is paramount to our school. The grounds, buildings, teaching and living accommodation, fixtures and fittings are carefully considered for the effect they will have on how students value themselves and feel valued.

Priorities for Key Workers:

Ensuring that each new student to the school is made to feel welcome.
Working individually with each student to ensure the health and leisure element in the PEP is monitored and reviewed in consultation with group tutor team.
Supporting the achievement of the education targets in the PEP.
Providing a first point of contact for enquiries about individual students beyond the school day.
Liaising with parents and/or carers and Local Education Authorities where necessary.
Most importantly, "being there" for each student.

Example Website