Our Vision
Making the impossible achievable.
Empowered learning
Dovecote School provide a team of education and therapy specialists who have the skills and knowledge to support students with a range of SEN needs.
We are passionate about delivering a therapeutic curriculum that engenders pride, resilience, and aspiration for every pupil, preparing them to lead safe, independent lives and to be active members of their community.
Dovecote School is registered for students aged 5-18 years with a range of social, emotional and mental health needs that may include Autistic Spectrum Conditions, Anxiety, and associated needs.
Vision
Recognising every child
At Dovecote School, we recognise that every child is different. Our students have access to a team of skilled teachers, therapists, and other professionals who work together to ensure each child has a learning and development programme that takes their individual needs into account. We focus on enabling pupils to flourish by encouraging and building upon their individual strengths and interests, and present learning in ways that allow each student to achieve positive outcomes. Students will be within a small class of no more than 7 students. Our staff team work closely with our students to develop and adopt strategies that empower them to engage and access learning opportunities.
Extended information
Our pupils access a broad curriculum to maximise their opportunities to achieve nationally accredited qualifications (including GCSE and other qualifications). We provide an exciting, interactive, and engaging curriculum. The curriculum is underpinned by high quality and readily available resources and technology.
Exploration and discovery are vital to development, which is why our therapeutic curriculum will provide students with plenty of opportunities to engage in activities that promote exploration and learning in multiple areas.
We foster a passion for learning through the use of a range of teaching styles that incorporate the personalised needs of each pupil. Students will be encouraged to join in interest-led activities in an environment where they feel safe and special, building in opportunities to develop their resilience and window of tolerance. All tasks will be appropriately broken down into achievable ‘chunks’ and delivered with a visual format to support each child to process and engage with their learning. Enabling us to build upon knowledge, skills and understanding.
We provide a combination of naturally occurring and structured social activities throughout the day. This allows for the opportunity to develop and practice social and emotional skills that are important to our students.
Our therapeutic curriculum includes a comprehensive program of outdoor learning focusing on positive engagement in social groups and opportunities such as Duke of Edinburgh Awards and outdoor personal challenges, many of which carry a recognised national accreditation. The purpose here is to develop problem-solving skills, interest in new experiences and creative thinking, building on resilience and emotional well-being. The therapeutic curriculum extends into our community, and includes a wide range of sporting activities and voluntary work. Where appropriate this could also be opportunities for apprenticeships and work experience.
Our integrated curriculum embeds therapeutic interventions and strategies into the educational program to transform our students’ perceptions of their own abilities and promote mental wellbeing, social-emotional development and self-help alongside independent living skills.
Our therapeutic model enables us to offer a wide range of universal, aimed and specialist interventions and supports to our students as appropriate to their presenting needs. We are ambitious about our students and are deeply committed to ensuring that they have a rich and successful experience at Dovecote School, and leave with the skills and strategies to enjoy a fulfilling and successful future and contribute to society.
Partnership working is central to our ethos, and we are committed to working closely with our families. We also offer support and advice to families so that they feel confident and informed about their child’s needs and prospects.
The Dovecote School Therapy Team include Speech and Language Therapists, Occupational Therapists and a Play Therapist that work alongside the SENCO's to support an integrated therapeutic curriculum.
Dovecote School offers a therapeutic curriculum that integrates a therapeutic, academic and life skills approach maximising opportunities around the school site and wider community.
Our curriculum engenders pride, resilience, and aspiration for every student, preparing them to lead safe, independent lives and to be active members of their community.
The Dovecote Therapy Team supports students to acknowledge, understand and find successful ways to manage their difficulties as they develop. The Therapy Team also supports classroom staff to incorporate therapeutic ways of enhancing learning opportunities throughout the day, during all activities on their journey towards independence.
Our mission is to help young people understand how their brain works, learn to self-regulate, develop improved self-awareness, and in turn build their self-confidence.
All staff are trained in Positive Behavioural Support that together with guided therapeutic interventions, help students to understand the context and meaning of behaviour. This combined approach helps students to build better coping strategies and positive emotional regulation.
Our support for families is unique at Dovecote School, we have a dedicated Family Inclusion and Wellbeing Team to work alongside parents and carers. We recognise that the empowerment of parents through parental voice and engagement can have a significant impact on helping our students learn and grow. This service will play an important role in our student’s successful engagement at Dovecote School, in particular supporting with transitions between home and school, and with consistent strategies used both at home and at school to reduce heightened anxiety.
Discuss a referral
For details of open mornings, to arrange a visit, or discuss our admission process, please contact:
Daisy John - Referral, Assessment and Transition Coordinator
djohn@dovecoteschool.co.uk