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Reddish Hall School is a co-educational school
catering for pupils aged 5-18 with complex needs
relating to social, emotional and mental health –
all of our young people have an Education Health
Care Plan.

The school accepts pupils with social, emotional and mental health needs,
though they may face additional challenges and diagnoses including ADHD,
Autism, SpLD, MLD, OCD, Dyslexia, Dyspraxia, Dyscalculia, Foetal Alcohol
Syndrome or a variety of other conditions. Additionally, some of our pupils
have undergone significant childhood trauma, resulting in the need for a
nurturing and therapeutic educational environment.

All pupils attending Reddish Hall School have individual needs that have
proved too complex to be addressed within a mainstream setting. The
school provides effective support through an experienced clinical team,
highly trained school staff, and a suitably differentiated curriculum,
enabling them to progress and succeed to the best of their ability.

The aims and values of the school emphasise a commitment to provide a
high-quality provision for all our pupils.

School Context

Reddish Hall School is a SEMH specialist provision located in an urban area
of Stockport.

Every pupil who attends Reddish Hall School has an EHCP of which SEMH is
identified as their primary area of need.

Reddish Hall School has an enviable reputation for enabling pupils who
have struggled at previous schools to succeed. Small class sizes, a skilled
staff team and a broad, engaging curriculum result in children learning in a
calm and constructive manner.

Experienced teachers, teaching assistants, pastoral support workers and
therapists work together to support pupils to engage in an environment
that promotes both learning and social development. The intention of the
school is that pupils leave with the necessary skills – academic, practical
and social – to be ready for the next steps in their life. Our ethos and
success have a hugely positive impact on pupils and wider family groups.
We seek to work with families to ensure that children have all the available
opportunities to reach their potential.

All of our pupils have had previous difficulties with social, emotional skills
and their mental health, which have been a barrier to learning in their
previous academic settings. Around forty percent of our pupils are
diagnosed as having an autistic spectrum condition, and some may be in
the process of currently being assessed. For pupils with ASC or ADHD,
Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder, attachment disorder and other specific
learning disorders such as dyslexia and dyspraxia, Reddish Hall is a school
that can provide structure, understanding and support. These help to bring
about improvements in behaviour, confidence and self-belief, which lead to
accelerated learning inside the classroom and beyond.

The school’s intent is:

  • We are Reddish Hall.
  • We build skills for life.
  • We embrace and respect individuality.
  • We support each other to achieve.
  • We are unique, resilient and try our best.

 

The school’s ethos is embedded in the school policies and reflected in the
culture of the school:

  • To promote a climate where pupils learn and where behaviour
    changes for the better
  • To promote each pupil’s academic and social development
  • To promote British values
  • To ensure equality of opportunity for all pupils
  • To develop, in all pupils, tolerance of and respect for others
  • To raise the self-esteem of all pupils
  • To raise the level of social competence of all pupils
  • To maintain close working partnerships with all parents/carers and
    referring authorities
  • To keep all pupils safe while they are at school
  • To involve all pupils in their learning
  • To monitor, evaluate and review the progress of all pupils regularly
  • To return pupils to a mainstream school whenever appropriate and
    practicable
  • To provide pupils with the skills and knowledge to equip them for life
    after school
  • To enable pupils to adapt readily to a changing environment

We believe Reddish Hall School enables its pupils to improve their
academic performance, develop their social skills and raise their
aspirations. Our pupils may have a history of negative attitudes towards
school, as a result of previous experiences of failure and frustration.
Through our positive structure of rewards and incentives, underpinned by a
strong sense of boundaries, our pupils gain self-belief, display positive
behaviours and have a strong sense of belonging to our school. By
rebuilding their self-esteem and forging positive relationships, they replace
failure with success

At Reddish Hall School we provide a high quality learning environment and
deliver a curriculum which is designed to meets the needs of the pupils on
our roll. The curriculum is underpinned by strong social and behavioural
support, building self-esteem and giving pupils a platform to experience
success. This, in turn, enables pupils to channel their energies into
improving academically.

At Reddish Hall we are committed to a policy of equal opportunities for all
pupils, staff and others who come into contact with the school, regardless
of race, colour, gender, sexual orientation, religion or disability. Everyone
visiting, working or learning in the school should feel welcome, secure and
confident at all times. All should feel valued and able to participate fully in
the life of the school.

 

School Prospectus

Frequently asked questions

How does the school know that young people need extra help? 

All students who attend Reddish Hall School have an Educational Health Care Plan which both identifies the young person’s primary and additional needs and identifies the school as the most appropriate provision for the young person. Individual needs are reviewed annually through the Annual Review of the Plan, with the pupil’s local authority responsible for any updates. The EHCP is crucial in aiding the school to assess whether or not they are able to meet the provision outlined within it, particularly within Section E and F.

All students attending Reddish Hall School are comprehensively base-lined in each subject area, tested for literacy and numeracy difficulties and, where appropriate, assessed members of our therapeutic team, which includes our clinical lead, wellbeing co-ordinator, occupational therapist, and speech and language therapist.

Pupil progress is measured on a continual basis by class teachers, who can raise a request for intervention at any point. This is then provided by our MOTSI (Measured Outcome Time Specific Intervention) team. Pupil wellbeing is monitored by the whole staff team, with internal Team Around the Child meetings held when a concern is raised about a young person’s presentation, so the staff team around them can forward plan together. These iTACs include education, therapy and pastoral staff.

How will the school staff support my young person?

All staff are trained in trauma informed practice and related theory around this. We look at each pupil holistically, taking into account their individual needs and previous experiences, and then seeking to support them within the parameters of what we offer as a school.

 

This support comes from:

  • Quality first teaching in a small class with a high staff to student ratio
  • Academic intervention where necessary from out MOTSI team
  • Clinical support from our Wellbeing team
  • Pastoral support

 

The school has a Family Liaison Team, whose role is multi-faceted and cover:

  • Supporting good attendance
  • Supporting children and families using the common assessment framework (CAF)
  • Accessing available community / other agency support for families
  • Advocating for young people

How will the curriculum be matched to my young person’s needs?

The school currently offers three pathways from KS3. More can be read about them in the Education section on this website.

How will both you and I know how my young person’s doing and how will you help me to support my young person’s needs?

Teachers check learning carefully throughout lessons and in assessments where appropriate. Students’ work is marked regularly, with feedback delivered in a way that is useful to pupils. Effective strategies for assessment contribute substantially to the high levels of engagement in learning.

We demonstrate progress to parents at the end of each term via a progress report, whilst a comprehensive Annual Review Meeting is held once a year. Parents/carers’ evenings for each year group are also held annually; meetings can be arranged remotely to aid parents and carers also.

What support will there be for my young person’s overall well-being?

We are committed to multi agency working to ensure that the needs of young person are met. Our work with other agencies is frequent, sustained and responsive to student and family needs.

The school employs a comprehensive team of therapeutic professionals, co-ordinated by our clinical lead, who is also a member of the senior leadership team. Our therapists work alongside our educational team to ensure a universal approach is offered.

We have experience of working with the other agencies around issues of sexual exploitation and staying safe. For students with very high levels of anxiety we teach coping strategies to help them remain calm.

We encourage students to use their student voice to raise any concerns or issues that they have. The School Council meets regularly and brings any issues to the fore. Students are also involved in planning for their care and targets through self-assessments, questionnaires and Annual Reviews.

What specialist services and expertise are available at or accessed by the school?

Tennille Burton is Reddish Hall’s Clinical Lead. A qualified psychotherapist, she triages and oversees young people who require additional therapeutic support, including speech & language therapy, occupational therapy and additional therapeutic input, including drama therapy. More details can be found on the website under Clinical Services.

The team is complemented with our Wellbeing Co-ordinator, Claire Quigley, who is also a drama therapist; Jenny, our art therapist; Sue, our occupational therapist; and our Speech and Language therapist.

What training are the staff supporting children and young people with SEND had or are having?

As part of our on–going continued professional development programme we have worked with professionals on a wide range of issues including Autism, online exploitation, de-escalation strategies and safeguarding. Staff are all trained in trauma informed practice and use the PACE approach.

We have daily meetings where we discuss best approaches and strategies for meeting the needs of the students. Where appropriate, additional professionals attend these meetings to provide their input.

Staff also have access to a comprehensive CPD offer, which can be tailored to their individual needs and offer support when working with pupils whose difficulties they may not previously have had experience in.

How will my young person be included in the activities outside the classroom including school trips?

20% of the curriculum for Primary, Year 7, Year 8 and Year 9 Nurture is our Personal Development provision. This includes a rotation of traditional outdoor pursuits, such as canoeing, rock climbing, bushcraft and biking, led by fully qualified instructors at an off-site provision, alongside educational visits and trips with an emphasis on life skills.

Children in these year groups and pathways are expected to participate in these as part of their curriculum at Reddish Hall. In order to keep everyone safe, risk assessments are carried out around any activity as well as on individual pupils. If a pupil’s presentation close to the time of a trip suggests that they may not be safe on the trip, and adjustments cannot be made, then alternative on site activities will be sought on that occasion.

Educational visits occur throughout all year groups.

How will the school prepare and support my young person to join the school, transfer to college or the next stage of education and life?

To ensure successful school placements the school operates a successful admissions process whereby referral paperwork is scrutinised, students are invited into school with parents/carers and relevant professionals for an informal interview. This is followed up by a home visit. The final decision is arrived at by the school but always takes into account the students views and wishes.

We run a series of transition events for new students, we work closely with parents and carers, children and their previous schools throughout the transition stage to create bespoke packages that meet individual need.

Careers Education and transition planning is an important part of the Annual Review process from Year 8 onwards. Students meet with their careers advisor regularly from Year 8 to discuss ideas about college training or employment. We work closely with a number of colleges across greater Manchester and placing Local Authorities, regularly discussing courses on offer and respective entry requirements. Some students may have specific programmes at local colleges in KS5, or occasionally in Year 11 to help them with this transition.

Students in Years 10 and 11 undertake a block work experience placement, and we offer opportunities for weekly on-going work experience in our local community. We work closely with other providers to ensure that the transition post 16 is as smooth as possible.

How are the school’s resources allocated and matched to young people’s special educational needs?

The majority of the school’s resources are used to provide small class sizes with appropriate levels of staffing, along with a pastoral team to support children who need time to regulate before returning to learning, intervention staff who work for short, targeted periods of time to support pupils who have identified gaps in their knowledge and our team of clinicians.

All of our classes are provided with a wealth of resources to ensure the delivery of a personalised curriculum by subject specialised and qualified teaching staff. We also operate an outdoor education curriculum for Primary (Year 5 and 6) and Key Stage 3 students.

How is the decision made about what type and how much support my child will receive?

A student’s Education Health Care Plan identifies the level of support required to meet their needs, however EHCPs are often written for a child to be attending a mainstream school, and may not be updated as a child starts at Reddish Hall. As a specialist setting, our offer can be very different to what can be offered at large mainstreams, for example, all of our teaching takes place in what would be considered a very small group in mainstream. Our SEND team are able to go through your child’s EHCP and explain how their needs will be met. Quite often, EHCP’s are written with the idea that the child will be educated in a mainstream setting, where 1:1 may be appropriate or other strategies that would be a different way of working to the norm. As a specialist setting, there may be elements in Section E and F of an EHCP that are part of our universal, every day approach.

We plan provision to achieve the objectives outlined for each individual student and address any difficulties identified by internal school assessments.

High staffing levels mean we do not usually employ 1:1 members of staff for individual children. As a norm, our pupils access sessions with our therapy team, or from our HLTA/intervention assistants, in accordance with their needs.

Pupils on our Project 3 pathway work with one of our team of youth coaches as they access a tailored timetable. More can be read about this highly specialised pathway in the Education section here.

How are parents involved in the school? How can I be involved?

At Reddish Hall School we believe in working in partnership with parents and carers to achieve the very best outcomes for students. We communicate regularly with parents, through phone calls, termly reports, parents/carers evenings and Annual Reviews.

As a school we welcome contact from parents/carers and would encourage parents to contact us if there are any questions or concerns.

Who can I contact for further information?

Please contact Sarah Makin, The Headteacher at:

Reddish Hall School
Denstone Road
Reddish
Stockport
SK5 6UY

T: 0161 442 1197

E: admin@reddishhallschool.co.uk

© Outcomes First Group 2024