Baskerville School is a special day and residential school for students aged 11 to 19 years, with autistic spectrum disorders and complex difficulties. The students cover a wide ability range. Baskerville is a day and residential school for 127 secondary age students between 11 and 19 with autism and additional disability. We admit about 12 students each year into the main school. Admission into the resource base for students with autism and severe developmental delay varies from year to year depending on the number of places available.
We have a very large site that offers our students an exceptional environment in which to learn. We have a Forest School area, a horticulture area, an ancient orchard, a nature trail, a large playing field, a wild meadow, an outdoor cycle track, three play areas with climbing equipment, and an outdoor gym.
The teaching and learning environment is designed to aid the learning of students with autism spectrum conditions. We focus on developing students' skills in literacy, numeracy, communication, and life skills. Our fundamental aim is to ensure that students are given the skills to communicate and learn effectively throughout their lives to prepare them for life beyond school. All students follow a broad and balanced secondary curriculum that is adapted to their individual needs.
Underpinning the curriculum is the consistent teaching of social skills and understanding and guidance to help students develop their personal and social skills so they become confident young people able to take their place in the world.
When students enter the school they will be placed in a Key Stage 3 class. Students are grouped according to their age, language, and learning skills. There are up to seven students in each class, with one tutor and two teaching assistants. Students are taught by specialist subject teachers but the two teaching assistants remain with the class throughout the day. Students progress to Key Stage 4 when they are 14+ where they follow accredited courses.
The students at our resource base at Bournville College are grouped into two groups and taught by Baskerville School staff. Some join mainstream classes while others follow a life skills curriculum. Most students remain at school until the age of 19. Baskerville School is an inclusive school that promotes equality of opportunities for students and staff. There is an Inclusion Manager who works with parents and students to identify and track students' wider needs.
Our Vision is:
- Ensure the entitlement of each student to access a variety of opportunities to promote academic, social, emotional, and physical development.
- Use autistic specific, empathetic approaches and an autistic friendly learning environment to promote student learning and personal development.
- Provide choices and challenges to maximize potential and build upon strengths and interests.
- Ensure that all members of the school community are valued equally and work in partnership with parents, carers, and the wider community.
- Create a supportive school that promotes and celebrates individual success and helps students integrate into the wider community and prepare students for life after school.
We aim to foster a love of learning and create reliant confident students by:
- Promoting excellent academic and social standards through high expectations and a broad and balanced curriculum, enabling all students to achieve their full potential.
- Promoting the spiritual, moral, cultural, physical, and creative development of each student and prepare them to take their place as valuable members of a multi-cultural society.
- Providing a high-quality educational experience for students by staff that make learning interesting and fun.
- Helping students to develop respect, tolerance, and a sense of responsibility towards each other, the school, and the community.
- Developing all staff and provide on-going training which will benefit staff and students in our commitment to raising standards in all areas of school life.
- Creating a learning community where students, staff, and parents have a voice and work together.
The Curriculum at Baskerville School is designed to meet the requirements of the National Curriculum and the specific learning needs of each student. Students come to Baskerville School and we prepare them for the next phase in their education. Our curriculum has been developed as a result of listening to students, parents, and staff. All groups agreed that our curriculum needed to prepare students for life beyond Baskerville School. It also includes a discreet curriculum with an emphasis on lifelong learning.
To achieve their potential, students require nationally recognized accreditation and qualifications to establish progression pathways into adult life. We celebrate culture, faith, and diversity including promoting fundamental British values through activities that cover spiritual, moral, cultural, and social aspects that are embedded in our curriculum.
