Blossom House has a unique atmosphere created by a dedicated, highly competent, and wonderfully caring staff. We acknowledge specific strengths and support individual weaknesses, so that each child “blossoms” and has the opportunity to fulfill his or her potential. Blossom House is a very special place to work, not just because of our wonderful team of staff, but also because of the satisfaction of supporting the development of our unique pupils.
In 1993 Blossom House extended its original brief and we started to provide full-time education for those children who continue to require an integrated program of learning in a caring and highly supportive environment. Self-esteem and confidence are crucial to success and many of our children arrive at Blossom House with a very poor self-image and little belief in any ability they do have.
We will continue to invest in your personal development, allowing you to undertake external courses as well as offering INSET training. We have a Learning and Teaching Support Team in place to offer one-to-one coaching if required.
Children are accepted at Blossom House only after careful assessment, to ensure that we are the right provision. Whilst the primary need of pupils at Blossom House is speech, language, and communication needs, many also have additional co-occurring diagnoses. As such, approximately half of our children and young adults are diagnosed as being on the autism spectrum. This is taken into consideration during the initial assessment process and when a pupil is placed at the school, through planning, teaching, therapeutic input, and behavior management.
Usually, the initial inquiry is made by parents, but occasionally referrals come from Local Authorities, whether on the parents’ or their behalf. A child does not need to have a Statement of Educational Needs before being assessed by the school however parents should be aware that the Statementing process can be protracted and complicated. Some year groups become very oversubscribed places can only be held open for six months, and before making a formal offer we would need to be assured that Local Authority (or private) funding will be available.
It’s very important to us that all our staff feel supported and happy at work. When you join our team you will receive a detailed induction, be assigned a ‘buddy, and meet with a member of the leadership team for an informal catch-up.
Pupils at Blossom Lower School and Upper House follow the National Curriculum, which has been specially adapted to meet the individual needs of pupils. All classes are multi-sensory, there is much over-teaching and each child’s learning style is taken into consideration. The school has a multidisciplinary approach to the children’s educational, emotional and physical needs. Working alongside the teachers and their assistants are speech and language therapists, occupational therapists, and a physiotherapist. Many of our staff have an additional qualification in specific learning difficulties (dyslexia).
All the children who are accepted at Blossom House will have a speech, language, and/or communication impairment. The very nature of their difficulties will inevitably impact their ability to access the curriculum which means that its delivery will need to be differentiated in terms of pace, style, and content. Our Literacy and Numeracy curricula enable the children to progress at their own pace to ensure that they can continue to lay down solid foundations. The children will continue to receive highly specialized support so that their ability to cope with the demands of the other areas of the school curriculum is increased. Each child has an Individual Education Plan which addresses their individual educational needs and requirements. Whilst providing a high level of individual and small group specialist support for the children, we aim to help them develop the skills that are necessary to promote independent learning.
In the Upper House, a range of examination and qualification options are provided. GCSEs, Entry Level Qualifications, and BTECs cater for the range of abilities in KS4. Alongside this, the ASDAN program provides the opportunity for pupils to develop their life skills through a certified and well-recognized qualification in the Bronze and Silver Awards. Vocational qualifications and practical courses will be on offer in a range of subjects including Home Cooking skills, ICT, D&T, and the Arts. ICT and/or touch-typing lessons take place throughout the school and computer skills are encouraged as an integral part of the curriculum.
This is a specialist 6th form college for students aged 16 – 19 years of age with speech, language, and communication difficulties. Although many of the students have some associated difficulties such as fine motor problems, poor organizational skills, or low levels of independence, they are all within the average cognitive range. Upper House Post 16 is a unique provision as it is tailored, as much as possible, to cater to each student’s individual needs. The Post 16 provision is in a separate wing of the building on the main school site. The students have their teaching and therapy rooms, small gym, kitchen, and common room.
Upper House Post 16 is a college link provision for students who have achieved at Level 1 or 2 and are academically and socially capable of embarking on a college course but continue to require support emotionally and socially. This means that all the Post 16 students attend a local Further Education college and complete a full-time course there. Full-time college courses usually amount to between two and three days of teaching per week. The remaining two or three days of the young person’s time are spent at the Post 16 provision, where English, Maths, and Work Skills BTEC qualifications are taught, and therapies are delivered therapies as per the young person’s needs and statement.
