Oakleigh School & The Early Years Intervention Centre caters to children aged 2 – 11 years who have severe learning difficulties and complex needs. The population includes children with additional needs, such as physical or sensory, and some children on the Autism Spectrum.
Oakleigh School has its theme-based curriculum that ensures pupils have outstanding progress through their EHCP outcomes. The curriculum at Oakleigh school is broad and balanced but a huge emphasis is put on Communication, Independence, and Cognition, and Learning.
Oakleigh School was built in the late 1950s. Since then, it has undergone continued and ongoing remodeling, enlargement, and refurbishment to provide it with an extensive range of facilities. We have a hydrotherapy pool for our younger children to learn to swim and for children who need hydrotherapy.
The school has a soft play environment to support Physical Development, Communication, Social Interaction and to provide a safe place to play and a challenging and safe environment for children of all ages and abilities.
We have a sensory room with many attractive sound and light features to support visual stimulation and assessment, as well as opportunities for shared play and interaction. We also have a multisensory den, which is themed to follow the school topic, to enhance the children’s learning experiences.
We have a range of shared equipment to bring lessons to life within our school curriculum. They enable teaching and learning to be motivating, allowing our children to be excited about having a voice, and control over their environment. These include eye gaze technology, enabling a child to access a computer a sensory trolley to turn any class into a sensory room, and a floor projector that turns the floor into an interactive multisensory space.
The classrooms are well resourced with specialist equipment and a wealth of other teaching equipment for the full range of children in the school. Classrooms have a large interactive plasma screen, connected to a computer and software appropriate for a range of Special Educational Needs, as well as iPads with stimulating apps. Where appropriate classes have additional communication aids, some using speech as well as a range of switches to increase pupils' access to the curriculum.
Oakleigh School provides for children who have severe and complex learning difficulties. Classes are organized within the key stages (in exceptional circumstances this may change) and children are grouped to deliver outstanding teaching strategies to meet their needs.
All children at Oakleigh School/Early Years Centre will have access to the best quality provision to support teaching and multi-disciplinary support. This ensures that they receive their entitlement and reach their potential, thus developing towards their excellence through maximizing opportunities for enjoyment and achievement within a safe and healthy environment. All parents/carers will be expected and encouraged to work in an active and collaborative partnership with the school, in line with home/school agreements to ensure the needs of the children are met in all settings. All staff will strive to achieve their full potential, constantly updating their skills through the school’s training provision, networking with similar establishments, and taking up new challenges so that the teaching and learning are of the highest quality.
Oakleigh has a large staff team comprising skilled and committed teachers, learning support assistants, mealtime supervisors, site managers, administrative staff, and ICT support who are fully supported by a range of other professionals. The multidisciplinary team all work together to ensure the very best outcomes are met for all our children.
