Welcome to The Croft Centre. We work with pupils aged 5-12 years old (EYFS - Year 8) from a variety of backgrounds and educational journeys, offering them a bespoke programme of study based on their individual academic and wider needs and rooted in the National Curriculum. Many of our children and young people have had difficult educational journeys, and our aim is to re-engage them with schooling and prepare them for the next step on their path, whether this is back into mainstream education or on to another specialist setting. We do this through our teaching, but also by working with parents, the pupil’s school (where appropriate) and the multi-disciplinary team at The Croft to build confidence and resilience so the children and young people are ready to face the challenges ahead.
We provide a child-centred learning experience through quality first teaching. Pupil voice is at the centre of all we do, because as a rights-respecting school, we believe that all pupils need a platform where they can express their opinions, and that incorporating pupil voice improves engagement in their academic work and broader educational outcomes.
In the classroom we follow a consistent behaviour management approach in line with the ward approach. This is based on the principles of 1-2-3 Magic by Dr Phelan. Alongside this, building secure, trusting relationships with our children and young people is key to removing barriers to learning.
Our curriculum is bespoke to the needs of our children and young people, taking into account the special educational needs or disabilities (SEND), which many of our pupils have. The children and young people are assessed by the team on entry, and we cross-reference the results of this with information collected from a range of sources (including current educational targets, if applicable) to set individualised smart targets for Maths, English and Science for the duration of their admission.
Where applicable we use pupils’ interests to personalise their learning offer, through a cross-curricular approach incorporating foundation subjects to their English, Maths and Science targets; Minecraft, SpongeBob and Japanese Animés have all featured frequently in the past! We aim to provide as broad a curriculum and experience as possible, and believe that access to wider educational opportunities is empowering for the children and young people. We often welcome in-school creative workshops, but also offer enrichment opportunities by organising visits to local museums.
If a pupil is preparing to sit exams, The Croft team liaises with their home school to ensure that the appropriate content is covered and relevant exam procedures are followed.
The Croft Centre is headed by a Teacher-in-Charge, who has experience working with children with SEND. Our teachers are supported by two teaching assistants, and they work closely with the nursing team on the ward and the multi-disciplinary team at The Croft Unit which includes psychologists, therapists, psychiatrists and a social worker.
School sessions take place each morning, with the children taking part in therapeutic group activities in the afternoon.
