Where is the View School?

 

The View School is in Edenbridge, Kent, a small market town, with bus and railway links, museum and a sports centre with swimming pool, surrounded by country walks and areas of natural beauty. The school building is nestled alongside St Peter and St Paul’s Church on a quiet side road at the South end of the town North of the River Eden. Built in the same style as the church (which dates back to the 12th Century), the school enjoys high ceilings and large windows, making our building feel light and spacious. The physical environment has the key facilities to support a small cohort of students in their academic and personal development. Providing classrooms and study areas that are ideal for our student numbers.

 

What is the school’s catchment area?

 

Only 20 minutes from Junctions 5 & 6 from the M25, we are able to offer placements to young people from Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Medway and South London Boroughs. 

 

What age does the school support?

 

The age range we cover can be described in different ways:

 

Secondary and Post 16

Key Stage 3, Key Stage 4 and Sixth Form

Year 7 to year 14

Age 11 to 19 years

 

What is the school’s designation?

 

Our designation is Social Emotional and Mental Health (SEMH). We support young people with Social Emotional and Mental Health difficulities and Autistic Spectrum Conditions.

 

A student’s diagnosis may include ASC (high functioning), Attachment Disorder, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Attention Defict Disorder (ADD), Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD), Complex Trauma, a Comorbid diagnosis.

 

What if my child doesn’t have a diagnosis on the website?

 

A student diagnosis is just an indication of the possible needs of a young person and the challenges they face in accessing their education. It is not a description of the individual or a representation of the opportunities they have for development in their future. Although we use a diagnosis for general guidance, it is a small part of the considerations we make when reviewing the suitability of our provision for an individual. By the same token we review any information provided about a potential student as a representation of their past journey and not as an indication of their forward one.

 

Does my child need an Education Health and Care plan (EHCP)?

 

Yes, a young person will require an EHCp if parents are looking to receive Local Authority funding support. Privately funded students do not require an EHCp, yet evidence of need will be required.

 

Do you offer therapy at The View School?

 

The school offers direct therapeutic interventions in the areas of Speech & Language, Occupational Therapy and Counselling where identified as a specific requirement within an Education Health and Care plan. We also work with providers and other professionals identified by Local Authorities or parents. Therapy does not stand alone, we embed strategies identified by therapists into the fabric of our approach to individuals and our whole school approach.

 

We work with professionals to further inform upon our approach and practices, utilising a process of reflection and action research to identify areas for The View School to improve and develop. All staff work with therapists to gain a better understanding of how therapy and interventions are used to support personal development. Specific areas of CDP are identified, with The View School providing training for all staff to ensure our students receive the most appropriate support for individual need.

 

What sort of curriculum do you offer?

 

Despite our small cohort of students, we are able to offer a full and varied curriculum. Each Key Stage is approached individually, making sure that the fundamentals of the National Curriculum are followed. Academic, Social & Moral and physical development are at the foundation of our schemes of work, providing the balance of education associated with best practices. You can find more details of our curriculum under the SCHOOL LIFE section

 

My child is working below expected levels, can you still support them?

 

Our students will all be academically able, even if working below the national average for their age. Our curriculum has been approached to promote a flexibility of learning no matter what the stage or age of the learner. A focus upon tailoring education to the individual rather than the cohort as a whole. Our curriculum approach allows our students to learn at an appropriate pace in a way that is best suited to their individual needs.

 

How big is the school?

 

We take a maximum of 26 students, with classes ranging between 6-8 students

 

What are your staff ratios?

 

We have one qualified teacher and one Teaching Assistant in each class. If a 1-2-1 is identified on an EHCp then an additional member of staff will be work within the class*

 

Given our school size and approach, students whom require a 1-2-1 transition quickly to requiring support as part of the class cohort.

*fees apply

 

Do you work with students with challenging behaviour?

 

Behaviour has such a broad definition. Depending on your values and understanding, what is considered to be acceptable or unacceptable behaviour may be different. For our students, ‘behaviour’ may be identified as playing a part in other schools having been unable to meet need. Our approach to inappropriate or unacceptable behavior is to understand the reasons for these. Once we understand the why they occur, we are more able to support development

 

We work with young people whom have faced or face one or more of the following challenges and may have exhibited the following behaviours:

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Social Communication difficulties leading to conflict with peers and adults.

High levels of anxiety, resulting in school refusal / social isolation / self-harm and suicidal ideation.

High Levels of anxiety resulting in support from mental health professionals either at home or in hospital. 

Barriers to social inclusion resulting from negative education experiences including bullying and isolation from the main school.

Learning difficulties leading to a disengagement from education resulting in disruptive behaviour impacting upon the learning of others.

Difficulties in operating successfully in large or busy environments.

Finding it difficult to find a rationale to make academic progress in some subjects. 

Refusing participation and disengagement from all areas of education.

Focusing on a task, leading to conflict with educational expectations of a teacher or school approach.

Difficulties in expressing emotions, with resulting frustrations causing possible verbal or physical outbursts

 

When reviewing papers, We understand that many reports capture the negative elements of a young persons’ behaviours rather than the factors influencing these actions. As such we carefully review any information provided about a potential student to make sure we have a complete understanding of our suitability in providing the most appropriate support.

 

How do you manage the impact of behaviour in such a small cohort?

 

No matter what school your child attends they will see negative behaviours exhibited. In our school the relationships we build with our students establishes trust and understanding. Although there may well be instances of ‘negative behaviours’, these will be modified, with appropriate responses breaking the habitual nature of behaviour. We also work with our whole cohort in understanding each other and the collective challenges they face. This understanding provides young people with a greater ability to evaluate situations and to feel confident and secure. This area of personal development is transferable and we look to support young people in reading the broader social environment and their position in it.

 

You are a small school, are students more likely to witness or be influenced by unacceptable behaviour?

 

The benefits of being a small school with high staff ratios allows us to have the time to truly understand our students and work proactively to manage the anxieties and rational behind their behaviour. We are not a school that a student just attends; our students feel part of the school with a shared investment in learning together. Where they have a voice and feel confident that they will be listened to and their view respected. This provides an outlet for expression, negating the need for behaviour that is deemed to be socially unacceptable.