Special School Support Assistant

Great Oaks School is a 280 place secondary school for young people with a range of complex learning difficulties including autism and speech and language difficulties. Our pupils come from all over Southampton as well as many from Hampshire. We are part of the Solent Special Education Trust, currently comprising Great Oaks and Rosewood Schools.

At Great Oaks we follow a broad and balanced curriculum with a particular emphasis on developing communication, literacy, numeracy and personal and social skills. In addition we have a focus on creativity and the arts which have proved an extremely successful way of  engaging our young people and helping to promote their self esteem and self confidence. We have introduced the Great Oaks Guarantee which lists 13 extra-curricular opportunities that we aim to give all pupils during their time at the School

At Great Oaks we strongly believe in partnership working – we work closely with the other special schools in Southampton, with local secondary schools with a range of multi-agencies and with parents. Pupils at Great Oaks benefit from an experienced and dedicated staff team who have skills in working in a range of curriculum areas as well an understanding  and empathy for the needs of young people with learning difficulties. We benefit many different  specialist facilities include sensory rooms, IT suites, sports hall and theatre.

We currently have 3 sites, Our main site in Vermont Close Southampton, is supplemented by a personalised learning centre in Bitterne, for young people needing additional support and a vocational centre for Post 16 at Down to Earth Farm in Millbrook.

We aim to put the needs of the young people at our school at the heart of everything that we do and through promoting a growth mindset help to ensure that all pupils irrespective of their learning difficulties or past educational attainment can make real progress and be enabled to succeed.