St Elizabeth's School

Hertfordshire, United Kingdom

Location: Hertfordshire, United Kingdom

Type: Special Needs

Funding status: State - Non-Maintained

Gender: Mixed

Age range: 5 - 19 years

About St Elizabeth's School

Welcome

St Elizabeth's School is a Specialist School for young people aged 7 - 19 years. We offer a warm, welcoming, safe and secure environment for children from all over the UK.

We are more than just an epilepsy school!

The School is a centre of expertise in supporting and educating young people with moderate or severe learning difficulties (MLD/SLD), profound and multiple learning difficulties (PMLD) or other complex neurological conditions potentially caused or complicated by epilepsy. Our Multi-Disciplinary Teams, in partnership with Great Ormond Street Hospital, equip the School to serve a wide range of complex needs such as Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), language and communication needs or challenging behaviours.

As either a residential or day pupil, every young person we welcome to our School is unique and valued. Our integrated care, therapeutic and academic provision is planned around the individual and delivered through a seamless, coordinated and consistent waking day curriculum, either in the classrooms or in our residential accommodation, available all year round.

Supporting pupils to make progress and develop independence skills is at the heart of everything we do, providing a safe and caring environment in which they can achieve their fullest potential.

St Elizabeth’s maintains as a Roman Catholic School, but we are fully inclusive and welcome children from all faiths or of no religion. Religious Education and our Christian ethos is taught by all teachers, and supported by our Catholic Ethos Advocate. Our Centre chapel is used frequently for Mass and our many prayer rooms give anyone the opportunity for quiet reflection throughout the day. If they choose, children can be prepared to receive their First Holy Communion and the Sacrament of Confirmation.

Ethos, Aims & Values

Weekly assemblies form the focus of our Religious Education, with all children being given the opportunity to organise and participate on a regular basis. All assemblies begin with the whole school sharing our core value statement: ‘To live and learn as friends together. To Share and Give and Love.’

Our Aims for Young People

At St Elizabeth’s each young person will have the opportunity to live and learn in a safe and nurturing environment where differences are acknowledged, respected and valued – where abilities are recognised and achievement is celebrated.

To know and feel that they are safe.
To be able to access a full and meaningful education through a curriculum that is adapted to individual learning profiles.
To promote an understanding of children’s rights and advocacy services, assisting children to make choices and communicate their needs.
To be able to achieve to their full potential.
To have access to excellent health and therapy care which enables them to enjoy varied life experiences and retain a good level of general well being.
To reduce barriers to living ordinary lives as much as possible.
To live and learn in an emotionally supportive environment which promotes their development as a young person.
For children receiving residential care to live in youthful and fun houses which offer a sense of security and belonging.
To be empowered and facilitated to make informed choices about their own lives.
To become as independent as possible.
To be able to learn from experience.
To be provided with the best quality of life possible in relation to their needs.
To be included in their own and local community as much as they are able.
To be prepared for a transition into adult provision or alternative learning services as and when appropriate.