Headteacher

Beverley School is a specialist school with a developing role as a centre of excellence. Our school provides an autism-specific learning environment for children and young people in the age range 3-19 years. Beverley School ensures that pupils with autistic spectrum disorders (ASD) have access to a broad and relevant curriculum through significantly modified teaching arrangements and methods. The school places particular emphasis on the development of communication skills and fosters personal and social development in a context designed to minimise stress and to accommodate and manage behaviours associated with ASD. Appropriately challenging expectations of progress are based on balanced assessment of the needs, interests and abilities of individual pupils. Beverley School can meet the educational needs of pupils with ASD with a wide range of academic abilities, but pupils achieving at or around age-related expectations may have more appropriate subject -specific learning opportunities if they can be supported within a mainstream setting.

Beverley School exists to provide our pupils with a high quality education in a safe, happy and consistent environment. The interests of the children are our highest priority and we want all our pupils to have the best possible opportunities to achieve as much as they can. We set realistic and relevant objectives for each individual pupil, valuing their strengths and not focusing on weaknesses. We aim to build up self-confidence and we have high expectations of the progress our pupils can make when given the right opportunities

We accommodate their individual needs in order to foster personal and social development, maximise independence and promote the acquisition of life skills. We aim to prepare pupils for their place in the wider community by equipping them with skills and strategies to aid integration, to alleviate conflict and to function independently within society wherever possible. To achieve the best for our pupils, we are building a well trained and highly motivated staff and governor team, with equal opportunities for all to access professional development. Every member of staff is a respected and valued member of the team and we are creating opportunities for all colleagues to voice their opinions for the benefit of the children. We believe that good teamwork is made possible by effective communication. We will apply this principle in our relationships with each other and equally with pupils, parents, carers and all support agencies.

We aim to develop our community links, to enable our pupils to access a broad range of social and sporting activities, and to support inclusive education for children with autistic spectrum disorders, whenever this is appropriate to the needs of the individual. We believe that our pupils deserve the best possible education, and we want Beverley to be recognised as a school of excellence, where our work is based on an up to date understanding of autism.Beverley School's autism-specific approach may be appropriate for some pupils with a combination of ASD and severe learning difficulties. However, there are other specialist schools with greater expertise in delivering a developmental curriculum, so carefully considered individual decisions will be required to identify the best placement for pupils with a combination of ASD and severe learning difficulties.  As part of its developing role as a centre of excellence within an inclusive education system, Beverley School can contribute to flexible arrangements for supporting pupils in other schools, and may be involved in shared placements.

Beverley School welcomes visits by anyone with a genuine interest in our work. This means, for example that families may request a visit even though Beverley is just one of a number of options for their child, or that visits may be arranged by families of younger children who are looking ahead to raise their awareness of the provision available. Placements at Beverley School are reviewed at least annually, in accordance with the Code of Practice. Consideration will always be given to transfer to mainstream school as soon as this is appropriate. In particular, it is recognised that some children may benefit from early and intensive work in an autism-specific setting to develop communication and social skills, and this may then enable them to move successfully to a mainstream school.