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Our schools have excellent special needs education provision, with many schools specialising in inclusive learning. A Quaker philosophy teaches us to respect every individual, regardless of their age, gender, ethnicity, culture, religion, sexual preference or physical or learning difference. All members of our school communities feel included and valued in their lessons. All students progress both academically and personally during their time with us.

There are a variety of different systems in place within our schools to ensure that every single one of our students achieves their personal best. Whether a child requires special educational support or to be recognised as gifted and talented, our schools can provide.

All our schools offer some provision for special needs education. However, there are also specialist schools with additional provision for children with complex needs.

Specialist Schools

Child getting Autism support at Ackworth School

Ackworth School

Ackworth is a predominantly main-stream school in Pontefract, West Yorkshire, with a dedicated Autism Resource. Up to 16 students can learn alongside their peers, where appropriate to the individual, with the help of a specialist one-to-one member of staff. Each student can also access their own work area, fully equipped with IT facilities where they can study away from the hustle and bustle of the school.

The school alters its approach to each student and works to support their particular needs, whether they are academic, social, or practical. Students can join in with the schools’ social life at their own pace and will always be supported by a specialist member of staff on a one-to-one basis. Ackworth is also a dyslexia friendly school and offers additional support with a qualified teacher to help students achieve their best.

Learn more about Ackworth

Breckenbrough School

Breckenbrough School is a day and residential school for boys between the age of 9 and 19 near Thirsk, North Yorkshire. They are fully equipped to support the learning and development of boys with a range of needs, including: Autistic Spectrum Condition (ASC), Asperger’s Syndrome (AS), Pathological Demand Avoidance (PDA), Tourette Syndrome (TS) and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).

Breckenbrough offers a full academic curriculum, outdoor education and personal, social and health education (PHSE) programmes for all their students. A varied range of extra-curricular activities help students to further develop their emotional, physical and social skills. Activities include motorbike riding, kayaking, and mountain biking.

Learn more about Breckenbrough

Chaigeley School sports day

Chaigeley School

Chaigeley School is unique among Quaker schools in the UK and Ireland. It was originally created to offer specialist education to children who had been traumatised by World War Two. Since it opened its doors in Thelwall, Warrington in 1946, the school has provided quality education and support for students with behavioural, emotional, and social difficulties.

Students benefit from a wide range of therapies on site, including anger management, speech and language therapy, and play therapy. To further support students, Chaigeley offer dual registration. This allows the individual to spend time in both Chaigeley and mainstream school learning environments with teaching support available at all times.

Learn more about Chaigeley

children at St Andrew's School in a practical lesson

St Andrew’s School

St Andrew’s School in Aylmerton, Norwich support students aged between 6 and 16 in their education. The school specialises in helping students with autism, communication difficulties, and autism spectrum disorders. They recognise that all people are unique and tailor their learning structures to the needs of their students so that each individual can develop socially and academically.

The school caters for children as they move through Key Stages 2, 3 and 4, and helps every student to develop their own passions and interests. Small class sizes, high teacher to student ratios, and regular visits from a therapy dog are just some of the ways St Andrew’s School helps their students to progress socially and academically.

Learn more about St Andrew’s

Special needs education in other Quaker schools

Other Quaker schools in England and Ireland offer excellent provision for students with special educational needs. All our teachers employ Quality First Teaching, meaning that they are aware of the individual needs of all their students. Our small class sizes and nurturing environments allow for a much closer working relationship with teacher and student, so individual needs can be catered for.

Learning support departments can be found in all our schools to further assist students with special educational needs. They can work with the student to set personal learning goals and to help individuals take ownership of their development.

Students with additional educational needs will be fully integrated into the school community and take an active role in as many additional activities and extra-curricular sessions as they’re able. All Quaker schools desire to support their students in more than just academic development; we aim to help students be confident, knowledgeable and empowered.

Many of our schools are Dyslexia Friendly, with specially trained teachers available to offer additional support. Assistance for students with Dyscalculia, Development Coordination Disorder, Asperger’s Syndrome, and Autism is accessible in our institutions, with some schools specialising more than others. Few of the schools are equipped to help students with self-care, but contact the school in question for more specific detail about what support they can offer.

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