It is with a great deal of pride and humility that I share with you our Ofsted Social Care Inspection report from October 15-17th 2019. I also include a letter from the Inspector, which is written to be shared with the students.
It is incredibly gratifying when an Inspector spends concentrated time in school and gains a deep understanding of everything we do at Breckenbrough and what we strive to achieve.
Please find a PDF of our term dates for the 2019/20 academic year here: Term dates 2019 2020
We cannot endorse this or any other service but we publish it as a matter of interest to students and families
Family Dog workshops provide parents of children with autism with the advice and long-term support needed for choosing and training a dog to benefit the whole family.
Book a workshop
View our workshop locations and dates for 2020Book nowOur Workshops are ideal if you:
We run a series of three one day workshops for families. At these you receive a combination of practical demonstrations, discussions, hands on learning and course hand outs. Find out what our workshops cover.
Our specialist advice and support has brought life-changing benefits to whole families. Research has shown that the families we work with have lowered parental stress, they go out more together and children with autism have fewer meltdowns as a result of their pet dog.
Long-term support
Following the workshops, ongoing support is available to families that qualify including telephone support, online resources, and a private Facebook group.
Please find a PDF of our term dates for the 2020/21 academic year here: Term dates 2020/2021
Visit to the Somme Battlefields March 2019
Setting off from the school at midnight is rarely an ideal scenario for a good night’s sleep. Thankfully, most of us managed the odd “petit somme” on the coach. Sitting on a stationary coach whilst shuttling along under the channel is always a surreal experience – I think the students enjoyed it.
We eventually arrived at the largest Aquarium in Europe (rather aptly named “Nausicaa”) in Boulogne. Very impressive it was too…
After the uplifting experience that was “Nausicaa” we managed to find our way back to the errant coach (more of this later….) and on to the more sobering raison d’etre for the trip. The memorial to the Canadian forces at Vimy Ridge near Arras. The scale of the structure is breath-taking, notwithstanding the reason for its existence, the commemoration of the 11,241 (identified) casualties of the Canadian Expeditionary Force who have no known grave.
Another bracing walk brought us back to the coach – thankfully where the driver left it – and on to our modest accommodation, The Chateau de Warsy…
After the evening meal, the lads were taken under the wing of the resident instructors who, somewhat naively, thought they could tire them out. Eventually, we all retired for a much needed sleep.
Day 2 started well, a very continental breakfast of croissants and pain au chocolat. Spurred on by our very time mindful driver, we all boarded the coach and promptly got lost… in the village. Sacre bleu!
On to the town of Albert, rather bizarrely twinned with Ulverston, and the amazing WWI underground museum. We got the feeling that the coach driver thought he was in the Lake District…
On to the extraordinary spectacle that is the “Lochnagar Crater”. The result of the biggest explosion of the entire conflict
“In This distant Land, Will Some Kind Hand, Lay a Flower on His Grave for me”. One of many very sad, poignant epitaphs that surround the entire crater.
The allied miners tunneled for almost 4 miles and laid 60 thousand lbs of amonial explosives under the German fortifications. This was a common practice on both sides and inevitably resulted in huge loss of life.
Some of the students had made porcelain poppies in art. These were laid at the memorial at Thiepval. Again, this a colossal monument to the British troops killed in action on the Somme.
The memorial to the Newfoundland Regiment is an eerie and unsettling place and the scene of a disastrous assault on the German lines. The land on which it lies was bequeathed to the Canadian nation by the French.
Day 3 saw us leaving the splendid chateau and head home via the inevitable visit to the chocolate factory… a place that is notoriously hard to find, especially with a coach driver who obviously hadn’t studied map reading or geography at school.
On eventually arriving close to the channel tunnel, we were met with MILES of trucks queued waiting due to the French Customs holding industrial action – who would have thought? The boys accepted this extremely well, considering we joined this queue of trucks for no apparent reason other than our driver thinking it was a good idea… some three hours later we boarded the shuttle for home!
Attendance for 2019/20 during Autumn term: 87.8%
Adjusted attendance figures: 90.6%
Phased Transition and Integrated Starts
When a student comes on roll at Breckenbrough, the transition into the school must be sensitively managed with a coordinated approach involving the family and other professionals.
The vast majority of our cohort have experienced a lengthy period out of education prior to arriving here, sometimes as long as two or three years. Therefore, in returning to education, there are both high levels of anxiety to support and the need to build up stamina in getting through the school day.
With an integrated start, it is our goal for a student to be accessing a full timetable as soon as possible, with attending outdoor education sessions usually the final part in completing the transition to full-time attendance.
Engagement
Whole School Engagement
The engagement of every student on a lesson-by-lesson basis is tracked and recorded across the curriculum. This system supports us in praising positive engagement, including improvements in engagement, whilst also identifying any engagement issues or patterns and introducing appropriate interventions.
Breckenbrough, has been recognised for its outstanding careers work this week, 30th July 2018. The school has been awarded the national Quality in Careers Standard awarded under licence by Prospects. The Quality in Careers Standard is awarded to schools and education providers who can demonstrate the importance they place on careers and how they support students to make decisions about their life after school.
Breckenbrough is a Good, with Outstanding features school, continually working to improve the chances and opportunities of all the students. Recognising the importance of preparing students for their future careers the school began working towards the national Quality in Careers Standard.
There is a statutory duty to ‘secure independent careers guidance’ for all students from year 8 onwards and the Government also recommends that all schools should be required to work towards the national Quality in Careers Standard.
Achieving the national Quality in Careers Standard shows the head teacher, governors and leadership team at Breckenbrough embrace, promote and endorse quality careers education and recognise the part it plays in the overall success of the school and its students. The school offers a range of activities to introduce students to the work of work and help them make decisions about life after school through Beyond Breck.
Simon Bannister, Headteacher said:
“We are thrilled to have achieved the national Quality in Careers Standard awarded by Prospects. At Breckenbrough we recognise the important role school plays in helping students develop their knowledge, skills and experience so they can go out into the world and achieve personal success. This standard has provided a flexible framework that enabled us to audit our work on careers and ensure our students are receiving advice, practical support and experience so they are prepared for the next stage of their education, employment, self-employment or training.”
Summer holidays are long. Often boring. This little book will hopefully give you a few ideas that you can use over the holidays to keep your mind active and even learn some new things. Why not try them out? What’s the worst that can happen?? Don’t worry – there’s ideas galore in here. Some involve some technology, some involve reading, some involve actually getting out of your chair,
but… if you try at least one of these, you’ll be better for it and you’ll learn something new!
Please see below a link to an article about PDA.
We cannot vouch for the website this article is hosted on or the other content on this website but this article maybe of interest to you.
10 things you need to know about PDA
Simon Bannister – Headteacher – BA (Hons) PGCE Dip (SEN) NPQH
James Shutt – Deputy Headteacher – BA (Hons)
Stuart Edwards – Head of Social Education and Designated Safeguarding Lead – DipHE
Sue Jones – Bursar
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Please donateBreckenbrough School,
Sandhutton, nr Thirsk,
North Yorkshire YO7 4EN
Telephone: 01845 587238
Email: office@breckenbrough.org.uk
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