Wings School NOTTS -Independent special school

Overview

About Our School

Wings School Notts is an independent special school located in the picturesque village of Kirklington, local to Newark and the Nottinghamshire and Lincolnshire border. The school sits in almost 20 acres of grounds and pupils benefit from extensive indoor and outdoor facilities.

Our school supports children aged from 9 to 17 years old who are on the autistic spectrum and are struggling in education and to fit in at mainstream or other specialist settings. Pupils will have an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) but may not have a diagnosis, however display traits of autism and associated conditions. They may have behaviours that present as a challenge and/or have experienced childhood trauma, anxiety or mental health issues. Pupils attend on a day basis and where required, 38 and 52 week placements are offered.

Therapeutic Support

Pupils benefit from a therapeutic approach at our school. The onsite therapists (SaLT and OT), supported by a Clinical Psychologist, cultivate a school-wide trauma-led approach to relationships, embedding a range of whole school approaches to sustain a positive and inclusive environment. The team also design and deliver personalised therapy interventions to individuals and groups to meet needs on children’s EHCPs.

Our curriculum-learning with us

The therapeutic approach at Wings School Notts aims to deliver a flexible and dynamic curriculum which is based on the National Curriculum and is adapted to suit individual pupils’ needs. Our curriculum is built on a mix of academic subjects and practical learning - including life skills and employability and both physical and emotional literacy.

Key Stage 2 and Lower Key Stage 3 follow the primary model, with all subjects led by the same class teacher in a nurturing learning environment. Upper Key Stage 3 and 4 follow a secondary model approach, pupils move between subject specific classrooms and lessons are taught by subject specialist teachers to encourage their independence.

All pupils have the opportunity to study a range of qualifications based on their interests and abilities including GCSEs, BTEC and ASDAN Unit Awards, alongside the Duke of Edinburgh and Sports Leader Awards, and a range of sporting National Governing Body qualifications.

Embedded Digital Learning

Our ambition is for every pupil to embrace digital technology and positively guide their natural curiosity as to what is possible in a safe and productive way. We want our pupils to show us what is possible across the entire curriculum, utilising skills and hardware such as image manipulation, video editing, 3D printing or media such as Vlogs or Podcasts.

The Great Outdoors

We view the outdoors as an excellent learning space where learning can come to life and enable many of our pupils to engage at their best. Our teaching team draw on the skills of the outdoor education staff to maximise opportunities for the creative learning of core subjects in the great outdoors.

We are fortunate to have an extensive site within 20 acres of beautiful grounds which we use to full effect to deliver a wide range of outdoor learning opportunities including forest school, horticulture, play-based learning, animal care.

Active Bodies and Healthy Minds

We want every pupil to leave school with the motivation, confidence and skills to lead a healthy and active life. To achieve this our Physical Education curriculum is designed to teach the fundamentals of movement and health and wellbeing, which includes developing balance and fine motor skills as well as mental health and social wellbeing. Pupils have opportunities to excel in competitive sport and the school regularly participates in sporting fixtures with other local schools.

Our Physical and Outdoor Education programmes enable pupils to develop leadership and transferable skills and gain recognised qualifications through awards from sports affiliated bodies including, Duke of Edinburgh Award, Sports Leadership Award, First Aid, Swim England awards.

Building Tomorrow’s Workforce

We focus on preparing our pupils for life after School and equipping them with the skills they need to thrive in further education, work and adult life. During their education with us, our pupils have a diverse range of opportunities to try new and exciting things, and with each comes knowledge and confidence. Pupils work with our talented drama teacher to model
life experiences through role play, enabling them to gain confidence and manage anxiety in preparation for situations such as visits to college or work experience.