Chaigeley Prospects

CHAIGELEY
SCHOOL
realising
potential
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Contents
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Welcome to Chaigeley School 4-9
Education with a difference 10-23
Therapeutic Services 24-31
Our pupils 32-35
Stability and Safeguarding 36-37
Referrals and admissions 38-43

Welcome to
Chaigeley School
Overview:
Chaigeley Educational Foundation (Chaigeley School) is a Registered
Charity governed by a voluntary committee of Director Trustees and
managed on their behalf by the Principal. Chaigeley School has been
helping pupils with behavioural, emotional and social difficulties since
1946. Chaigeley provides quality individualised provision for boys and
girls aged 8 to 16 through both day and residential education and care.
Chaigeley School takes pride in ‘realising potential’ of all its pupils and
provides a personalised curriculum for children and young people along
with an integrated therapeutic intervention approach, that aims to focus
on self-regulation, building confidence and individual development and
outcomes.
4

“We offer our young people
a consistent environment
and structure which will
enable them to re-engage
in education and develop
a sense of self-worth
through achievement”.
5

Our Vision for Children’s Future:
Chaigeley School offers a modern and flexible approach to meeting the
needs of young people who experience Social Emotional and Mental
Health (SEMH) needs. We do not describe our provision as ‘special’ as we
believe that we are a ‘specialist’ environment for young people who find
effective communication more challenging than most. This specialism
holds it foundation in the belief that all behaviour and reaction is a form
communication and a wider belief that all young people have amazing
potential and want to be happy, independent and respected members
of society.
Girls and boys who attend Chaigeley School can sometimes find
appropriate communication difficult and have often fallen into
inappropriate patterns of behaviours in order to express their frustration,
anxiety or fear. The staff are highly skilled and experienced at breaking
down these patterns of behaviour and can recognise the barriers that
young people build that slow down or halt their full potential being
realised. Through a mix of individualised curriculum approaches,
therapeutic support and respite care and family services, we aim to
achieve the best possible outcomes for young people in our care.
6

Our Aims and Values:
We provide an ethos that is based on the belief that the secret of happiness is choice and the best way to
increase choice is through educational experiences. The aim for all young people is to make this ‘radius
of choice’ as wide as possible for the individual, which means access to a broad and balanced curriculum
that accesses the full range of qualifications both academic and vocational; which lead to further
education, training and employment.
Chaigeley aims to prepare young people for modern life through the education of both the mind and heart,
creating focussed young people who can communicate their needs in a productive and safe way and who
have the confidence to achieve their life goals and benefit from a position of choice.
7

Partnership Working:
Chaigeley School has an experienced and
dedicated team that is able to offer support,
advice and training to a wide range of partners
across England and Wales. We provide direct
support in schools across the North West of
England. The support provides help with policy,
practice and training to increase awareness
of behavioural and therapeutic techniques.
Often this support extends to work around
planning for individual young people to help
them maintain placements but it also offers full
staff INSET support to ensure that pupils are
supported holistically and consistently.
8

“The work on attachment and its
importance put into perspective
why some of the children within
this school potentially display
negative behaviour or poor
communication.
It has been great to forge such
positive links with Chaigeley
School and we have enjoyed
working with your staff. We
look forward to continuing to
develop an even closer working
relationship between the two
schools for the benefit of the
children and the community.”
Susan Robinson, Headteacher.
Thelwall Junior School.
Chaigeley School is a member
of the ‘engage in their future’
network of schools. This is a
national network of leaders in
education who work within the
SEMH sector or who have an
interest in improving outcomes for young people
who experience complex behavioural issues.
The network not only advocates the best
outcomes for young people, but also is directly
involved in influencing change in respect of
practise, enabling outcomes to be furthered
for young people with SEMH. The Principal of
Chaigeley School is the National Chair of this
network and this ensures that Chaigeley School
is at the forefront of any up to date initiatives
and often is central to supporting sector leading
practice.
9

Education with
a difference
Our Curriculum:
We offer a very wide choice of curriculum at Chaigeley School. The
timetable aims to be flexible and comprehensive to meet the academic as
well as the vocational needs of our pupils. Each class group, of no more
than seven pupils, has a qualified class teacher and at least one dedicated
teaching assistant. Specialist teachers deliver specific subjects and are
also skilled in working with pupils experiencing behavioural, emotional and
social difficulties.
We have structured timetables to best meet the individual needs of each
pupil, depending on their personal circumstances. Therefore, up to 26
hours of education a week are provided and this can incorporate lesson
time in school, sports sessions, outdoor education and/or some sessions of
independent study work undertaken outside of school.
10

“Teaching is nearly always
good with some which is
outstanding. Teaching is
engaging and enjoyable.
This enables pupils to learn
quickly, as was evidenced by
the good quality of work seen
in pupils’ books and folders”.
OFSTED Inspection Report 2014
11

We have divided the school into needs based HUB
groups: Lower School and Upper School.
Lower School - Key Stage 2 and 3:
Key Stage 2 and 3 offers a broad, balanced and enriched curriculum
which is underpinned by the key skills of speaking and listening, reading,
writing and mathematics across all subject areas. This ensures that
the children are given opportunities to learn, build on and develop
new skills. Reading is given a high priority. Children are heard reading,
using an enjoyable and effective Rapid Reading Scheme that leads to
improvement by closing the gap.
Our provision is delivered using nurture principles; as a Nurture Group,
we provide a carefully planned day, where there is a balance of learning
and teaching, affection and structure within a home-like atmosphere.
The emphasis is on emotional growth – focusing on offering broad-based
experiences in an environment that promotes security, routines, clear
boundaries and carefully planned, repetitive learning opportunities.
12

Children are exposed to a range of subjects and activities that allow them to experience different topics
and learning styles. This includes:
Eco Club
Design Technology
(Resistant Materials and
Food Technology)
Art
Drama
Music
Craft
History / Geography
PSHE
RE
ICT
PE / Games
ASDAN
Learning experiences for our children are further enhanced through visits and trips. The WW2 topic
included visits to Stockport Air Raid Shelters, Chester Military Museum and the Imperial War Museum.
13

Upper School Key Stage 3/4:
Upper School provides an equally nurturing and caring
environment to Lower School but offers the opportunity for
young people to experience a more ‘traditional’ education
experience. Pupils are placed in form groups, and for the most
part these reflect year age groups but there can be flexibility
to enable more pupils with similar interests and needs to be
placed together.
Lessons are delivered by specialists in the curriculum areas
and mostly pupils move from class to class to engage in
learning, providing a more ‘traditional’ feel to the learning
experience. Support is provided directly to all to enable the
diversity of pupils needs to be supported. All form groups have
a pastoral Teaching Assistant that stays with the group for the
majority of the timetable, in addition support is also provided
in key areas of the curriculum especially Numeracy and
Literacy by specialist Teaching Assistants who work closely
with the specialist teacher to ensure outstanding outcomes in
these areas remain a priority.
14

Chaigeley provides a range of nationally recognised qualifications of all
levels from pre-entry-level to GCSE and BTEC. Each course is tailored to the
individualised needs and ability of each young person. Qualifications offered to
the young people include:
English
Maths
Science
ICT
The Arts, including Art,
Music and Drama
Physical Education
History
Geography
Design Technology
Hospitality and Home
Care Skills
Religious Education
ASDAN
Outdoor Education
- Duke of Edinburgh
- John Muir Trust
15

Vocational Courses / Training and
Development:
We recognise the importance of enabling every young person
who attends Chaigeley School to engage with vocational
training, which allows them to enter the workplace and
gain meaningful employment that will ultimately facilitate
independent living.
It is important for KS4 pupils to leave school fully prepared with
the skills required for life at college / training or in the workplace.
All KS4 pupils have the opportunity to engage in Work Related
Learning activities and externally accredited courses. Timetables
can be personalised to meet the needs of individuals. All KS4
pupils have the opportunity to experience taster courses in a
range of vocational subjects at local colleges. Year 11 pupils
undertake a block two week work experience placement which
can be extended for individuals if necessary.
Pupils can also access Independence Advice and Guidance
provided by the local careers service; students begin to access
this support in KS3.
16

Outdoor Education:
We recognise the importance of enabling every young person
and Chaigeley School recognises that in order to support
complex needs and in particular attachment disorders,
developing an appropriate pattern of risk taking is key to
enhancing confidence in both personal objectives and as
well as learning in the more formal classroom environments.
Our outdoor educational programme aims to enable young
people to overcome their fears, face challenges and develop
their skills and confidence. On occasions, we will organise
overnight trips, which actively promotes socialisation, cooperation
and positive interaction with both peer and adults.
There are opportunities for pupils to learn, participate in and
enjoy sports and outdoor adventurous activities.
Young people work towards the Duke of Edinburgh Award;
this is a nationally recognised and certified award that can be
achieved by completing a personal programme of activities
in four or five of the following:
Volunteering - helping
someone, your community or
the environment.
Physical - becoming fitter
through sport, dance or fitness
activities.
Skills - developing existing
talents or trying something new.
Expedition - planning,
training for and completing an
adventurous journey.
Residential staying and
working away from home as
part of a team.
The Duke of Edinburgh Award is
very popular at Chaigeley with
activities as varied as orienteering,
climbing, canoeing, mountaineering
and sports.
17

Outreach Welfare Support Programme:
The outreach service provides tailored support to children who are
currently out of school for a range of complex reasons. Each pupil is
provided with a timetable and support package that reflects their
immediate capacity to engage with education and that also supports
the family environment. The overall aim of the Outreach provision is to
reintegrate the pupil back into full time education as quickly as possible.
There is close liaison with other agencies and service providers that
have contact with the pupil to ensure a fully integrated approach is
established and maintained. Our staff are dedicated, experienced and
qualified professionals who utilise their skills and learning strategies
to gain trust and build up meaningful working relationships with each
young person. The foundation of this service is the building of trust
between child, parents / carers and school.
Each child will receive one to one support with a timetable and
curriculum designed to encourage greater participation in school work.
The sessions are delivered in a flexible and friendly manner in more
informal circumstances within the pupil’s local area, for example, a
Library, Children’s centres or if appropriate, the child’s home.
18

Each young person will have a dedicated
outreach worker who will act as their mentor
throughout the duration of their programme;
this will include the transition period when
joining the main school. There is a close link
between the outreach timetable and that of
the main school. Each young person will have
bite size school sessions integrated into their
programme to develop relationships and
understanding of school life at Chaigeley. These
sessions can include participating in class, as
well as offsite visits that are part of the Duke of
Edinburgh programme. In addition, as part of
the Outreach service we offer Welfare support
for the family, this support will continue even
when the young person is integrated back into
full time education.
19

Learning Environment:
The staffing at Chaigeley School includes a
Principal, two Heads of School a range of
specialist teachers and a team of specialist
teaching assistants and mentors. Class sizes
are limited to seven children to enable the
ratio to effectively support learning for each
child. Every class has a qualified teacher or
tutor leading the session with at least one
teaching assistant that specialises in behaviour
management, holding a consistent pastoral
role for the form group. Core Learning areas
also have teaching assistants who work closely
with the specialist teachers to enable more in
depth support in key areas of the curriculum.
20

The learning environment is directly supported by the
schools Pupils Support Service. This is staffed by a
team of mentors who are skilled in diffusing crisis and
work to ensure that learning remains central to the
school day for all pupils. Pupils are rewarded for self–
regulating their behaviours and choosing to seek
the support of the Pupil Support Service who may
support the child 1-1 when returning to the classroom,
offer an alternative environment to complete the work
or offer some guidance / mentorship should the issue
be of a more personal or wider context for the child.
If the crisis is severe for the child, the support team
can offer the direct services of the Therapeutic Team,
which includes direct therapeutic interventions within
a therapeutic environment called ‘The Loft’.
In school, we also have 3 staff trained as tutors of the
Team Teach approach. This training is for all members
of staff that work directly with the young people who
display challenging behaviours.
21

Working Together with Parents and Carers:
At Chaigeley School, we promote close working relationships with
parents, carers and all key personnel involved with the care and
education of young people. Progress for young people is communicated
daily to parents and carers through the sharing of a ‘progress slip’ given
to young people at the end of each day. These focus on a positive for the
young person, but may also review concerns to allow parents and carers
to engage in a joint strategy to aid in maintaining progress.
Some parents / carers prefer to have phone contact in addition to the
progress slip and all pastoral TA’s ( there is one in every form group ) will
make a weekly phone call to all parents / carers but will, if requested,
increase the regularity of these calls, if it supports greater engagement
with parents, carers and young people. Formal report updates are
provided on a termly basis. Parents, carers and all stakeholders are
invited to respond to these reports and if they wish they are able to visit
the school to discuss the content of the report.
Chaigeley School also holds annual open days for year 11 pupils, the
community, and commissioning bodies to promote an open access
approach to the schools and pupils development.
22

Keeping Children and Young
People Safe:
Chaigeley School is proud of its effective and
comprehensive safeguarding procedures. The
Principal sits on the local safeguarding children’s
executive committee and this ensures that
developments both locally and nationally are
always incorporated into staff CPD and school
policies.
The school takes great care to ensure that
the staff team is regularly updated with all
policies that relate to safeguarding, including
the recent additional guidance relating to the
Prevent Strategy and Keeping Children Safe
in Education issued by the DfE. Training is led
by the designated team for all members of
staff and governors, this is supplemented by
the local police force, specialist organisations
and the LADO team. All of which, provides a
comprehensive approach to meet the priority
the school places on keeping both children and
staff safe.
The school’s PSHE programme is embedded
throughout the ‘virtual 24hr curriculum’, so
that all pupils have access to advice and
development both within school and care
environments. Young people also engage in
Assembly every week and this regularly deals
with issues that encourage the pupils to reflect
on the ethos and expectations of the school.
‘ECO School’:
Chaigeley School enjoys ECO schools status and
we are constantly driving initiatives to reduce the
use of paper and energy that can be replaced
through alternative sources. We advocate the
use of public transport for staff and pupils both
to secure independence skills but also to reduce
our carbon foot-print. These outcomes are
shared with all pupils and staff, however, the risk
assessment and needs and wishes of individuals
are always considered.
23

Therapeutic
Services
Overview:
Chaigeley School offers an integrated therapeutic
service to young people with a wide variety of
needs. These needs are sometimes complex and
enduring trauma, and may be expressed through
a range of troubling behaviours, such as Sexual
or violent offending, anti-social behaviour,
Challenging behaviour, and Risk-taking and
self-defeating behaviours.
Some of our young people may have problematic
attachment patterns, and/or present with a range
of other needs including learning difficulties,
underlying mental health problems, autistic
spectrum conditions and ADHD.
Chaigeley’s therapeutic team works with young
people in establishing a lasting therapeutic
relationship. Every young person placed with us
is allocated to a member of the therapeutic team;
who then works with the young person, education
staff, parents and external agencies supporting
and directly contributing to their therapeutic
needs.
24

Our Therapeutic Model:
Chaigeley School believes that what is needed therapeutically does not
reside in an individual therapist, but in a multi-disciplinary approach.
Each young person at Chaigeley School has an integrated team of
professionals made up from the therapy, counselling and learning
support working around them, to provide a holistic and comprehensive
service. The therapeutic input for each young person is bespoke to them,
drawing on a wide understanding of child behaviour.
Our model of therapeutic input is attachment and trauma-informed:
Valuing attachment and belonging
Providing a network of supportive and challenging relationships
Promoting the empowerment and giving appropriate responsibility
Encouraging a culture of enquiry and curiosity
Holistic, planned approach keeps in mind the need to assess, manage
and reduce risks that the young people face or presents with.
25

Chaigeley therapeutic services provide:
Assessment and risk management
Psychological therapies
Counselling
Learning support
On-going review
Training and practice development
Individual consultancy
Specialist advice and personal development
To enhance our integrative approach and promote continuity, our team members are employed directly
by Chaigeley School. They are all registered with their respected accrediting bodies. Our commitment is to
establish a therapeutic relationship as the basis to our work and allow the young person’s experiences to
be central to this. We recognise that each young person is actively trying to make sense of their current and
past experiences.
26

Therapeutic Team:
The therapeutic team is led by:
David Taransaud - Clinical Lead
David Taransaud is a psychotherapeutic counsellor
(UKCP), consultant, author, and trainer with over 15
years’ experience working with challenging youth. He is
the author of: ‘I, Monster: positive ways of working with
challenging teens through understanding the adolescent
within us’ (2016) and ‘You Think I’m Evil: practical
strategies for working with rebellious and aggressive
adolescents’ (2010).
He has written many articles concerning ‘Attachment’
(the John Bowlby’s Foundation magazine), ‘Children and
Young People’ and ‘Play Therapy Magazine’.
David also worked as a foreign consultant in Karachi
(Pakistan) and travelled to Kitgum (Uganda) where
he independently set up an Art Therapy service in an
orphanage for former child soldiers and young people
affected by conflict and trauma.
27

Speech and Language Therapy:
The School engages the services of a Speech
and Language Therapists (SaLT) who work with
pupils that have difficulties with communication,
as well as providing training to staff. Speech and
language therapy is integrated within the school
and takes place in the classroom; making use of
the learning environment.
SaLTs assess and treat speech, language and
communication problems in young people
and help them communicate better. Using
specialist skills, SaLTs work directly with pupils
and their carers and provide them with tailored
support. They also work closely with teachers
and other health professionals, such as doctors,
nurses, other allied health professionals and
psychologists to develop individual treatment
programmes.
28

Pupil / Learning Support:
The pupil support team are an experienced
group of staff members who are on duty every
day. They carry out practical tasks, ensuring all
pupils are safe and accounted for and support
specific lessons. They are also on hand to
deal with any issues which may arise during
the school day. These may include: providing
a ‘time-out’ facility for distressed or anxious
pupils, mediating between pupils, helping pupils
to reflect upon their behaviour, and working
individually with pupils - either in the classroom
or within a designated work area. In addition,
they assist with escorting pupils to medical and
dental appointments, as well as attending multiagency
meetings.
29

Staff Support and Training
Support for staff is continuous to enable them to remain
robust and aware of developments in the field of SEMH.
Continuous Professional Development (CPD) occurs every
two weeks with staff providing updates in their various fields
to colleagues as well as input from outside agencies. This has
helped the staff become aware of the growing needs of our
sector such as Prevent and CSE strategies and the developing
research on Foetal Alcohol Disorders for example.
Support is also provided by the therapeutic team, who offer both training on a group basis and individual
mentoring sessions to help staff maintain a robust and resilient approach to the challenging work they are
so effective at undertaking.
Alongside this all staff have regular supervision to enable them to celebrate their work and develop
strategies to further improve the outcomes for pupils with the direct support of their senior leadership
team.
Performance management routines are also in place to enable individuals to take ownership of their
professional direction.
The staff team at Chaigeley are committed and experienced and the strength of our support networks
means we have an incredibly secure team with excellent levels of retainment, which leads to better
outcomes for both staff and pupils.
30

Evaluation of Progress
Chaigeley School is proud of it’s
ability to help pupils achieve
outstanding outcomes. These
outcomes come in various forms.
Pupils not only excel in academic
areas including GCSE results but
also in the ongoing development of
social skills.
Chaigeley measures the
development of social skills using
a Social Outcomes Wheel, which
helps create a baseline of need and
provides focus for key areas such as
empathy, task orientation and self
awareness. Targets are devised to
work alongside the school’s PSHE
curriculum and provide additional
focus for mentoring sessions
and in some cases therapeutic
interventions.
Progress is measured termly for all pupils but if necessary
and required the frequency of assessments can be
increased to enable pupils to maximise their outcomes.
Pupils on the Outreach programme have detailed
evaluation for every session and reviews
are conducted every half term.
31

Our pupils
Results and Achievements:
“ Key Stage 2 pupils make good progress in
reading, writing and mathematics often
from low starting points. Pupils settle
quickly when they arrive and this enables
staff to assess pupils’ levels of achievement
and provide work which is closely tailored
to their needs. One pupil’s comment
summed up the feelings of others: ‘I really
love it here. Teachers understand my
problems and have helped me to work hard
and be proud of the work I do”.
Ofsted Report (2014)
32

“ Having spent a few years with L being more out
of school, than in at his local primary, and me
getting very little support. I felt relieved when L
finally made it to Chaigeley. I remember feeling on
our first visit to see if he was suitable, that he was
finally in a school with people who understood
him and wanted to help him; a school where he
wouldn’t just be judged on his bad behaviour,
and where he wasn’t just the ‘naughty boy’. But
a school and staff that saw and treated him as a
person, an individual and encouraged him to reach
his potential.
I cannot thank staff enough for all the support they
have given to L and myself, in times that have been
difficult. Nothing gives me more pride than to see L
getting ready to leave school with a future ahead of
him and him achieving far more than I ever thought
possible”.
Michelle, Parent
33

Results in 2015:
Of the Pupils who started placements in key stage 3 or before :
- 100% obtained at least 5 A* to C GCSE results or equivalent (BTEC).
- 100% obtained at least 9 GCSE results or equivalent.
100% of the school leavers achieve recognised qualifications
Majority of key stage 3 pupils will complete AQA awards and entry level qualification
Bronze or Silver Duke of Edinburgh has been achieved by Key Stage 4
English, 71.4% GCSE Maths, 100% GCSE and Science 85.7% GCSE 2015 Year 11
Reading ages consistently improved across the school with all pupils successfully closing the gap
between baseline assessment and current position.
100% attendance to therapy and counselling services.
Exclusions:
At Chaigeley our policy is not to permanently exclude children. In most cases, if the young person has a
crisis that requires time away from the school environment the pupil will continue their education with 1:1
support in an outreach capacity, until they are ready to reintegrate fully with the school.
34

Case Study - AB Year (Year 11 Pupil):
AB came to Chaigeley in Year 10 following as long history of school
placement breakdown and non-attendance for over 6 months.
During the referral process AB made it clear that his ambition was to
work in the building trade with his father and that he did not value
any other aspect of ‘school’. We agreed between school, parents
and AB to formulate a solution that would get him exactly where he
was looking to get to in terms of his ambitions.
AB attended school and agreed to access a full curriculum alongside some therapeutic intervention. As
the therapeutic intervention began to have an impact, it became more difficult for him to maintain the
environment within school. His ability to self-regulate his emotions and actions become more challenging
leading to outbursts of damage of school property throughout year 10. At the beginning of year 11, it
was clear that AB was not able to sustain safe behaviours on school site, AB moved to an individualised
curriculum that focused on Literacy / Numeracy and ICT delivered by our Outreach Team and 3 days of
work experience with a construction company following a C&G qualification route that was supported
from within the school.
The result was that this allowed AB to retain a placement in school, follow his ambitions and engage with
core subject areas at GCSE level. It also maintained contact with the therapeutic interventions for both
pupil and family.
35

Stability and
Safeguarding
Stability is one of the core aims of Chaigeley School. The focus on the
young person’s need for stability does not remain solely within the school
environment; we work closely with parents, carers and other agencies to
ensure that the appropriate foundations are in place to support the holistic
needs of the child. This includes home visits that provide guidance and
support for the family as a whole.
Chaigeley School has a long history of supporting vulnerable young people
who experience SEMH and our outcomes are excellent given the starting
points we build foundations from. The ethos of the school is to ‘realise
potential’ within the individual and we do this by assessing their abilities,
ambitions and needs and then supporting the best outcomes through
skilled interventions that allow individuals to flourish.
36

The staff team is experienced and have been working together as a
specialist team for many years; we provide excellent stability with a very
low turnover of staff in both school and care environments. This ensures
that pupils have stability in key relationships around school and care. The
stability provided by these key relationships allows us to approach the
curriculum design individually.
All pupils understand the need to address core subjects as a school but
supplementary subjects are offered in response to interest, ability and
ambitions and this maintains a child centred approach which allows the
child to achieve more successfully.
Respite Service
In order to support pupils within both the school and their community
Chaigeley can offer a respite service for young people and families who
may need some specialist support due to the complex nature of their
environment and needs. This provision is staffed by experienced care staff
who work closely with the family and carers to safeguard the experience
of respite. Respite is provided on a planned basis and the young person is
always included in the planning process, matching staff skills with interests
and abilities so that the time spent on school site is positive and supportive.
37

Referrals and
admissions
Overview:
Most referrals come to Chaigeley School via the local authority route.
Chaigeley has some very positive links with local authorities across England
and Wales. Our long standing relationships are built upon trust and the
delivery of meaningful and positive outcomes for young people.
We can discuss referrals with parents and carers also and are always
happy to share our provision and offer support where we can. However, it
is always advisable to incorporate the relevant local authority wherever
possible.
38

Process and Procedure:
Stage 1 - Initial Referral and
Assessment
We can accept an initial request to assess a
placement from either a parent / carer / local
authority officer or private organisation in the
following ways:
By Letter :
Referral Officer, Chiageley School, Lymm Road,
Warrington, WA4 2TE
By Phone : 01925 752357
Via Email : admin@chaigeley.org.uk
39

In order to be fully able to assess the effectiveness of a placement for the
individual young person, we normally ask for the following reports to be
shared:
1. Full referral information.
2. Statement of SEN needs or Education Health and Care Plan (EHCP).
There may not be one in place, if not, we would need to know.
3. A copy of the most recent school report written by the last or current
education provider.
4. A copy of the most recent report written by the last or current Care
provider (if relevant).
5. Any copies of most recent assessment reports.
6. Copies of most recent risk assessment, if available.
7. Name and address of current most recent provisions including
contact names.
8. Name, address and contact details for parents / carers.
9. Confirmation of funding in place.
40

The information opposite will be fully considered by
the Principal and the senior leadership team; this will
include an Impact Assessment of the referred young
person on the current young people on roll. If it is
assessed that we are able to meet the needs of the
referred young person, then we would confirm this with
the individual referral agency / LA.
If the local authority is not aware of the referral, we
would at this point inform them of the situation and
this may require a planning or review meeting to be
held before moving on with the referral process. This
confirmation will include details of required fees for the
placement but this will be subject to completion of the
remaining stages of referral.
This will normally be completed within a week of the
referral information being received in full. (Fees will
need to be agreed before moving on to Stage 2).
41

Stage 2 - Initial Visit - Off Site
The next stage of the referral process is for the Principal / senior team
member to meet with the young person and parents / carers. This is
normally undertaken off site in order to provide a safe environment for
the young person / parent / carer. The purpose of this initial meeting is
to share the ethos of Chaigeley School with the young person / parents /
carers, enabling them to consider the provision on offer and offering an
opportunity for them to share with us what they are hoping to achieve
from the placement.
During the meeting, an assessment will be made, as to whether the
young person / parents / carers are willing to engage with the school at a
suitable level to enable positive outcomes to be realistically achieved. If
this is deemed appropriate then the referral will be progressed to stage
3. If Stage 2 results in an assessment that shows that the young person
or parent / carer is not yet ready to engage with the school on offer, then
this will end the referral process and any offer of a placement may be
retracted.
42

Stage 3 - School Visit
During this stage the young person will be
invited to visit the school and meet key staff
members, other young people and gain an
awareness of the physical site and the support
network provided.
At the end of the visit, the young person will be
asked to consider the prospect of attending
Chaigeley and it is explained what the possible
start dates may be, subject to transport
arrangements usually. The young person is then
asked to consider the placement over night
/ weekend, if a Friday. In some cases young
people sometimes need more than one visit, so
this Stage can be repeated if necessary.
to take up a place at Chaigeley, following their
initial meetings and visits. Chaigeley School
require that the young person confirms they
are willing to attend before a placement can be
confirmed. The placement then starts when the
contract agreement and transport provision
have been secured. All new placements are
reviewed after 6 weeks or within the first term.
Stage 4 - Confirmation of Place
Following Stage 3, a member of the senior team,
usually the Principal, will call the young person,
parent / carer and ask them if they are willing
43

CHAIGELEY
SCHOOL
realising potential
—
Chaigeley School
Lymm Road, Thelwall
Warrington WA4 2TE
T 01925 752357 or 756786
F 01925 757983 or 758212
E admin@chaigeley.org.uk
www.chaigeley.org.uk