Woolgrove School

Head: Rona V. Tutt B.A.(Hons), M.A., Adv. Dip(SEN), Dip.R.D.(Open), Dip. N.C.T.D.

Woolgrove was built in 1976 as a Primary School for pupils who have moderate learning difficulties. It is situated in spacious grounds on the edge of Letchworth Garden City. The children come from the North of the County: Letchworth, Hitchin, Baldock, Royston, Stevenage and the surrounding villages.

The Main School

The school is funded by Hertfordshire L.E.A. to provide places for 100 pupils. There are 10 classes and the teaching staff are supported by Nursery Nurses, Classroom Assistants, Speech and Language Therapists, a Physiotherapist, an Occupational Therapist and an Art Therapist.

All the pupils follow the full National Curriculum. In addition, all the classes go swimming every week throughout the year and the children work for a variety of awards.Children from Y5 and Y6 go horse riding and in their final year the pupils learn French to prepare them for learning a foreign language in their Secondary Schools.

It has always been the school's aim to return as many pupils as possible to mainstream education. In 1989 an article on the school was published in "Special Children" which gave an account of those who had returned to their local schools.

Currently, the school is working for the Investors in People Award.

The Outreach Service

In 1981, the school began to develop an Outreach Service, which has been a main feature of the school ever since. The Service is run by an Outreach Co-ordinator. There are 3 strands to her work:

supporting mainstream Primary colleagues in identifying and meeting the needs of pupils with learning difficulties,

developing a Special Needs Resource Centre,

organising INSET on special needs issues.

(Further details of this Service are given on the next page).

The Unit for Pupils with Autism

In January 1996, the school opened a Unit for pupils with autism who also have moderate learning difficulties. This is the first of the L.E.A's rolling programme to provide for the majority of pupils with autism within the County. When fully operational, the Unit will have 8 pupils and 4 staff : 2 teachers , a nursery nurse and a classroom assistant. In its first term, there were 5 pupils and this will be increasing gradually. From their first day, the children began to integrate with the pupils in the Main School.

Woolgrove

believes in the value of offering pupils who have moderate learning difficulties the opportunity of being educated in an environment which is geared to meeting their needs. In this way, pupils who find learning a challenge can be helped to make the most of their potential and have a better chance of developing the skills they will need to take their place in society.

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Outreach Service