All our pupils are offered a personalised curriculum, designed to meet their unique medical/mental health needs, particular interests and demands of external qualifications such as GCSEs. The number of hours of education is not set but is dependent on the impact of the medical/mental health difficulty, in conjunction with advice from health practitioners.
Our core teaching team provides teaching in English Language and Literature, Maths, Science, ICT, Personal, Social and Health Education, Art, Careers Education and Employability and Religious Education. At times we may use a select bank of associate teachers to offer subject specialism to those pupils who are too unwell to access our online or teaching base provision, and who may live in geographically isolated areas.
Alongside core subjects, we work with other agencies to provide ‘enrichment’ in our curriculum. This may be through external visits to a variety of locations or with the provision of visitors to our bases, to provide activities such as pottery, artist in residence or actors to support creative text analysis.
Social, Moral, Spiritual and Cultural Education
Social, Moral, Spiritual and Cultural Education is an important part of our teaching and themes are woven through the curriculum. Sessions include moral and ethical decision and discussion, and trips to local religious centres and fund raising activities are included in this area.
Our aims for SMSC education can be found here:
Fundamental British Values
As part of the SMSC work, and through other subjects, we are now required to teach our pupils about the four fundamental British Values which are:
- Individual liberty
- Rule of law
- Democracy
- Mutal Respect and the Tolerance of those with different Faiths and Beliefs
You can see the ways in which we promote these values through our curriculum from the statement here.
Looking after your Mental Health
Sometimes it can feel like you don’t have any control over what you think or how you feel. But by making simple changes to our lives, we you can make a real difference to your mental health. Feeling good is worth investing in – and the best thing is, the simple things don’t require much time or money.
If you need help, ASK SOMEONE. Here at Hospital and Outreach Education, there is always someone to talk to who will have the time to listen. Don’t be afraid – asking is the first step.
One of the best organisations to support you is Young Minds (www.youngminds.org.uk ). One of our pupils, Luke, is a Young Minds Activist works with them to produce advice and guidance that he knows will be useful. Check the activists latest work on mental health and social media here:
https://youngminds.org.uk/find-help/looking-after-yourself/social-media-and-mental-health/
Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services run ‘CAMHS Live’ where you can use a chat box to talk to a qualified person about how you are feeling. You can access this here https://www.nhft.nhs.uk/camhslive
Childline is also available 24 hours a day for phone calls. 0800 1111
Calm Zone is a site with lots of good ideas about how you can manage your anxiety and is easily accessible. Pupils can sign up and talk confidentially to a counsellor online, and write their worries on a wall and watch them crumble away. Have a look at it and please signpost pupils to it https://www.childline.org.uk/toolbox/calm-zone/
Pupils with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities
Our SENDCo at HOE is Becky Robinson. She is responsible for any pupils who are educated through HOE and have additional special educational needs and/or disabilities. She undertakes assessments, writes reports to inform education, health and care plans, and co-ordinates all of the access arrangements for external examinations, in association with our exams officer.