Opening Autumn 2020, Abbey School for Exceptional Children is an Independent Day and Residential school for young people aged 4-19 years with complex autism, learning difficulties and behaviours that challenge.

What are we doing?

Abbey School aims to be the very best of its kind in the United Kingdom. We aim to improve the life chances of pupils with complex and challenging needs, and to extend the prospect of an improved quality of life for family members and others.

The Abbey School Model brings together everything that is known from special education research and best practice to maximise pupil learning and wellbeing. We believe that what we are doing has never been done before.

Why are we doing this?

We believe that education is the key to a better life, and that all children and young people are entitled to an effective education that enables them to achieve their full potential, regardless of the degree of special educational need or disability.

Together, we are unlocking potential and enhancing the lives of children and young people with special educational needs.

How are we doing this?

Our whole school approach brings together everything that is known from special education research and best practice to maximise pupil learning and wellbeing. The Abbey School Model is a synthesis of leading-edge evidence-based practices that has been developed by us to deliver our bespoke curriculum, which constantly evolves and improves.

All pupils will benefit from 1:1 support from highly trained learning mentors in addition to their class teacher and subject specialist teachers. The school benefits from an in house Positive Behaviour Support Team such that behaviours of concern can be assessed, planned for and monitored on a daily basis. All pupils will access Speech and Language Therapy and Occupational Therapy from our in-house therapy team.

In addition, our enriched staffing profile allows us to ensure that family support is a core part of our provision. All day pupils will receive regular home visits in order to support families to manage their challenging needs in the home environment, supporting families to stay together and reducing the risks of breakdowns in living arrangements.

We are centrally located in the heart of the City of Chester which provides more opportunities for Abbey School pupils than are available to many other children.

The Abbey School Model APP

Our bespoke Abbey School Model APP helps staff to plan, deliver and monitor provision for meaningful participation by pupils in activities of living and learning at school, home and in the community. It seamlessly interfaces with Person Centred Plans (PCP), Positive Behaviour Support (PBS) Plans and Education Health and Care Plans (EHCP). APP data also provide evidence of school-wide activity and user outcome to aid commissioning decisions and inspections.

We believe that there is no APP available on the market that meets all of these needs.

Research and Development

The Abbey School Model (ASM) brings together recent research on the most effective ways of teaching skills and knowledge to pupils requiring additional focused support.

Abbey School has invested in a long-term strategic partnership worth over £1m with two internationally renowned UK universities, and is committed to providing the most effective programme of support for learning and wellbeing.

Funding

Unlike any other specialist school in the UK, we offer attractive funding solutions to placing Local Authorities, which can finance the school fees for all pupils attending Abbey School.

We believe that this is a source of great support to Local Authorities wishing to place with us, and this has never been done before.