Autism campaigner Anna Kennedy is throwing a lifeline to parents in search of a placement for their child with the opening of a 150-pupil school in Kent.
Anna, recently voted ‘Inspirational Woman of the Year’ by The Daily Mail for her work for children with autism, is inviting parents to attend an open-day at Baston House School in Kent on 17 February.
Interested parents will have the opportunity to meet staff and to look around the five acres of grounds at the independent school, designed for children with an autism diagnosis aged between three and 19.
The announcement of a new school in Kent will be welcome news to parents in the county, where an estimated 12,000 children are said to be affected by autism.
The plan is for Baston House to be as successful as the two other schools that Anna, the mum of two teenage boys with autism, has previously launched. These schools are the award-winning Hillingdon Manor and recently opened Yiewsley Grange, both in Middlesex.
Anna, pictured with Samantha Cameron, the prime minister’s wife, said: “We want to ensure that children with autism get the education they deserve to enable them to achieve their full potential.”
Baston House will follow its sister schools in offering a therapeutic approach to the teaching of children with autism, with speech-and-language therapists working alongside occupational therapists and other professionals.
Explaining the approach, head teacher Steve Vincent said it would be based on an “eclectic fusion” of autistic-specific strategies, with a focus on improving the children’s communication and interaction skills.
Parents interested in attending the open day, or seeking further information, can contact: anna@annakennedyonline.com.
Published: 7 February 2011
