Pegasus School Specialist Day and Residential School

Pegasus School is an independent specialist day and residential school for young people aged 8 to 19 years with severe learning disabilities, autism and associated challenging behaviour. Many of our students also have mental health and therapy needs.

The School is situated in the grounds of Caldwell Hall; five miles from Burton on Trent on the borders of Staffordshire, Derbyshire and Leicestershire.

The ethos of Pegasus School is our individualised approach. Every element of a student’s package is bespoke to that individual; whether that be the number of nights they stay, their specific routine, the input from professional services, diet, cultural and religious preferences, etc.

Until students are 16 years old, education and care are located in one building with onsite professional supportservices. This gives us the opportunity to truly build a multi-disciplinary package around the young person. This integrated approach means we are able to fully meet the needs of young people with very complex needs and ensure they make progress, develop independent skills and are able to engage socially with others. This level of support continues when the students move to the on-site college at the age of 16.

The curriculum is designed to meet the needs of the students’
Statement of Educational Needs or their EHC plan. Throughout the curriculum there is a strong emphasis on practical,
functional activities including skills for life, enterprise and work related learning.

The progress of students is central to our work and we use a variety of tools to assist in the collection and analysis of data. Our interdisciplinary team uses this data to focus on individual needs, to plan specific interventions so that the needs of
students are always kept under review.

The school is situated in the grounds of Caldwell Hall. Young people are able to make use of the extensive grounds,
including the opportunity to play football, cricket, ride
bicycles, trampolining and a play area, or merely enjoy the open space and freedom that the grounds provide.

Many of the children and young people that come to Pegasus School will have become isolated and excluded from activities within the community because of their challenging behaviours.

Staff are highly skilled in working with students who exhibit difficult behaviours. Due to the high levels of support that
students receive they show a rapid improvement in their behaviour. This means that they are able to take part in
activities in the community.

We are within easy walking distance of Rosliston village and Forestry Centre which provides us with leisure and work
facilities. There is a cafe; putting green; soft play and craft shops, as well as gardens and a wild life centre.

We have an interdisciplinary team consisting of highly skilled and experienced education, care and therapy staff.

As part of their induction all staff undertake a comprehensive induction training programme which includes training in
behaviour management strategy. Staff are given additional training over their probationary period which is specific to meeting the needs of the students. All staff working in Children’s Residential services are supported to complete Diploma Level 3 Children and Young People’s Workforce and Registered Managers are supported to achieve Level 5 Leadership and Management in Residential Services. Training is regularly refreshed and any improvements and alterations to best practice are cascaded throughout the school.

We have onsite Speech and Language Therapists and Occupational Therapists. Our Occupational Therapist works closely with our Teachers and care staff to create programmes which meet the sensory, social skills and physical needs of each student. The emphasis is on making skills functional.
 
Our Speech and Language Therapists (SALT) work with our students to give them skills to access learning, skills to
function in society, motivation and confidence to
communicate and the ability to generalise their skills in new
settings and environments. In addition the SALT is
responsible for ensuring all staff receive ongoing training in all aspects of communication.
 
We also have a full time Learning Disabilities Nurse who
oversees the well-being and health needs of our young
people. This includes person centred planning, medication, health issues and mental health issues. We also have
excellent links with the local GP practice, Dentist and
Opticians in the local town.
 
In addition we have input from a variety of professionals
including Psychiatrists and Psychologists and a
complementary Therapist.
 
We also have a Welfare Officer who provides an important link with all the services in the school and our young people. House Meetings are an important venue to discuss a variety of important issues such as brushing teeth; making choices about room decoration and how to respond to the fire alarm.

We understand that changes can be worrying for students and their families and therefore transitions are managed in a timely and sensitive way.

We ensure that students make numerous visits to new settings with their Keyworker. Where appropriate social
stories will be used to support students to understand the changes that are taking place. Staff may transfer departments with the student or receiving staff will have had opportunities to get to know the student and have received training to
support their individual needs.

From the age of 14 years we start the transition planning process in liaison with parents and professionals. The process involves considering future options and identifying an appropriate ongoing placement that appropriately meets individual needs.

Throughout their time at the school we work to develop life skills to enable students to become as independent as
possible as they move into adulthood. This includes building their confidence and self-esteem, developing their
communication skills, giving them the ability to self-manage their behaviours and social skills, the ability to keep
themselves safe, developing their ability to take care of personal hygiene and basic shopping and cooking skills.

please call us on 01332 378840

or email info@senadgroup.com