Welcome

 

Welcome to Hardwick House School. We hope that you find this website useful and that you get an insight into life at our school. Hardwick House School is a specialist independent provision that opened in 2014 to meet the needs of children and young people with a diagnosis and Education Health Care Plan for Autism Spectrum Disorders or related conditions within the triad of impairment.

 

At Hardwick House School, we believe that a happy child is a child who will enjoy learning in a positive, inclusive and fun environment. For many of our children, life before Hardwick House has been difficult and many have been disengaged from education for sometime. Our aim is to ensure that each and every child will fulfil their potential, overcome the barriers of their autism and is ready for the next stage in their education.

 

The curriculum at Hardwick House School is rich and inspiring; we offer a broad range of experiences and opportunities that help prepare our young people for adulthood. The core subjects of Maths, English, Science, P.E. and PSHCEE are taught discreetly, along with other qualification subjects at Key Stage 4. In our primary and Key Stage 3 groups, the foundation subjects are taught through a topic based approach. This includes our Key Stage 3 learners having timetabled Wider Key Skills and Social Communication lessons. 

 

The wellbeing of our learners is at the heart of everything we do; we aim to educate the whole child in order to enable them to be the best that they can be.

 

I am proud to say that the Hardwick House School community is a fantastically happy one. However, please don't just take my word; come and have a look for yourselves!  The staff and learners would be delighted to show you around and answer any questions that you may have, and we are confident that you and your child will both feel relaxed and at home here. 

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Our Ethos 

As an autism specialist school, Hardwick House enables each individual pupil to make outstanding progress from their personal academic, social and emotional starting points. Our focus is on raising aspirations and developing prospects for the future of our young people.  From the time they arrive, we start planning for adulthood, including their next steps after Hardwick, to ensure they are well prepared to achieve their goals and succeed.

Hardwick House ensures that the individual flourishes and reaches their full academic potential by instilling a passion for learning.  We have a broad, personalised and innovative curriculum that develops skills that our pupils will carry with them for life beyond the school gates. When pupils leave Hardwick House, they are prepared for their next step towards independent adulthood and able to access further education or enter the workplace. 

 

We aim to:

1. Provide a welcoming, nurturing and homely environment, enabling the individual to overcome the barriers of their autism in a safe, happy and supportive community.

2. Promote a school-wide family ethos based on empathy, mutual respect, understanding and structure so that each pupil feels valued, supported and able to learn.

3. Support pupils to give them the confidence to be themselves and celebrate the unique brilliance that autism brings.

4. Raise aspirations and prepare pupils for life beyond Hardwick House.

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With warmest regards,

 

Sarah Unwin

Headteacher