Our Approach To Learning
The specialist curriculum at LVS Hassocks recognises every child as an individual and will enable your child to realise their full potential.
Through research with health and educational specialists, employers and parents, we have developed teaching and learning methods to help young people with an autism diagnosis develop strategies for life and learning. In the long term this will give them the opportunities and skills for successful employment.
We achieve this through assessments at the beginning of each academic year, including CAT4 online assessments and Pupil Attitude to Self and School. Along with less formal assessments, this information enables us to set aspirational targets for our pupils whilst taking account of the impact of their autism on their learning.
We recognise these assessments can be difficult for young people with autism, and so we make sure to take every step necessary to accommodate these challenges.
Each pupil has a profile which details their individual likes/dislikes/challenges and motivators and incorporates their therapy and medical needs, enabling all staff to have ready access to key information to support the young person. Every pupil has a planner, which holds a handbook, their personalised timetable, their calm plan and other key information.
Our focus on well-being, whilst enabling our pupils to make sense of their experiences and develop strategies for success in all areas of their life, encourages them to broaden their horizons and gain a greater awareness of the world around them and the possibilities available.
We offer our students an adapted curriculum that recognises the individuality of young people with autism. We understand that students with communication and socialisation difficulties have different skills and attributes.
We feel our approach to working with young people with autism is unique because we are preparing them for work. Research shows that only 16% of adults with autism are in sustained, full-time paid employment and we are passionate about changing that statistic.
Our students access a range of activities and experiences including supporting local and national charities in fund raising events; drop down days that focus on specific areas such as the rule of law or recycling and sustainability; weekly thinking skills programmes which challenge rigid thinking patterns, all of which support personal and social development.
We base our learning methods around four key areas:
- Whole Health Learning – Focuses on healthy eating, exercise and relaxation techniques to help students develop strategies for managing times of increased anxiety.
- Connected Learning – Helps students make sense of their experiences and develop strategies for success in all areas of their life.
- Real World Learning – Lends a focus on employability, providing our students with strategies to get a job and sustain work.
- Vocational Skills and Qualifications – Students learn practical working skills for employment, regularly supported by nationally recognised qualifications.
We do not push our students to move on when they turn 16, unless we are certain it is absolutely the best way forward for their development.
