Addressing the triad of specific features
- social interaction, social communication and social imagination -
to reduce the effect that the Autism Spectrum has on children's learning

Policies

The school bases its policies and ethos on equal rights and places strong emphasis on equal opportunities with respect to race, gender, sexual orientation, religious belief and disability.

Pastoral Care

The school's Promoting Good Behaviour Policy provides very clear definitions, aims and guidance about how pupils' emotional well being and pastoral care will be supported by all staff. Each teacher and tutor takes responsibility for the behaviour support plan and individual educational plan for their class group and ensures that all staff work together and with the pupil's parents. These plans help pupils to work towards decreasing behaviours which inhibit learning, independence and acceptable behaviour.

Behaviour

As stated above, behaviour is supported very clearly, consistently and constructively through the Promoting Good Behaviour Policy, the support plans for each pupil, staff and parent training and the home/school support service.

The school maintains a calm, low anxiety environment which supports the pupils in keeping the school rules and boundaries.

Staff are trained in knowledge about what happens in the brain in times of high anxiety and emotional charge. This gives insight into how to bring a pupil back from being very upset to being able to calm down. This means staff are proactive in creating an environment where pupils are set up to be able to manage their thoughts, feelings and actions effectively. This gives pupils autonomy and control in a way that works for them and for others.

There are occasions when the emotional charge is so high that a pupil may become a danger to their own and others' health and safety. When this occurs staff may deem it necessary to use physical intervention as set out in the school's Physical Intervention Policy. Staff have been trained in the use of ethical and legal physical intervention as approved by the British Institute of Learning Disability.

All behavioural incidents are recorded, discussed with parents and kept by the school. They are open to scrutiny by any appropriate individuals or agencies. It is emphasised that such reports are not judgmental. They are reports of what has occurred and compliment the school's Risk Assessment system.

Remissions Policy Statement

In line with the company's contract, an individual contract may be terminated by the school or LEA/Parents/Carers with not less than nine weeks written notice.

Where the provider can justify exceptional extenuating circumstances, for instance related to a specific teacher's contract, this period may be extended by 12 weeks by mutual agreement between the Provider and the Authority.

The Head is entitled to exclude a pupil/student from school if there is a foreseeable risk of harm to the pupil/student endangering his/herself or other pupils/staff and in some cases property. Twelve hours notice will be given to the parents and the Local Education Authority.

If a pupil/student does not appear to be benefitting from attendance at the school, the school authorities will give a least nine weeks notice to the parents and the Local Education Authority that the pupil/student will have to be placed elsewhere.

Students leaving school at the end of their school careers will be supported by the appropriate agencies, eg Connexions Service. A transition plan written by the Local Education Authority after the Annual Review, following the pupils fourteenth birthday, will support the pupil/student as they prepare to leave school as an adult.

Services available for adults with autism:

Local Colleges, Autism Specific Adult Service, Supported Learning Schemes, Social Education Centres.

These vary from authority to authority.

Hillingdon Manor School (Primary), Yiewsley Grange, High Street, Yiewsley, UB7 7QP  Tel: 01895 420315

Hillingdon Manor School (Secondary), The Manor and The Lawns, Harlington Road, Hillingdon, Middlesex, UB8 3HD  Tel: 01895 813679