Philosophy

Hillingdon Manor School is committed to providing a therapeutic environment that ensures that all pupils are treated with dignity and respect and that their needs as human beings are met. This ensures the maintenance of an emotionally healthy school community and in turn promotes the development of emotional intelligence. This foundation provides an environment where optimum learning can take place.

Active and effective involvement in the teaching and learning processes within the school is further encouraged through the use of specifically designed behaviour support plans. Being a person with autism means that, to varying degrees it is difficult to understand what is expected by other human beings and by society in general. Firm, fair and consistent rules, boundaries and expectations as well as clarity of language used to describe these essential processes provide a framework for security and understanding, and enhance personal and social development in a manner which improves the pupils’ ability to relate effectively with others.

Using a solution-based approach to language as opposed to language associated with ‘blame’ and ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ supports the maintenance of a low anxiety learning environment and facilitates understanding and learning. Ultimately this ensures appropriate access to individual learning programmes within the context of a supportive and effective school community.

Aims

We aim to do this by providing a curriculum of connective education which will give opportunities for pupils to make connections and gather meaning that will allow them to progress throughout the curriculum and in the world outside the school.

We promote the use of a consistent language-focused environment which will address the anxieties and difficulties which come with social and communication impairments of autism. Staff work to provide an environment where the emotional, social and physical needs of the pupils will be met in such a way that the pupils will learn to be responsible for and manage their own thoughts, feelings and actions and their learning.