Gateshead Metropolitan Borough Council recognises and accepts its responsibility as an employer for providing safe and healthy conditions for employees, pupils, students, visitors and others who may be affected by its activities.
The Curriculum at Gibside School aims to: -
Enable pupils to interact and communicate with a wide range of people
Enable pupils to express preferences, communicate needs, make choices, make decisions and choose options that other people act on and respect.
Promote self-advocacy or the use of a range of systems of supported advocacy.
Prepare pupils for an adult life in which they have the greatest possible degree of autonomy and support them in having relationships with mutual respect and dependence on each other
Increase pupils' awareness and understanding of their environment and of the world
Encourage pupils to explore, to question and to challenge
Provide a wide range of learning experiences for pupils in each key stage suitable for their age.
All of us would be happier were we able to dismiss child abuse as a problem which does not affect our pupils or indeed any pupils. Unfortunately this is not the case and we cannot just hope the problem will go away. Recent research has shown that children and young people with learning difficulties are more vulnerable to abuse of all types than mainstream pupils because of their difficult behaviour, poor communication skills and inability to make choices of their own. It is vital all staff are aware of and act upon these procedures if they have any concerns.
Children need to learn to work, play and co-operate with others; they need to be able to establish effective relationships with other children and adults beyond their family. All staff have a duty and a responsibility to promote appropriate behaviour at all times. We believe that well motivated, secure, confident pupils encouraged by praise and reward will generally demonstrate acceptable behaviour. We also believe that staff, pupils and parents can work together in the best interests of the child to establish and maintain good behaviour and self-discipline where appropriate.
Bullying will not be tolerated and all bullying problems will be taken seriously whether related to pupils or adults. Victims of bullying both pupils and staff, feel powerless and vulnerable. Self-esteem can be damaged and self-confidence needs to be re-established.
The main purposes of home learning are:
• To give children the opportunity to practice and reinforce their learning
• To develop further our links with parents and carers and involve them in pupils' work
• To help parents and other carers to understand more clearly what their children are learning in school.
• To encourage ownership and responsibility for learning.
• To increase pupils' self esteem and the realisation that their achievements are regarded as important by home and school.
• To inform parents and carers of approaches and techniques used in school.
• To make use of all kinds of learning resources at home.
• To extend school learning.