Welcome to the Residential/Extended Day

“The school continues to be an example of the best of residential care. Highly effective systems mean equality and diversity are an intrinsic part of the school. Residential pupils have a strong voice in the school.”

The residential staff and parents work in partnership to make sure the residential pupils are safe, lead healthy life styles, enjoy learning, achieve and are prepared for leaving school. The care team have a positive regard for the pupils and are extremely proud of their achievements however small. Residential pupils are treated as individuals with differing needs, tastes and interests.

The care team are highly qualified and skilled in their approach to the residential pupils, individual placement and care plans are produced for each of the pupils and parents are invited to the residence once a year for an informal parents evening where they discuss their son’s progress and work with the care team to produce relevant targets and update placement plans.

The pupils enjoy socialising in the relaxed atmosphere of the residence and have the opportunity to meet with friends in the local community; they participate in travel training with a member of the care team, equipping them with the ability to travel independently to the cinema in near by locations etc. Which in turn enables them to develop highly effective independence skills they can carry through into adult hood.

The young people access several activities and report that they thoroughly enjoy the range of activities especially cycling, football socialising and the independence offered to them by the care team. Comments from the boys range from; ‘the staff are getting us ready for the big world out there’ ‘the staff trust us and we don’t want to let them or ourselves down’.

Click to watch this mountain biking clip!

The Residential is an integral part of the 24 hour curriculum offered at Cloughwood, there are 17 en-suite rooms spread over four dorms, each dorm is run by a highly motivated and qualified member of the care team. The residential experience offers planned residential places where there is an identified need, either, academic, social or behavioural. These placements can be for one night to four nights or a combination of extended day and residential. The extended days allow the young people to access all the activities and then go home later in the evening. These can act as a taster session to allow the young people to gradually build up to overnight stays.

The young people are offered excellent pastoral care, they are given the confidence to ask for help and are given guidance to know where to access help from external sources, i.e. children’s right director, KOOTH, Childline, domestic abuse etc.

With the help of the residential experience the young people are able to overcome their barriers to learning, for example poor attendance and help make a positive contribution to their school life and well being.

We support the young people’s health needs, providing medication attending appointments with the young people, and providing a weekly drop in with the school nurse and a monthly ADHD clinic. The young people are encouraged to take an interest in their own health needs for example attending a smoking cessation clinic at the local pharmacy.

The young people are encouraged to choose a healthy menu, shop for the food and help prepare the evening meal. There is a ‘Lets get cooking club’ run by two care staff; the staff also provide healthy menus for parents to try at home.

Residential students are free to choose which activities they would like to be involved in during their stay. Activities include sailing at Budworth Mere, Outdoor Swimming at Marbury Park, Skate Park’s (including BoneYard and local skate parks), Cycling,  Cinema / Ten Pin Bowling visits, Cooking Club, Slack-lining, Football, Volley Ball, Quick Cricket, Film nights and trips out to the beach.