Eden School, Macclesfield, Cheshire (ages 6-16)

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Eden School is a bespoke school registered specifically for up to 8 pupils with LD/MLD/SEMH/SLCN and complex needs between the ages of 6-16 years. Eden School is located within the grounds of Eden House, our 5 bed children’s home recently rated Outstanding in all areas. We offer children and young people a physically and emotionally safe learning environment, through an attachment informed curriculum, which is tailored to meet the individual needs of all pupils.

Eden School delivers a therapeutic approach to education supporting emotional and cognitive development. Our ethos is to increase self-esteem, achievement and outcomes in preparation for adulthood through positive behaviour support. The school follows the National Curriculum and differentiates activities and information to support learning in line with pupils’ specific and individual needs and will make reasonable adjustments where necessary. Where appropriate we provide expert help in the transitions to and from our school providing the necessary continuing support working closely with the school or college which they are attending.

The SENCo will advise your child’s teacher/learning support of ways to ensure their classroom practice is inclusive for your child and that quality teaching and resources support their needs; developing confidence, self-esteem and independent learning. Support strategies may include visual timetables, visual communication systems and resources, sensory equipment, nurture-calming room, reading overlays and specific computer programmes and social and emotional learning interventions.

Professional development opportunities and training of all staff in the school will ensure that high quality differentiated learning opportunities happen at every opportunity throughout the school day. Staff will be further trained on developing skills and independence through outdoor learning in the school grounds and out in the community. Staff will ensure that the pace and intensity of these interventions will accelerate progression in their personalised learning goals.

Our Therapeutic Aims:

• To achieve whole school approaches to inclusion
• To offer individualised learning plans to support all pupils
• Tailored and differentiated support offered to all pupils on roll
• Therapeutic and attachment informed practice
• Access to an embedded and integrated model of therapy and clinical support
• Specialist early help and tailored interventions to support all children.

Our Curriculum Aims:

• All pupils of compulsory school age receive full-time supervised education
• Education at Eden School offers pupils experience in linguistic, mathematical, scientific, technological, human and social, physical and aesthetic and creative aspects.
• Across the curriculum pupils are supported to develop and acquire skills in speaking and listening, literacy and numeracy. These are further developed in their other subjects through an embedded approach to teaching and learning.
• Pupils are supported to achieve nationally recognised qualifications to support and enhance social, emotional and academic progression
• All pupils are offered access to a broad and balanced curriculum in line with EHCP and identified SEN needs.

Each child will have a personalised learning programme, however, where possible the school will encourage children to work collaboratively developing social skills and self-esteem in all aspects of school life. Each child will have adult support as outlined in their EHCP/Statement and have a nominated Key Worker. Adapting the curriculum through differentiation of work for all children will be the responsibility of the classroom teacher. The level of differentiation will differ for each individual child. For example, a child may benefit from using a variety of iPad applications to support writing and to boost confidence. IPad technology allows children to record their ideas visually, auditoraly and kinaesthetically. Work can be edited instantly to develop writing skills and text can be enlarged instantly supporting children with visual impairments. For those children with language processing difficulties visual prompts (time trackers, visual timetables, now and next prompt cards and Elklan strategies) can be adapted to support specific barriers personalised to the child.

The learning environment has been developed so it can be adapted to each individual child’s needs and learning style as they join Eden School. The school has a sensory/nurture room where personalised resources and equipment will be used to encourage your child to explore and engage with their senses.

developing visual processing abilities as well as their fine and gross motor skills, facilitating day-to-day living. The room can also increase relaxation and motivation, promoting greater levels of happiness and wellbeing as well as providing a moment of comfort and calm and reducing anger and frustration.

By tailoring the sensory environment to the individual, we aim to encourage exploration and engagement within a therapeutic setting developing communication, confidence, resilience and independence.

Our creative room and kitchen area will be used to support children and young person’s psychological, emotional, educational, physical and social development therapeutically.  

The aim of the rooms will be to promote:

• Motor Skills: Developing the dexterity and fine motor skills needed for writing and other life skills.
• Language including expressive language development: Creating and talking about it provides opportunities to develop language skills, work on speech and language targets in a real-life context and use descriptive words to discuss their own creations or to talk about what feelings are elicited when they engage with new experiences.
• Life Skills: Children can learn life skills, for example, learning how to cook, clean, sew and how to budget and run a small business enabling them to empower themselves for adulthood.
• Decision Making: Staff will plan and encourage cross curricular lessons developing and strengthening problem-solving and critical-thinking skills.
• Visual Learning: Drawing, sculpting, cooking, sewing and outdoor crafts support the development of visual-spatial skills.
• Inventiveness: Children will be taught to express themselves and take risks, developing a sense of innovation and skills to want to make things better which is an important skill in their adult lives.
• Cultural Awareness: In an increasingly diverse society, children will be taught to recognise the different cultural arts, design and lifestyles helping the children understand and interpret the diverse world they live in.

Externally the grounds of the school will be used to deliver an all year-round curriculum focusing on discovering and exploring the outdoors. Pupils at the school will have the opportunities to build dens, grow their own produce for cooking on the campfire or in the kitchen, and learn basic craft skills. Part of the daily curriculum will be to care for animals the pupils will choose at the beginning of the school year. The school will promote skills for becoming independent adults at all opportunities through an extensive off-site timetable that the pupils will access. Pupils will learn to be part of a community, visit local shops, cafes, restaurants, use public transport and access local events where appropriate. 

Eden School is able to cater for a variety of special needs including LD/MLD/SEMH/SLCN and complex needs. The school is in a unique setting offering small bespoke classes. The school is central to a number of counties surrounding Cheshire.