WHY AN ASPERGERS SCHOOL IS NEEDED

WHY AN ASPERGERS SCHOOL IS NEEDED
The NAS has stated there is a HUGE gap in provision for high functioning Asperger’s children, many of whom cannot cope with the stress of a busy and over structured school day, while still needing access to curriculum at an advanced level.
GATEWAY SCHOOL
Gateway is a small, human-scale, secondary school for Gifted Asperger’s children who are too sensitive to cope with their current educational life. Bright Boys with ADHD, ADD etc frequently experience great difficulties in mainstream schools, yet are often of above average intelligence and at Gateway School they are helped to achieve their potential, despite their educational and social problems. They may have fallen out of mainstream education at the transition to secondary school, or be struggling to hang on at school or in ASD units. Their placements in special residential schools may have broken down or they may be being educated at home. Our observation is that many
Asperger’s children may struggle to manage in their current educational setting and we believe they have the capacity to thrive in an educational environment specifically designed to meet their needs. Furthermore, it is recognised that associated problems like ADHD fall away with attention to healthy diet and frequent access to outdoor activities and trampolining.
The school has been promoted by parents and is set by an experienced team including a head teacher a therapist and a curriculum enrichment advisor - and will open for
Children from age 8 and upwards. Children will work with appropriate peers rather than in age based year groups. We envisage small groups of 6 with 3 teachers/ learning advisers
to each group. Our initial intake will be for 6 children between 8 and 12 years of age. We plan to grow the school slowly, and the full capacity of the school will be expected to remain under 40 students. We envisage an innovative learning community where all key stake holders (children, parents & staff) will take an active part in the creation of a child's individualised education plan.

Some kids may have developed unusual strategies and idiosyncratic behaviour in previous environments, which will not block their admission to Gateway.
Gateway provides an enriched learning environment which will support gifted and high functioning children who may also have complex problems, or specific learning difficulties
such as dyspraxia, dyslexia, adhd, yet are likely to be interested by learning but unable to engage in traditional school. Gateway school provides a unique and progressive learning
environment, in which students can follow individualised learning pathways to explore their interests; whether these be nature study, or computer programming or other special interests. Gateway Learning will be progressive in its approach. Blending the best of contemporary and innovative practice from established special schools like Breckenbrough, it will also incorporate self management, experiential learning, the key competencies, inquiry and authentic assessment. The suitability of each child to the environment and their peer group will be evaluated on application for admission. Central to our school ethos is our emphasis on outdoor education most afternoons and project based focus for national curriculum work, leading on to an academic curriculum preparatory to exams once each young person is ready for coursework. Our objective is that all children who wish to do so are prepared to go on to further study or university.

The mission of Gateway School is to provide a child centred learning environment for these gifted children with Asperger’s and related special needs, who require higher level educational input than currently available in many specialist settings. We aim to support children who are at risk of falling out of the education system develop the confidence and skills to get back on track with learning. We aim to be a small special school with a unique and holistic character, offering a low arousal environment with a creative and stimulating educational curriculum, individually tailored. Our purpose is to motivate and prepare our children for a lifetime of learning, achievement and creativity by delivering a national curriculum which has been adapted for the specific needs of these individuals, in accordance with the Disability Discrimination Act, and an enriched curriculum with emphasis on maths, sciences and ICT as these are traditional areas of strength for Asperger’s young people. Staff will be able to work creatively with ICT and digital resources to facilitate learning.

We are currently tendering for a perfect site in the green belt area (Barnet LA) which provides a low arousal, rural environment suitable to the sensory needs of Asperger’s kids, while also being in London, and having access to transport services and London Underground, which we wish to redevelop in a similar way to what already exists, but replacing the existing buildings with an eco design which uses solar panels and other energy efficient features.

Our first priority is to create a calm and nurturing therapeutic environment in which these often traumatised kids can recover from educational failure, bullying, social isolation or psychological collapse. We know that children and young people perform at their best levels when they feel accepted, safe and loved, and believe that an ethos of acceptance and appreciation of the many valuable qualities these young people have is fundamental to dealing with their usual severe problems with self esteem and motivation. Asperger’s children have enormous aptitude, and once they feel safe are able to achieve academically at a great rate, may go on to do extremely well in exams. According to research by Simon Baron-Cohen, Asperger’s children do better when they have the chance to penetrate subjects at a deeper and more focused level than the broader, more general curriculum offered in mainstream, where subjects are delivered as discrete subject areas that are not related to each other. We will plan an individually tailored IEP for each child which builds on and extends their particular strengths and interest. We will employ a curriculum planner to develop these individual IEPs in consultation with the family. the planner will be responsible for ensuring curriculum enrichment and will build strong links with appropriate inclusive academic and educational institutions as needed to facilitate each young person’s attainments, such as Barnet College, who work with young people from the age of 14. Courses leading to examination will be offered wherever, and as soon as, appropriate. We are in early talks with the borough ASD specialists.

Having researched a large number of units and special schools, and having experience of running an NAS school and setting up and running a school for ASD kids excluded from school, we feel strongly that a unique small school is urgently required, that is specifically designed for the needs of children with Asperger’s. WE feel that providing a small secondary school in a low arousal natural environment, where children are greatly supported in the crucial area of developing social skills. and can pursue their special interests and go on to extend them into academic courses of study would be providing a uniquely valuable service to the community. We will do this by weaving attention to social communication into every aspect of the day, ensuring that young people are equipped to focus in the adult world.

The lucky Asperger’s people who make it in the world are those who are able to cope with school life and go on to develop their skills and special interests in ways that are valued and appreciated by others, and can go on to be very successful in the world of academia, ICT, engineering and many of the creative digital arts, as well as music; areas where a strong sense of individuality is either tolerated or appreciated.

.We will be looking to create strong links with the community, in terms of arts and drama (affiliating with inclusive theatre company Chicken Shed), the Roundhouse in Camden (multimedia and digital courses) the local table tennis club, etc according to each young person's interests. We would like to provide after school clubs using our own games room, or offering chess, warhammer and other games of interest. We may have animation or film-making clubs, movie appreciation or a philosophy club - depending on current pupil’s interests.
We will extend our services to support parents in managing the specific needs of the AS children. We wish to provide inclusive activities with their siblings, and will liaise with YASS.
We will run a youth club for teenagers from 12 upwards, providing a range of activities and in particular support for emergent social skills.
We will run after school clubs, occasional weekend camps and summer school for small groups to extend the social opportunities of these often isolated young people.
We will offer mentoring and counselling to adolescents and young people with Asperger’s.
We will hope to build sufficient reputation and expertise to provide an expert service for working with young people with Asperger’s to relevant professionals.
We ultimately envisage hosting educational conferences and training opportunities for the community of educationalists and other professionals working with Asperger’s young people.