Pathways school

We are an independent specialist secondary school for children and young people with autism and complex needs.

Our vision is that all children and young people with autism receive the support and education they need to achieve the best outcomes in life.

We believe every individual has the potential to learn and should be free of behaviours and activities that cause injury, pain, and stress, or limit opportunities to access learning and community involvement. We believe that the link between home, school and external support networks is crucial to fully support the overall development of a learner.

All our work is underpinned by the belief that every student is a unique individual with the potential to learn and thrive. We believe in constantly evolving our teaching and support systems to suit the needs of our students.

Our aims are to provide:

• A safe, motivating, and enjoyable environment;
• A broad-based programme that includes national curriculum targets adapted according to each student’s individual needs, with an emphasis on functional communication skills and independent living skills;
• A specialist approach to teaching that draws from evidence-based research;
• Frequent parent training opportunities to ensure consistency and maintenance of progress;
• Close links with the community, including local authorities, relevant charities and service providers, and other schools;
• Specialist staff training and development programme towards recognised qualifications;
• Opportunities for research and innovation at staff and leadership levels;
• Links with research centres to bridge the gap between research and practice.

At Pathways School, a highly trained, multi-disciplinary team uses evidence-based approaches to deliver education and support overall development. The school is based on the principles of Positive Behaviour Support (PBS) and Applied Behaviour Analysis (ABA). Teaching is a combination of 1:1 support and group sessions, depending on each pupil’s individual learning profile. Each student has a transition plan to reduce dependence on 1:1 support and access more group learning.

We are committed to the belief that learning does not take place only within a school. Our students learn functional living skills in real life situations. This may include shops and restaurants, doctors/dentists’ clinics, local leisure centres, as well as mainstream schools.

We recognise that parents/carers are the child’s first educators and that their knowledge and expertise about their child is of paramount importance. Close and continuous liaison with family members is a critical component of our approach.

Positive Behaviour Support (PBS) is a person-centred framework for supporting children and adults with learning disabilities and/or autism, who have, or may be at the risk of developing challenging behaviours.