Access services for pupils

Within the Inscape Centre, we provide an educational programme for a group of young people who have experienced a range of difficulties in other settings.

We work with young people who have a diagnosis of Asperger’s syndrome or high-functioning autism who have been excluded or been at risk of exclusion from school, have been withdrawn from school, or failed to attend school. Whilst some of these young people have had continuous education, others will have had extended periods of absence or of part-time attendance. 

Many within this group of young people will have additional needs such as ADHD, dyspraxia or dyslexia. Some will have presented with challenging behaviour, and some have mental health problems. 

The aim of the centre is to provide intervention, support and an alternative curriculum, which engages these young people in education. We help them to understand their diagnosis and to understand why they find some things difficult. We also help them by identifying their individual strengths and raising their self-esteem. 

We challenge them to achieve by expanding their curriculum and supporting them to gain accredited qualifications. In this way we enable them, where appropriate, to transfer to less specialist educational settings either at school or college. 

Throughout, we try to work closely with the young people’s families. We talk with parents about their son or daughter’s progress at least once a week, often more frequently.

The Inscape Centre pupils are taught as a discrete group with a high level of staffing. They follow a core curriculum, which is personalised to meet their needs. They can follow to accredited courses including GCSEs in core subjects and art, as well as ASDAN and Duke of Edinburgh Awards.

There is a high level of speech and language therapy input and an emphasis on the promotion of social communication and emotional well-being.

In some cases, because of the difficulties that they experience in interacting with other young people, pupils within the Inscape Centre may be taught through highly individual community-based programmes. These may be either full or part-time. 

Through these programmes we develop a relationship with the young person and through innovative practice help them to participate in a range of activities that have an educational component, which is developed and increased over time.