Who we support
Newbury Manor School is a special school for up to 65 children and young people aged between 6 and 19 years who have a diagnosis on the autistic spectrum and have complex needs. Our tailored approach means we can support young people with a wide range of needs, from those who are broadly average in their ability, to others with more severe learning difficulties. As a school, we have developed a particular specialism in supporting students with very high levels of anxiety, attachment difficulties and pathological demand avoidance.
Our mission statement
“To create a safe and secure environment for children with additional needs, including a diagnosis of autism, empowering them to develop strategies and reach their full academic, social, and spiritual potential.
Our committed, caring, experienced team, create a culture of success, showing unconditional high regard for our children, that inspires, enables, and supports them in succeeding on their lifelong learning journey.”
A peaceful setting
We take pride in the environment that we can offer our students. Newbury Manor School is located in a quiet, rural location in Somerset in a beautiful Georgian manor house with a range of outbuildings and extensive grounds.
How we support our young people
Our focus is on removing any barriers which might stop our young people from becoming successful adults. At Newbury Manor School, the focus is not only on gaining qualifications, but also on developing the other skills required to fully utilise those academic skills. We focus on a wide range of factors within each student’s life to ensure that all obstacles are overcome. We aim for all our students to make progress, not just academically, but as all round confident, self-assured young people, who are ready to contribute to life in modern Britain.
Highly specialist staff and facilities
Newbury Manor School is set apart by its highly specialist teachers, care and support staff. All our staff are well trained, experienced and knowledgeable about supporting children and young people who have needs associated with a diagnosis on the autistic spectrum. Our well-qualified therapy team and specialist on-site therapeutic facilities further support our young people to develop and achieve their potential.
Safeguarding
Safeguarding is a high priority at Newbury Manor School, with all our staff completing online and face to face safeguarding training. The school principal is trained as a DSO as well as to supervise the Head of Education, who acts as the school’s named DSO for the school. Safeguarding themes are well understood across the school and we are particularly mindful of issues around:
- PREVENT
- Children missing from education
- Gang culture
- SEN and fabricated illnesses
- CSE
- FGM
Students who would otherwise be vulnerable to such issues have increased levels of awareness and safety at Newbury Manor School thanks to our PSHE programme and targeted 1:1 support.
Working in partnership with parents
When we welcome a young person into Newbury Manor School, we understand we are not only accepting the student themselves, but also their family. Our referrals coordinator acts as a major link with parents/carers, particularly in the early stages of transition, to provide as much support as is needed. We are able to flex to families’ needs, arranging whatever contact best suits them, including:
- Visits to the school
- Staff going out to see them at home
- An open door policy
- Regular calls
- Regular emails
- Termly formal reports
- Parents’ coffee mornings
- Parents’ evenings
- Summer tea party
Newbury Manor School is willing to go the extra mile for parents if it helps contribute to the overall wellbeing of the young person in our care. In the past, for example, we have helped parents make a strong case for getting a social worker when they had not yet been allocated one and arranged for medication to be delivered home for one student whose mum had limited capacity to do so herself. Parents often let us know how much they value the school’s support and we have had a lot of positive feedback.