RNIB Rushton School and Children's Home has become the only non-maintained special school in England to be awarded specialist status in Special Educational Needs (SEN) Cognition and Learning.
The recognition by the Department for Education (DfE) means RNIB Rushton - which offers specialist education, residential care, therapies and healthcare for young people with complex needs and sight loss - will be awarded £220,000 to spend over the next three years.
Further improvements
The funds will further improve the way Rushton supports its young people, for example by purchasing specialist classroom equipment. It will also finance new partnership research with other educational establishments, local authorities and care providers looking at ways we can improve the learning experience for young people with complex needs and sight loss, not only at Rushton but at other learning centres across the country.
The mark of distinction was given to Rushton after it proved to the DfE that it already provided a very effective education for the young people - proven in its latest Ofsted report - and detailed how it would develop further with the specialist status.
Work with universities
Rushton will now work with both Birmingham and Warwick Universities and other partners to research how better to work with young people who are blind or partially sighted with multiple disabilities, helping to improve their experience of learning. This could include learning how to better engage with the young people in the classroom.
With the funds Rushton hopes to set up a 'model classroom' at the school, showcasing the latest high-tech equipment and technology. The classroom will house both RNIB products and items from other leading manufacturers. It would be open to the public and used as a learning tool for other education professionals.
Pears Foundation
Pears Foundation, which has committed millions of pounds to various charitable causes, sponsored Rushton's bid for specialist status making a significant financial investment.
Andy Moran, Head of Education at Rushton, said: "As a SEN specialist school, Rushton will develop as a centre of excellence for cognition and learning. We are very proud that Pears Foundation have sponsored us in our bid, and will be supporting us with a significant investment for our specialism work. They will also be taking a keen interest in the research that will take place and in the development of effective practice in the education of young people with visual impairment and complex needs."
Ends
Notes to editors
For more information contact Emma Mercer, RNIB Media Relations Officer, on 020 7391 2085 or email emma.mercer@rnib.org.uk
Photos to accompany the media release are available on request.
What are specialist schools?
The Specialist Schools Programme (SSP) helps schools, in partnership with private sector sponsors and supported by additional Government funding, to establish distinctive identities through their chosen specialisms and achieve their targets to raise standards. Specialist schools aim to develop centres of curriculum excellence which are catalysts for accelerated whole school improvement by making a step change in the way they develop educational provision and raise standards for all students.
Any maintained secondary school and any maintained or non-maintained special school in England can apply for specialist status in one of 10 curriculum specialisms: arts, business & enterprise, engineering, humanities, languages, mathematics & computing, music, science, sports and technology.
Special schools can, alternatively, apply for a SEN (Special Educational Needs) specialism in one of the four areas of the SEN code of practice.
Rushton was awarded Specialist School for SEN in cognition and learning.
DCSF website: specialist schools
What are non-maintained special schools?
There are over 70 non-maintained special schools (NMSS) approved by the Secretary of State under Section 342 of the Education Act 1996 as independent special schools. To become approved, NMSS have to be non-profit and the day-to-day running should be controlled by a governing body, the articles and instruments of which will be agreed by the Secretary of State.
Rushton's latest Ofsted report
Pears' Foundation
RNIB has embarked upon one of our most ambitious projects to date. We are replacing the existing Rushton site with state-of-the-art facilities. This will provide a home for up to 60 young people. Our new school will provide education to all living on-site, as well as an additional 10 day students.
The main phase of redevelopment is due for completion in 2011. We are open now and there will be a phased move to our new purpose-built facilities.