A HOSPITAL school is expanding its services to meet a growing need for the education, health and wellbeing of pupils outside of mainstream learning.
River Tees Hospital School is already helping a growing number young people whose complex physical and mental health conditions prevent them from learning in a traditional education setting.
Run by River Tees Multi-Academy Trust, the Hospital School has now acquired bigger premises to expand provision for students with additional needs caused by their medical conditions.
The aim is to create an inclusive environment where staff strive to ensure all pupils make accelerated academic progress while focusing on personal development and wellbeing.
Work has just begun converting an old social services building in Park End, Middlesbrough, which is expected to open to pupils in September.
The two-storey Sandringham House, on Overdale Road, is being reconfigured to provide classrooms, a science laboratory, gymnasium, food technology suite and life skills space, with plenty of outdoor learning areas for pupils.
It will also provide a temporary home on the ground floor to pupils attending River Tees Academy Grangetown until its new school is completed in 2026.
RTMAT aims to deliver a bespoke curriculum through community based learning in the home or other public venues, where pupils feel safe. The Hospital School provides a variety of educational pathways to meet the medical needs of pupils.
Hospital School currently operates onsite provision in Park Lane, Middlesbrough, which will move to Sandringham House and also delivers education at James Cook University Hospital and at Acklam Road Hospital, a specialist in-patient adolescent mental health service.
It currently has 50 pupils on roll, plus a varying number of children who are admitted to James Cook University Hospital. Hospital School also works collaboratively with local mainstream schools to support and develop their in-house provision, including areas such as relational behaviour approach, mental health support and personalised approaches to learning.
Head of Hospital School Adam Burns said the latest school project was extremely exciting as it was going to provide a wider range of bespoke packages of education to a much larger cohort of young people who required specialist academic intervention and therapeutic support.
He added: “Since the pandemic there has been a profound impact on young people and their families. It is imperative we continue to provide a range of specialist assessments that will work in harmony with the academic, health and wellbeing strands. This will ensure our pupils access the most appropriate level of intervention tailored to their individual needs.
“We have seen an influx of young people whose conditions are so much more complex than in previous years, including bi-polar disorder, the impact of drug-induced psychosis, personality disorder and eating disorders, as well as cancer diagnosis in young people and the effects of long COVID.
“It is recognised that each learner requires a unique setting and bespoke support programme to aid their recovery and help them on their journey back into either mainstream education or a specialised educational pathway. It is also important to create a nurturing environment where pupils can feel safe and have a sense of belonging in order to access the broad and balanced curriculum.
“At Sandringham we will be able to grow our curriculum offer, which will include humanities and further post 16 opportunities.”
He said his highly skilled staff of 20, backed by a very supportive board of governors, would continue to support young people as a stepping stone to prepare them mentally, physically, socially and emotionally to be successful in the next stage of their education, employment or training.
