Residential Life. A Home from Home
Staff are like family
1-2-3 or 4 nights
Amazing technology
Welcome to Bradbury House and residential life! Rated good by Ofsted July 2022
Amanda Boyle is our Residential Manager.
We are here to support and meet the needs of children and young people who live locally, regionally and nationally with a visual impairment, sensory and other additional needs. As a school we do not just focus on education, the RSB team support the physical, social and spiritual needs of all of our pupils in a ‘team around the child’ (TAC) approach. We are flexible and accept change and think about how best to adapt our strategies and resources for each and every child in our care. We have a ‘whole child’ attitude.
Our team work approach, allows for quick and reliable communication across school. We have a total communication approach where staff listen and respond to children facilitating their expression to enable a safe and happy environment. Communication is school wide and includes weekly TAC meetings, a wide range of training programmes and multi-agency involvement at all stages. This allows us to develop and promote the use of pupils’ useful vision and meet other needs through shared information and therefore allow them to make the best possible progress during their time at RSB.
To see our Statement of principles and practices for boarding please click here.
To see the latest Ofsted report click here.
Please see our Statement of Purpose Here.
The bedrooms
The bedrooms are bright and spacious and most have en-suite bathrooms and overhead tracking. The children are encouraged to personalise their own individual bedrooms with pictures, posters, toys and favourite bed covers and curtains. We encourage them to stamp their individual personalities in their own spaces! Lots of our parents and visitors say they are’ better than their own children’s bedrooms’!
All of the rooms have TVs and music systems so that they can access favourite programmes, listen to the radio, CDs or stories at bedtime or during the evening if they just want to chill out in their rooms.
We also have up to date technology with our computers, iPads and internet access. The children love communicating with Alexa and asking ‘what’s the weather like today Alexa’? or requesting their favourite music tracks!
Activities
At the end of the school day there is a wide range of social activities within the school or local community that the children can get involved in and have fun according to their ages and preferences. We have regular sessions at LFC respect for all football training, bikes for the disabled, swimming in the warm school pool, visits to the theatre, the circus, even eating out in various restaurants, cafes or one of the children’s favourites, McDonalds!
Wellbeing
The children are cared for by very experienced and qualified residential support and waking night staff. They have all been at the school for a number of years and know the children extremely well. All are qualified NNEB, NVQ level 3-4 or both. The children are all carefully transitioned in to respite and residential with care given to their emotional wellbeing. This is important for all children and especially so for early years. We work very closely with the staff and parents on transition to make it seamless and comfortable. We work across school departments and are involved in the ‘all about me’ process. We link in with therapies and the multi-disciplinary team wrapped around the children. Parents can telephone their child in the evenings or speak to staff if they wish to do so. The department is managed by our Head of Care Linda Hogan who has been at the school for over 25 years and Residential Manager Amanda J Boyle who has been here for over 20 years Residential provision is regularly inspected by Ofsted, every 6-12 months and the latest report can be read here.
Care services
Linda Hogan oversees the care across the nursery, school and residential services with the deputy head of care. Together they lead care, risk assessments, relevant CIN/LAC meetings and after school. Amanda J Boyle leads the residential team in Bradbury house as residential manager along with her Deputy Faye Nettleton. If you wish to discuss any of these services please contact Linda using the details below:
Linda Hogan. Head of Care.
Telephone: 0151 733 1012
Email: [email protected]
After school clubs
Mondays and Thursdays are a little noisier than usual once the 4 o’clock school bell rings! From 3:45pm until 5:30pm some of our pupils enjoy the after school club. A variety of activities are offered in school accommodation, e.g. gardening club, bowling, arts & craft, music, rebound therapy. The sessions are run by very experienced school staff who know the children well.