Media Release: Report underlines sector-leading standards at Scottish special needs school

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AN Aberdeen school that provides day and residential education for children and young people with additional support needs has been recognised as achieving “outstanding sector-leading” standards in a report by Education Scotland and the Care Inspectorate.

Reporting on Camphill School Aberdeen, the inspection team say: “The school’s ethos is outstanding and the levels of pastoral care of the children and their families are very high”.

The report evaluates eight aspects of the school and ranks three as “excellent”, signifying “outstanding, sector leading” standards. The remaining five are graded “very good”.

This new report comes just months after Camphill School Aberdeen received a glowing report as the only school in Aberdeen to hold the internationally-recognised Autism Accreditation.

Laurence Alfred, a co-ordinator at Camphill School Aberdeen, commented:

“The report is tremendously encouraging for everyone at the school. It comes at a time when – in common with so many charities – we face considerable challenges.

“The report talks about how the children and young people are actively involved in their own learning. This is one of the key aspects of Camphill School Aberdeen, which operates as a school community.

“Our emphasis is on mutual care and respect. Everyone contributes to the life of the school to the extent of their abilities. So, this very positive report really does reflect the combined efforts of staff, volunteers, the young people themselves and their parents.

“We are eager to build on this success and to work with local authorities to find ways that can make this quality of provision more accessible to individuals and families who need it.”

Karen Johnston, from the Camphill School Aberdeen parents’ group, commented:

“I’m delighted to see the school receive such a positive report. One of the points it makes is that parents express very high levels of satisfaction with the school and kindergarten. As one of our parents has commented this is a school that really understands the concept of a partnership with parents.

“Our son is a very happy teenager with an active social life, surrounded by people who treat him with dignity and respect, we have Camphill to thank for that.

“Camphill may have been around for 70 years, but their ideas still hold very true. As this report suggests, they are sector leaders.”

Camphill School Aberdeen is an independent voluntary school that offers residential and day places for children and young people with special needs ranging from deprivation to autism. The school, which currently has 76 pupils and students, operates from three campuses in the Bieldside and Milltimber areas of Aberdeen.

Taking its name from Camphill House in the Milltimber area of Aberdeen, where the first community opened its doors to children with special needs in 1940, Camphilll now extends to 100 centres in 23 countries.

Camphill School Aberdeen is one of seven Camphill Aberdeen City and Shire charities in the Aberdeen area, providing support and opportunities for children, young people, adults and the elderly who have additional support needs.

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