Lord Gowthorpe’s Independent Special School is a specialist school for young people who require a supportive and nurturing learning environment to reach their potential. It provides education for those young people with social interaction and communication differences and related social anxiety. This provision has been designed for children and young people who have been able to access mainstream primary education but find the secondary school environment overwhelming.  The school is registered for 15 students.

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The young people (KS3 and KS4) will learn in small groups with a focus on top-up learning of missed education in Maths and English, working towards a Functional Skills qualification that they can take at our classrooms in Dunnington. The school will also focus on building confidence in social interactions in a nurturing environment to gain confidence in themselves, also to become more independent with our Functional Skills for Work and Life which will help them with their future career aspirations. Our school is also a riding centre and riding lessons form part of our P.E. curriculum with outdoor learning such as horticulture and land-based skills to enhance physical skills in a non-competitive environment.  Young people will also have access to weekly equine-assisted therapy sessions linked to our PHSE offer. 

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Students must have an EHCP with a primary need of Communication and Interaction (with and without a diagnosis of autism) and are likely to have had support at primary focussed on self-esteem, social anxiety and managing their environment. Their academic levels may be lower, similar to, or higher than that of their peers however they will be young people that want to learn if given the correct environment.

 

Due to the higher risks involved around working with horses and riding, Lord Gowthorpe’s are unable to admit young people whose behaviours would risk injury to themselves or affect the horses’ welfare. 

Due to the building lay out, the school is unable to take young people that have physical needs where they are not able to climb a set of stairs to the classroom.