Corseford School, a part of Capability Scotland, is an independent school exclusively catered to young people with complex support needs.
We had the privilege of sitting down with Clare McCarron, Head of Corseford School, to discuss what makes this independent school unique and how it benefits both parents and students.
What support needs do the students of Corseford School have and how does the school cater to these?
At Corseford, we understand that our students often need a high level of support to access learning. Our multidisciplinary team collaborates closely to set meaningful and achievable targets for our students to enhance their participation in the learning process. These targets are unique to the needs of each learner, and our educational planning is highly customised to accommodate every individual.
We have developed a Curriculum Framework that focuses on what is relevant to the student. This framework is built upon several core principles, including communication, responses to the environment, health and wellbeing (with a strong focus on resilience), and the development of essential life skills. Doing so enables us to provide an education that is tailored to the needs of the pupil at Corseford.
How do children benefit from attending Corseford School, as opposed to mainstream schools?
The unique difference for pupils coming to Corseford School as opposed to those who attend a local authority school is that we have our team of allied health professionals on-site. Our highly skilled education team is complemented by onsite physiotherapists, speech and language therapists, occupational therapists and our very own dietitian and nursing staff. Our education and therapy team work together daily to integrate the different therapies into the educational planning and to minimise barriers to learning for each pupil.
It is this multidisciplinary approach that allows us to meet the care and educational needs of all of our learners. The high level of therapeutic interventions also helps our young people keep as well as they possibly can, resulting in less absence.
How does Corseford School tailor its support to meet the individual needs of students?
The staff-to-student ratio is the foundation for building positive relationships with our learners and their families. This allows us to truly get to know each student on a deeper level. In the calm and nurturing environment of Corseford, we can pay close attention to our students and are finely attuned to our learners’ needs. This approach helps pupils grow in confidence and have an increased motivation for learning.
What extra-curricular activities are on offer at the school?
Our school offers a variety of exciting options for the learners and their families. We have a fantastic toddlers' therapy and playgroup, a gardening club that welcomes both learners and their families, music therapy sessions, and we also participate in the Duke of Edinburgh program.
If parents are interested in finding out how Corseford School can support their child, what should they do?
Visit our website Home - Corseford School (capability.scot) and our Lanark school.
Thank you to Clare for contributing to this blog.
Are you interested in learning more about this independent school? Visit the Corseford School’s SCIS profile here.