Admissions and Prospectus
Organisation
Here at Lighthouse School Leeds we offer an exceptional, personalised education and learning for autistic children, or related communication disorder.
Abilities will range from moderate learning disability to high functioning and the curriculum will be tailored around each student’s needs. All students must have a diagnosis of autism or related communication disorder and be within the stated age range of 11 – 19 years old.
All students attending Lighthouse School require an Education Health and Care Plan from their local authority. This document identifies the school as the most appropriate provision for the student based on having high needs.
Our priorities for students attending Lighthouse School Leeds are:
- Personalised transition programme to help each new student settle in to Lighthouse
- Students taught in groups which match their ability rather than their age
- Flexible teaching which responds to the needs of each student within a class
- All teaching occurs in small groups
- High staff ratios are in all groups including a teacher, senior tutor and a number of tutors
- Providing a personalised curriculum for students
- Developing appropriate qualifications for students
Local Authorities make the final decision on placements.
Prospective Parents Events
At Lighthouse School we run a number of prospective parents events and tours over the school year, which give an overview of the school and its ethos.
The next date will be Wednesday 22nd May 2024
For more information and to book your place, please this complete form.
We have a virtual tour and our prospective parents meeting power point presentation which you can view here, which will give an overview of the school and its ethos.
Admissions Policy Admissions Privacy NoticeFrequently Asked Questions
Does the school offer any holiday or after-school clubs?
Yes, this is recognised as a need for families. The holiday club is a priority for the school and aims to broaden the interests of the pupils whilst encouraging high levels of social interaction and fun. More information
Do you cater for children with additional medical needs?
The school has an Educarer to support children with medical needs. Additionally there are several identified staff who receive full and appropriate training in First Aid and in the management of specific conditions such as epilepsy and diabetes to adhere to the school’s medical policies.
How does Lighthouse help develop friendships?
Many autistic individuals have very limited friendship groups or no friends at all and struggle to fit in. Lighthouse School works hard to ensure that students have friendship groups within the school and, where possible, with our partner schools that are based on shared interest and mutual respect.
Does Lighthouse have a uniform?
Here is our Uniform Policy Uniform Policy Sept 2023
At Lighthouse School, we believe that a school uniform is both helpful and important as:
- It reflects the school’s ethos and values,
- It fosters a feeling of pride
- It looks smart and presentable
- It promotes a sense of belonging and contributes to a community
- Students feel equal to their peers in terms of appearance
- it serves as a visual and physical prompt which helps some of our students to differentiate between school days, weekends, and holidays.
- It is designed with health and safety in mind.
We ask that all students wear the Lighthouse uniform and encourage them to maintain a good standard of clean and tidy dress in school.
The uniform is designed to be practical, maintainable and good value for money.
Hair accessories such as slides, ribbons, bobbles, etc, should be fairly simple and if possible in school colours.
For safety reasons, we ask that all children do not wear jewellery into school other than a watch which may be worn
We would like our students to wear the following clothing:
The school uniform: (Years 7 to 11) • Black trousers / skirts / shorts • Black sweatshirt, preferably with the Lighthouse school logo or school blazer • White cotton shirt/blouse or white polo shirt • Black shoes • School tie
The school PE kit: • Black polo shirt, preferably with the Lighthouse logo • Black shorts • Black sports socks • Black tracksuit or jogging bottoms • Training shoes
In the event of cold weather, you may wish your child to wear a warm fleece, tracksuit top, or sweatshirt.
For health reasons, it is important that children and young people are properly dressed for physical activity (PE) . If a student is required to bring their PE kit on site, this should be in a clearly labelled bag.
We understand that some of our students have sensory aversions or preferences to certain fabrics and this can impact them on a day-to-day basis. At Lighthouse, we endeavour to support those students to explore adaptations to the uniform that still follow guidelines where possible, to help them feel safe and secure in school. We welcome discussions with students, parents and carers around this matter where needed.
Please can you ensure that all of your child’s belongings are clearly labelled so that any mislaid or lost items can be returned home as soon as possible.
Uniform stockists Uniform items are available to order from The School Uniform Shop (18-20 Green Road, Leeds, LS6 4JP, Telephone: 0113 2306272). Online shop- www.uniwears.co.uk
It is not compulsory to purchase the uniform from The School Uniform Shop as the generic unbranded clothing required for uniform such as skirts, trousers and shirts can be purchased from various outlets, such as supermarkets. Plain sweatshirts can be worn without the school logo.
Lighthouse school encourages families who are experiencing financial difficulty in purchasing new school uniform to contact the Leeds school uniform exchange online: https://www.zerowasteleeds.org.uk/tips/leeds-school-uniform-exchange/
Can you help with my child’s limited interests?
Lighthouse School recognises that many autistic individuals have a very narrow field of interest and this is an area we aim to expand for every student through the curriculum and extra-curricular activities.
How does Lighthouse School prepare my child for the future?
The school aims to create better futures for our students and we will help map out those futures and create destination learning. This will involve understanding the key skills and interests of students and harnessing those positive strengths as well as exposing students to as much opportunity as possible. There will be a strong emphasis on vocational learning and careers education. This, coupled with extensive employer visits and work experience, will ensure that students become accustomed to different places of work and occupations. The school has links with a number of Yorkshire based employers where these opportunities are provided as appropriate for the students in our Key Stage 4 provision. Students are also prepared for independent and supported living through a life skills curriculum which is delivered from our studio flat and in the community.
Are there opportunities for inclusion in other settings?
Most definitely. Inclusion is carefully planned for each student and our main goal is to ensure that inclusion programmes are successful and purposeful for mainstream and Lighthouse students alike, building as students gain in confidence and self-esteem.
How do you implement individual learning in a group?
Every student is assessed against their current attainment levels, their life skills strengths and areas of challenge, as well as their social, emotional and communication skills. An individualised learning profile is developed and targets set for each student. During every lesson students are given a series of opportunities to work towards and achieve their particular targets; tutors teach the skills essential to achieving these targets. Once a target has been reached, that skill is generalised and applied within other settings in the school, and out in the community, then further generalised at home through parent liaison and training.
How does the curriculum differ from a mainstream setting?
Lighthouse School’s educational offer is delivered through four key cornerstones: Curriculum, Speech & Language, Wellbeing and Skills & Experiences (Employability & Life).The curriculum offers students an educational core through essential subjects such as Maths, ICT, English, Science, Humanities and vocational subjects. We are also committed to offering wide and often bespoke learning pathways designed for the individual through autism specific interventions and life-skills tailored to the levels of understanding, interest and ambitions of the students.