We know that happy, calm and confident young people make the best learners.

At Middlefield School we provide a welcoming and friendly environment, where we strive to improve the long-term outcomes for young people with Autism Spectrum Conditions (ASC). We recognise the importance of Neurodiversity, a term used to celebrate atypical ways of thinking and learning which recognises the variety found in the wiring of the brain. We focus on building learning programmes that help young people use and build on their specific strengths and talents.

We take time to get to know each of our young people as individuals. We find out about their likes and interests so we can build effective and engaging programmes that meet their learning, communication and sensory needs. We work as part of a team to ensure learning is transferred across different settings. Building strong partnerships with families, other agencies and services is at the core of what we do.

We support our young people to be confident, happy and active within their community. We place great importance on ensuring that our young people have opportunities to engage in a wide range of experiences in a variety of settings. Each of these is a well-planned learning opportunity.

We listen to pupil voice and choice around their learning. The planning of learning opportunities is informed by their communicated likes and dislikes. This is to ensure they develop the skills and confidence needed to make well informed choices about their life as they move into adulthood.

We encourage the development of skills for life by ensuring that our young people participate in all experiences as independently as possible and with the right balance of challenge and support.

At Middlefield, we work as a nurturing team committed to building positive relationships. We know our young people well, we are communication aware and de-escalation focussed. We continue to actively contribute to raising awareness and understanding of ASC across Education Services and the wider community.

Our current values were created with pupils, parents and partners and are based on the acronym STARS:

• Safe
• Teamwork
• Achieving
• Respect
• Skills

We are currently in the process of working in partnership with pupils, parents and our partners to review and update our Vision, Values and Aims. We will continue to underpin all we do with a commitment to Children & Young People’s Rights.