Our Pupils
Each pupil is valued for their individuality.
Learning together
Alexandra School is a great school and it is caring. I feel happy to be here because it is almost like home.
All of our pupils at Alexandra School present with moderate learning difficulties.
Our pupils are supported to socialise with each other and make friends, enjoying coming to school and demonstrating their love for learning every day.
They are wholly included in the life of their class and school. Our pupils take pride in belonging to the school and once they feel that sense of belonging, they make a contribution beyond themselves.
Our pupils often stay with us through to year six when they progress on to a special needs high school either locally in Harrow or in another Borough.
In Reception, our pupils show the potential to intentionally communicate with an adult through words, signs or pictures. They show an awareness of others and an interest in, and tolerance for, those around them. They show symbolic understanding of photographs or pictures, as well as objects of reference. They are able to follow familiar routines, anticipating what’s next. Pupils begin to know they need to seek out a communicative partner to have their wants and needs met.
In KS1, pupils consistently initiate interaction, verbally or non-verbally, for a range of purposes (e.g. requesting, rejecting, making a choice). They have clear skills for using a specific formal method of communication. They are learning a core vocabulary of single words. They are able to use their communication method across a range of situations with different people.
In lower KS2, pupils are able to make most of their wants and needs known and have a large vocabulary they use frequently. At a minimum, they are able to combine two or more words when communicating with a range of people. As pupils progress to upper KS2, they show the potential to use and understand more detailed language structure including reasoning, questioning and negotiating.
Pupils at Alexandra School make linear progress across all areas of the curriculum. Developmentally, children do not typically make the accelerated rate of progress seen in mainstream in KS1. We would expect children to travel steadily through KS2, working at no more than 5 years behind their mainstream peers. For many children, the gap will be smaller in some or all subjects.
All pupils at Alexandra School, with appropriate support and reasonable adjustments, are able to comply with the school’s behaviour policy. They learn and develop independence within a class with an average ratio of one adult to three children. The pupils transition between activities with independence. Pupils show the potential to learn and play with a range of adults and children, and form positive relationships with them.
Pupils at Alexandra School may have additional sensory or physical impairments. Some pupils at Alexandra School may have sensory integration needs associated with their special educational needs. With some adaptation, the needs of these pupils can be met within the stimulating and social environment of our classrooms.
All pupils at Alexandra School develop the ability to carry out all basic self-care skills independently, with the majority achieving this by upper KS2.