FAQs

Our average class size is 8 students

We offer Maths, English, Drama, Science double, History, Geography. We also offer Functional Skills in English, Maths and IT

We offer:

• Personalised timetables
• Occupational Therapy
• Speech and Language Therapy
• Literacy and numeracy intervention
• Social and emotional intervention
• Sensory diets

Yes, in the lower school

Yes, we offer high quality food to suit all dietary requirements

Our girls to boys ratio is approximately 50/50

Our pupils often progress to college and we have links with colleges and Sixth Forms

Abingdon and Witney college, Marlborough School , OXLEPS (careers)

SEN stands for Special Education Needs, and a SEN school provides education for children who have additional learning needs. There are different types of SEN schools. At LVS Oxford, we focus on providing education for children with a diagnosis of autism or Asperger’s syndrome.

If your child has special educational needs, the first step is to contact the SENCO (SEN Co-ordinator) at your child’s school. The SENCO will then refer to the Local Education Authority (LEA) who would carry out an assessment and ascertain if the child requires an EHCP (Education, Health and Care Plan) and they should go to a SEN school. After this assessment, you can apply to a suitable SEN school.

At LVS Oxford, we ask for as much information as possible about your child, and we may visit your child at their school or at your home to determine whether they meet our admission criteria. If they do, we will invite them to a school-based assessment visit, following which a placement may be offered. For full details, please see our Process of Admissions.

Autism has symptoms that vary in severity because it is a spectrum disorder. Some people with autism are high functioning and need less support, but it can still impact their learning in several ways. For example, children with autism may have a narrow focus of interest, carry out repetitive behaviours, experience delays in their language development, have difficulty socialising and experience problems focusing.

Children with autism may be affected in different ways at school. Some children may experience a lack of focus in the classroom. They may show very narrow interests or experience developmental delays. Often, they experience difficulties with nonverbal, communication and social skills. This is why it is important to ensure they get an education that is suited to their unique needs.

At LVS Oxford, we accept students that are funded in several ways. Some children are privately funded by their parents, while others may be funded by trusts or funding bodies. You may want to gain an LEA assessment and EHCP to fund your child’s placement.

We provide education for children with autism (typically high-functioning autism) or Asperger’s syndrome. When choosing a school, start by visiting the website to find out more about it. You may want to arrange a visit to the school and speak with the staff to find out whether it may be suitable. If it looks like a good option, you can start the admissions process. At LVS Oxford, you can find out more about our own process of admissions.

We make the education experience a positive one for children with autism and Asperger’s syndrome, and we do this in many ways. We provide an adapted curriculum that recognises the individuality of our students, and we understand that they may have different skills and attributes. We have a unique approach in that we focus on preparing them for work, and students enjoy a wide range of activities and experiences, such as thinking skills programmes to challenge rigid thinking patterns.

We support students with autism in many ways in our school. We focus on their emotional wellbeing and physical health, and we enable them to be successful in their learning. This involves focusing on healthy eating, compiling individual exercises programmes and providing them with strategies to manage times of increased anxiety. We develop strategies to help in all areas of their lives, and we teach vocational skills and put a focus on real-world learning to focus on employability to help students get a job when they leave school.

If you want to get hold of old special needs records from a school, this will normally involve making a request in writing to the Board of Governors. However, procedures can differ, so you may want to start by contacting your school to find out what the exact process is.

Autistic children can sometimes become distressed at school, but there are tactics that can help to calm them. These strategies depend on the child, but they could include encouraging them to take deep breaths or providing them with sensory tools like fidget toys. Some children may simply need to go to a quiet area away from other children where they can calm down. Please remember every child is different, therefore every approach needs to be unique and accommodating for that child.

Schools in the UK receive a SEN budget to spend on extra help that autistic children need at school. In a mainstream school, the limit is currently £6,000 in support. The limit is higher for Pupil Referral Units, which can receive up to £8,000. SEN schools, on the other hand, receive up to £10,000 to support each child and help them with their education as well as preparing them for life after they finish school.

Children with autism have unique needs, and at LVS Oxford, we support them in many ways. This includes helping to engage them, taking an individual approach to their unique needs, focusing on their emotional wellbeing, providing them with strategies to help if they experience anxiety, helping them with their health and wellbeing, and preparing them for life after school.

SEN records should be kept by schools for three years. However, the school may keep them for longer.

If your child is starting a special needs school like LVS Oxford, you and your child may want to visit the school first to get a feel for it. You will probably want to find out about the admissions process and ask any questions you have. You should explain to your child where they are going and what they can expect. After all, starting a new school can be difficult for any child. Take it slowly and ask them about their own doubts and concerns to put their mind at ease.

The SEND (Special Educational Needs and Disability) Code of Practice is essentially a set of guidelines that schools should follow in relation to SEN children. It sets out statutory guidance and legal requirements, and its goal is to ensure that children with special educational needs always have their needs met.

A child of school age in the UK can receive SEN support at their school. This is the support that schools provide for students with special education needs, like those children with autism. It can include specialist teaching services as well as providing speech therapists, occupational therapists and educational psychologists.

If you want to move your child from a mainstream school to a SEN school, or between SEN schools, take time to choose your school carefully. Visit the school’s website, contact the school to arrange a visit and speak with staff to find out more about what you can expect to help you make the right decision for your child. If you decide to change schools, find out about the admissions process and go from there.

Autism covers a vast spectrum of barriers to communication, socialisation, and learning, and – as such – students with autism have different skills and abilities.

At LVS Oxford, we support each child’s learning by focusing on their physical and emotional well-being while minimising the sensory overload that causes the anxiety and stress that becomes a barrier to learning.

Our skilled SEN teachers and therapists help our students benefit from an adapted curriculum that develops a broad range of academic and vocational skills, preparing them for life beyond education.

All schools in the UK have an SEN budget to spend on the additional help an autistic child may need to make academic progress.

Mainstream schools can spend up to £6000 to support an autistic child, while Pupil Referral Units have up to £8000.

SEN schools, like LVS Oxford, have up to £10,000 to support each individual child to maximise their learning and prepare them for life after education.

Children with high-functioning autism often have significant language and independent living skills, so it’s easy to overlook their additional educational needs. And while they may appear to do well in mainstream schools, they may find the pace of teaching too fast or slow or find themselves getting bored, frustrated, or distracted in general education classroom settings.

While every child with autism is different, some children with a high-functioning autism diagnosis may thrive in a supported learning environment more tailored to their specific educational needs.

If you’re interested in learning more about how a specialist autism school like LVS Oxford might support your child’s learning development, check out our admissions process. Alternatively, we’d love to welcome you and your child to one of our bi-monthly open days.

There are many laws protecting the educational and health rights of children with Special Educational Needs. The main acts that explain what to expect are: The Children and Families Act 2014 stating the obligations of schools and Learning Authorities.

According to the British Educations Suppliers Association (BESA), there are 32,163 UK schools, of which 1,546 are SEN schools, with an additional 57 non-maintained SEN schools.

There are several paths to becoming a Special Educational Needs teacher. The most common approach is university training, although some people gain their qualification through apprenticeships.

If you’re a qualified teacher in mainstream education, you may be able to apply to an SEN school directly, receiving extra SEN training in the classroom.

Alternatively, some SEN teachers start as teaching assistants while studying for their degree part-time, after which they complete their post-graduate qualification.

SEN pupils often need more teaching and learning support than pupils in mainstream education, requiring additional (and often individual) time and patience to help them learn at their own rate.

Every child’s learning needs are different, demanding flexibility, dedication, and compassion from teachers and teaching assistants to help them thrive.

Special education offers an enriching, inspiring, and rewarding working environment, facilitating a lifelong impact on the children we support. With patience, care, and compassion, SEN teachers help children across the autistic spectrum develop skills to help them live more independently, providing invaluable academic experiences that prepare them for life beyond education.

Working in a Special Educational Needs school is an inspiring and rewarding opportunity to help pupils develop life and learning skills that extend beyond the educational environment.

With smaller group sizes than mainstream schools and a team of supportive assistants and colleagues, SEN teachers develop a closer understanding of each child’s learning needs, helping them tailor work schemes to each child’s ability.

Of course, there are unique challenges in special education, demanding patience, tenacity, and flexibility, along with the satisfaction of seeing children develop and evolve.

According to the latest government figures at the time of writing, 12.6% of pupils had SEN support in 2021 in England across all schools including primary, secondary, state and private schools. Other figures based on the census from January 2021 state that 12.6% of primary-school pupils in state-funded schools in England were SEN pupils.