A welcome from the Head of Care
My name is Katie Kirk and I am the Head of Care at Eaton Hall Specialist Academy. I began working at Eaton Hall in 2000. When I started I was a Childcare Officer and I have been a Senior Childcare Officer and Deputy Head of Care before being promoted to take on the Head of Care position in September 2015. Working my way through the Academy has allowed me to gain a full and detailed understanding of the residential setting, how it works and the benefits for the boys admitted to residence.
Prior to working at Eaton Hall I had completed a BTEC National Diploma in Childhood Studies and had worked with children and young people in both educational settings and residential homes. I have worked within both special needs settings and mainstream settings. As part of the Staff Development Programme at Eaton Hall, I have successfully attained my BTEC Level 5 Diploma in Leadership and Management for Residential Child Care.
"When my child first started to board I was nervous about it. I needn't have been. Now, I really do not know where we would be as a family without the support." Parent
Residence at Eaton Hall caters for up to 31 boys, Monday to Friday, term time only. The residential element of the Academy caters for boys from year 4 through to the end of year 8 which means the vast majority of pupils have experienced some degree of time in the residential setting before becoming a day pupil. The successful partnership between home and the Academy staff is key to the aim of reintegrating the pupil back into the family home.
We have four boarding houses, or units as we call them. The units we have are Colman, Nelson, Fry and Lind House. On admission, every boy will be allocated to one of these units. On admission to the Academy, your son will have three key adults allocated to them, looking after their social, emotional and educational needs. The Childcare Officer makes regular contact with parents/carers and looks after their social needs. The Teacher Tutor looks after the pupils educational needs and the Case Coordinator supports these two members of staff and is a link to the Senior Management Team.
I am passionate about Eaton Hall and working with the children and families. Through residence and the school as a whole we aim to give all our young people the best opportunities to move forward and prepare them for a successful life after Eaton Hall, whenever that time may come.
"Boarding is absolutely fantastic. I and lots of the pupils love it. All of the staff are kind and caring. Every one of them. Boarding makes a big difference to my life." Pupil
Our Aims
We are extremely fortunate at Eaton Hall Specialist Academy that we have a very skilled and experienced multi-disciplinary team of staff working with, and for our pupils. Our emphasis on working as a team of adults around the child is all part of our day to day practice and in doing so provides the best possible service to them and their families. For further information on how we go about achieving this, I invite you to look at the following documents:
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Aims and Objectives (which includes our Vision Statement)
Frequently Asked Questions
For the large majority of boys that join us at Eaton Hall, it is the first time they have lived away from home, and this can initially be daunting for them as well as their family. It is therefore not surprising that many questions need to be asked and answered prior to joining us. Our staff will try and make this process as informative as possible and once a place has been offered, that the transition from home to school is as smooth as possible.
