EATON HALL SPECIALIST ACADEMY
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
How is the residential team made up?
Our residential team is managed and led by a Head of Care and then supported by the following:
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Deputy Heads of Care x2 -
Senior Childcare Officers x5 -
Childcare Officers x10
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A cook with a dedicated team of assistants -
Health Officer -
Laundry Officer
What is a typical day like in residence?
An evening in residence
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15:30 - finish school and arrive in residence -
15:30 - 16:00 - get changed into play clothes and have a snack -
15:45 - EARNIE shop if wanted -
16:00 - gather at Senior desk and choose structured activity -
16:00 - 17:00 - structured learning activity -
17:00 - 18:00 - dinner time in the dining hall and reading time -
18:00 - gather at Senior desk and choose free activity -
18:00 - 19:00 - free time activity -
19:00 - 20:30 - bath, medication (for those that require it), phone call time and then settle time
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07:30 - staff on duty wake up boys -
07:30 - 08:00 - boys get up, wash and dress for school, tidy their rooms and take laundry to the laundry room -
08:00 - 08:30 - breakfast and medication (for those that require it) -
08:30 - 08:55 - finish tidying rooms, relax in unit until time to start the school day
What sort of activities can my son take part in, in residence?
For an idea of the types of activities that your son can take part in whilst staying in residence at Eaton Hall, please take a look at our 24-hour curriculum.
What sort of meals can my son expect whilst staying in residence?
This is a sample of the types of meals we will serve up for the boy's over an Academy day. We acknowledge pupil's birthdays with a birthday cake, shared with other pupils who are celebrating their birthday during the week. The pupil celebrating their birthday also gets a choice of selecting the main meal on the day. The kitchen staff will also prepare special menus to celebrate national/international days, for example see the menu for World Book Day. Our kitchen staff will always cater for any specific dietary needs which will be discussed with parent(s)/carer(s) during the admission meeting.
What is the Admission process?
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Initial visit by parent(s)/carer(s). -
Second visit with your son. -
If a place is offered and accepted, Admission paperwork. -
Three key specific members of staff responsible for your son's progress.
Who can I contact about residence?
If you wish to contact someone at the Academy, please call 01603 457480 and ask to speak with the Head of Care, Mrs. Katie Kirk.
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.
