Governing Body Mission Statement

Foreland Fields School

Governing Body Mission Statement

February 2025

 

 

About Our School

Foreland Fields School provides education and care for pupils aged 3 to 19 who have Profound, Severe and Complex Needs (PSCN). Some of these pupils have additional difficulties arising from physical disabilities or sensory impairments (visual and hearing difficulties) or Autistic Spectrum Disorder / Communication & Interaction Difficulties.

Whilst originally positioned in Broadstairs, Foreland Fields School moved to its current site in Ramsgate in February 2017. The school was originally designed for 200 pupils (plus nursery aged pupils), though currently houses substantially more. Given these numbers, the school has increased capacity through adding additional satellite classes. Currently the school has a Year R/Key Stage 1 class at Garlinge Primary School and Nursery, a Key Stage 2 class at Garlinge Primary, a Key Stage 3 class at Hartsdown Academy and 2 classes, for students in Key Stage 4 and Sixth Form, at East Kent College.

As a school we continue to adapt both our facilities and our curriculum to meet the wide range of needs of our pupils and students.

Recent developments have included the introduction of new on-site facilities, which include therapy, sensory integration and physical development rooms. The school also benefits from a hydrotherapy pool, which meets the physical needs of our pupils/students with more profound physical difficulties. The school site also has a multi-use games area (MUGA) for constructive play. More recently, with the opening of The Hive, the school has benefitted from access to a sports field, with a full-size football pitch, horticulture and forest school area, though this currently remains in development.

The school offers curriculum pathways to pupils/students which focus on developing key communication, cognition, independence and physical skills in order to equip our pupils and students to live happy and healthy lives beyond school.

Pupils with Profound and Multiple Learning Difficulties follow the Explorers Pathway, a pre-formal therapy-based curriculum that focuses on eliciting responses, health and well-being, postural management and mobility.

Pupils with Severe Learning Difficulties follow the Discoverers Pathway – a semi-formal, developmental, skills-based curriculum focusing on communication, early cognitive skills, relationships, independence and physical development.

Pupils with complex learning difficulties follow the Adventurers Pathway – an informal curriculum focusing on communication, relationships, self-regulation and independence.                   

Pupils with more moderate learning difficulties follow the Pioneers Pathway, an adapted version of the National Curriculum with a focus on accreditation, work related experiences, relationships and health education and life skills, which prepares our young people for independent living and the world of work.

The school offers a variety of lunch and after school clubs and has links with ‘Inclusive Sport’, an organisation that specialises in working with people with additional needs and disabilities, through offering on site sport sessions both after school and during school holidays.

 

What Do Governors at Foreland Fields School Believe?

Our pupils deserve more in terms of education and support. We are continually looking at ways we can improve outcomes for our young people by responding to their specific needs.

We believe in:

  • Maximising the well-being of our pupils

  • Raising their self-esteem

  • Increasing their independence by enriching their skills

  • Putting them first.

 

Above all, we believe that our pupils have the right to be educated in a safe environment. We take our safeguarding responsibilities seriously, refusing to compromise on this.

The Governing Body fully supports the ethos of our school in ensuring that the school values are evident in practice in that the school:

  • Remains Respectful and Friendly

  • Remains Positive and Supportive

  • Promotes Independence

  • Provides Aspirational Personalised Learning

  • Remains Inclusive and Accessible

  • Promotes Total Communication

 

The Governing Body believe that the children at Foreland Fields School make great progress and benefit greatly from the approach of school staff. This is attributed to the efforts of our Headteacher Adrian Mount and his team of staff.

We strive to meet the continuous financial constraints and demands of being a popular, successful school and have been able to create a fundraising committee to support the school in improving outcomes for its population. We have welcomed the setting up of a Community Interest Company to manage the Hive

 

Mission Statement on the Local Community

The school is focused on providing a safe educational environment for our pupils. We believe that an integrated approach to learning, facilitated with key health and social services, community development agencies and strong community engagement leads to improved student learning, stronger families and healthier communities.

Governors were heavily involved in the planning of a fully accessible ‘hub’ based on the school site which provides a range of facilities for the local SEND community, The Hive. In order to be independent from the school, Governors suggested this be managed by its own Community Interest Company (CiC).

Though The Hive is independent of the school, and Governors have no responsibility for its management, pupils and students of Foreland Fields School benefit greatly from the use of its facilities. The aim of The Hive is to deliver lifelong leisure and learning opportunities for young people and adults with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND). This will, in turn, reduce social isolation, improve physical and mental health outcomes and improve employment prospects. The hub will be open evenings, weekends and holidays as well as during term time.

The Hive will provide:

  • FA standard full-size football playing pitch

  • Fully accessible changing facilities

  • Horticulture facilities

  • Forest school

  • Education and training facilities

  • Training kitchen with cafe

 

Between the school and The Hive, we aim to build relationships with local partners to offer a range of opportunities to our young people, their families/carers and the wider local SEND community. This philosophy will enable our pupils/students, past and present, to make progress in both their learning and social skills. 

We aim not only for our pupils/students to be involved in shaping their own learning, but also to actively encourage our families and carers to be active participants in the life of the school.

 

What does that mean in practise?

Fund Raiser

The school employs a fund raiser to raise funds for both Capital and Revenue projects. We intend to maximise our revenues for the benefit of all pupils, and we will work in partnership with the school’s Charitable Trust and the Hive Community Interest Company (CIC).

 

Governors Input and Skills Matrix

Each year the Governing Body conducts a skills matrix and provides ongoing training for board members.

Governors pride themselves on the vast range of experience of board members, with representatives from a variety of professions including business, HR, health and education. This skills base is widening with additional Governors bringing in health and safety and financial/accountancy skills. The Governing Body also greatly benefits from having parents of children with SEN on the board.

We have changed  our Instrument of Government or our ‘constitution’ to allow even more Governors to join us and we have successfully recruited new Governors that have stronger links with the local community. The Governing Body has a major impact upon the life of the school.  We give more than the equivalent of a full-time employee in terms of time to the school.  We set the strategic direction of the school and hold the Headteacher to account.

 

Income from Lettings

School lettings offer new income generation opportunities and we have started  to market these facilities to the local community and also to other special schools who could benefit from our facilities.

 

Use of Volunteers in the School

Volunteers have a place in our school, not just in the traditional areas such as the classroom but also in other parts of the curriculum, such as sports and horticulture. Potential volunteers originate from various sectors of the population that include the retired, including retired teachers, students from Canterbury Christ Church University, gap year students, parents and carers.

 

Use of Local Businesses

We are working with local businesses to forge a relationship with our school to enable some of our pupils to experience true life experiences in the workplace.

 

Co-operation with Local Charitable Organisations

The school continues to foster relationships with like-minded charitable organisations to give our pupils new experiences.

 

Commercial Sponsorship

Commercial companies are sought to sponsor the school and the Hive . 

 

Charitable Donations

We work closely with the charitable element of the school, a registered charity, to encourage the giving of donations both from the commercial sectors, charitable donors and members of the public using Gift Aid.

 

Working with the Independent School Sector

We continue to explore potential avenues with private schools. Independent schools have a responsibility to provide additional social benefits for the public good in order to retain their charitable status.

 

 

The school’s vision is shared by all members of the school community. As Governors of Foreland Fields School, we are proud to  play our part in ensuring that every child is provided with quality education, care and support in order to enable them to be the best that they can be.