About us
The Woodlands School is a school for children and young people with an Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD) or a Social Communication difficulty, from the age of 4 to 19. The school is not suitable for children and young people with social, emotional and mental health as their primary need or where they present an on-going risk to others. We are state funded special school with a delegated budget.
We have two sites in Milton Keynes. Our Lower Department is cited at the Hertford Place Campus in Bletchley. The Middle and Upper Departments are at the Hazeley Campus. There is further information about our sites on the 'Contact us' page.
We are part of the Aspire Federation, Milton Keynes. For more information about the federation click here.
The links to the right will take you to further information about us.
Our ethos & vision
The Walnuts is a community of people with different roles and responsibilities. Our ethos needs to be a 'living' set of principles that improve the experience for all involved in our community.
We Need To:
Value and respect ourselves and all other members of our community as individuals with a unique contribution to make.
Acknowledge and celebrate each others skills, experience and characteristics and accept each person as a 'whole'.
Know that problems can be shared and to ask for support and help.
Create an atmosphere where conflicts can be resolved with consideration.
Take responsibility for our words and actions.
Show courtesy and consideration to others.
Enable pupils to gain greater independence and life skills, to equip them for the future.
Acknowledge and celebrate the diversity of cultures, customs and ethnic origins within our community.
Value working in partnership with parents.
Within the school community, we believe that all individuals should be treated with unconditional positive regard and that everyone has skills and experiences that should be respected and celebrated. The values and ethos of the school reflect these principles and everyone’s entitlement to equal access to high quality, lifelong education. The school believes that listening to the views of the children and young people within it is crucial to achieving this, and this is facilitated formally through school councils and informally through staff attitudes.
The promotion of individual’s communication and social interaction skills is central to the range of approaches to learning and teaching and these support opportunities to progress academically, aesthetically, physically, socially, emotionally and spiritually, and to develop the ICT and technological skills necessary for today’s society.
The school recognises and respects a range of cultural backgrounds and beliefs and as a community, fosters tolerance and understanding.
In a purposeful, ordered and safe environment, based upon mutual trust and respect, the school gives children and young people the experiences necessary to develop the knowledge, skills, understanding and attitudes that enable their personalised learning. It provides opportunities for pupils to progress to a fulfilling life of maximised independence.
Within the Walnuts community, children and young people develop their self-esteem and self-awareness by enjoying and achieving within a framework that encourages a healthy lifestyle. Physical and emotional health is promoted both with them and their families, by utilising the school’s expertise and resources.