The headteacher of a new Kings Bromley special school for youngsters with complex needs has paid tribute to its unique curriculum - combining horses, horticulture and history.
Mel Callaghan- Lewis, 42, is the headteacher of Options Trent Acres special school, which opened in Alrewas Road, Kings Bromley, in February this year.
The mother-of-two, who has worked for the group since 2010, said the school was already proving a success - and has shared the special ways in which she helps eight to 18-year-olds engage with learning.
Mrs Callaghan-Lewis said: "I qualified as a teacher many years ago and have always worked with disadvantaged children.
"In one of my previous roles I was the head of a prison facility which oversaw the education of 160 young men between the ages of 16 and 18. While I was there I saw a pattern in that the same people were returning and reoffending.
"It seemed to me that whatever we were doing was falling down and we clearly were not meeting the needs of these people. There was no consistency with the education.
"I became very interested in helping these young people before they got to the custodial stage and wanted to try and prevent it getting to that point.
"When I moved on I was keen to continue offering help to people who have been out of education for quite a long time.
"I came to this site two years ago when it operated as Hillcrest School which is part of the same group as Options, and it reopened in February as a school for people with complex needs."
As part of the many ways the team engages with the pupils, staff offer a mixture of core subjects and therapy-based learning.
Mrs Callaghan-Lewis said: "We have a unique site and part of what we do is allowing the young people to explore life skills as well as meet educational needs.
"We have a very holistic focus on the development of the child which means as well as offering core subjects such as cookery and hospitality, we also offer animal therapy and have an equine facility on site which boasts horses, goats and donkeys for the pupils to work with.
"In our experience we believe that therapy can really complement learning for those with difficulties and we spend a lot of time listening and getting to know the pupils so we can tailor the learning to them.
"We look at their personalities and have to be very flexible on a day to day basis. We also work very closely with the police to promote road safety messages and stranger danger.
"It is all about helping to mould these young people so they can reach their potential and become positive members in the wider community."
Mrs Callaghan-Lewis, who commutes from North Staffordshire every day, said there had been a "really positive" response to the school, which currently has 12 pupils, since it opened two months ago.
She said: "We have had lots of interest and the pupils have settled in really quickly. We have strong staff that have a variety of qualifications and we have had some really strong and positive feedback from parents.
"We are unique so no two days are the same in this job. We call parents every day to check all is well with the students because we feel our partnership with parents is very important.
"Each child also has a personal tutor and staff are visible to meet the young people at the gates every morning."
Mrs Callaghan-Lewis said: "The site also offers a care facility which is not open at the moment but will be very soon. It has an independent living facility where those who come to us will learn everyday skills such as ironing, washing, budgeting and how to write a CV.
"Since we have been at Kings Bromley we have seen that there is definitely a need locally for a service like ours. We are quite unique and have a real community ethos that allows us to help people in need in a variety of quirky ways.
"Getting something like this off the ground can be challenging but I absolutely love my job and seeing the progress that young people make is the drive for me. It is the little achievements like noticing changes to their behaviour or seeing them make friends.
"I am excited to see what the future holds for the special school."
What is Options Trent Acres?
Options Trent Acres offers education to boys and girls aged between eight and 18 years with a range of complex needs, autism and associated learning disabilities.
Options Trent Acres provides a highly structured and supportive environment which supports our children to manage their behaviour and develop personal care, social interaction and independence skills.
The service is able to educate children with complex needs, autism and associated learning disabilities, this is achieved through an integrated care model incorporating the skills and expertise within our education and clinical teams.
This model enables the team to meet children’s individual needs and allows children to develop within an appropriate peer group.
Options Trent Acres is situated on a 12-acre site which provides a wide range of facilities and services within the homes and throughout the site. These services are designed to complement the aims of the school and the objectives for the young people.
