Pupil Life

The school day starts for all pupils at 8.55am, they can arrive from 8.40am.  Pupils arriving before 8.55am are able to have toast and juice before going to registration.

Break and lunch times are staggered.  School ends at 2.50pm and is then followed by study and activity clubs which finish at 3.50pm.

In addition…………

We also support the learning of post graduate students at our school through work placements.  Here are a few reflections:

My time at Elm Court School:

I was offered a 7-month placement at the Elm Court School as a trainee Dance Movement Psychotherapist.

I was amazed by the great moral values and how approachable and supportive the staff had been. The general sense of solidarity, understanding and a positive attitude towards the students equally impressed me a lot.

The school has a support frame, is very clean, safe and provides essential facilities. A multi-agency team is working to nurture both educational support and well-being, and regular training is provided. 

Well done to everyone at Elm Court School for contributing to their students’ learning and support to the maximum extent possible!

Veronica – June 2017

My time spent in Elm Court School was incredibly beneficial to my teaching development.

I saw outstanding teachers holistically supporting students to progress across the curriculum, in a way that meant that everyone could access the learning in an individualised way.

The provision for the students is amazing; for example, but not limited to, the fantastic music facilities and extra-curricular activities. I was able to experience ice skating lessons with Year 8, and I also accompanied the KS4 students to college where they are trained in vocational skills to prepare the students for joining society when leaving school. 

The students at Elm Court explicitly told me how happy they are to be there, and it is clear that there are strong relationships across the whole school community. 

I will be able to use many of the strategies seen in Elm Court when I start my first year of teaching in September, and hopefully I’ll be able to create the same inclusive environment that I witnessed whilst on placement in this school. 

Alice – March 2017

My time at Elm Court School:

My experience: I am a university student studying Sports Education and Health and Exercise at St. Marys University in Twickenham. I spent some time at the Elm Court School doing some volunteering work as part of my university course. I had made contact with the school through email on several occasions before meeting face to face, the replies were always prompt and helpful. Throughout the whole experience communication was always a strong point amongst other things. The receptionists were always friendly and approachable and I always felt welcomed into the school by all staff.

What I got out of my experience:  I have done a lot of teaching and supporting in a mainstream setting which includes SEN students. However, I had never done any teaching related experience with just SEN students. As the time went on I really got to know the students and staff and I felt really at home, I really enjoyed my experience in the Elm Court School and it made me think about what kind of educational setting I wish to go into after I graduate at university.

The school: The school was always very clean and easy to navigate around once I had been there on a few occasions. Staff where always willing to help if I got lost or needed help with anything. I always felt safe in the school. Security is very good at the Elm Court School and is something they should pride themselves on.

The staff: The staff were always welcoming and always asked me how I was, about my university, the school, day to day life and what’s going on around the school. Things like for example science week, sports relief and the arts festival were all things I got to experience. All the staff, whether I met them once or whether I saw every day that I came into school, made me feel like part of the team especially when I came to the arts festival showcase and looked at all the amazing work students had done.

Kristina – January 2017

Student accounts:

I like that you don’t get bullied.  
I like that the teachers are kind.
I like that the students are kind to each other.
I love the school activities like swimming and ice skating.
Written by Kasim, Class: 9JP

 

Work experience:

Year 10/11 students participated in work experience. Here are more student accounts:

For our work experience we went to Vauxhall City Farm:

I really enjoyed my time on the farm.  I liked bottle feeding the baby goats and grooming the horses. 

Written by Leam, Class CCC

 

I really liked feeding the animals and looking after the baby goats.  It was very hard work cleaning out the stables and trying not to step in the dirt.

Written by Tomide, Class CCC 

 

I liked the farm.  I liked feeding and cleaning out the chickens.  I didn’t like all the muck they made so I tried to jump over it!

Written by Paula, Class CCC

 

For my work experience I worked at Sainsburys in Streatham.  The staff there were very nice and the customers were very friendly.  I learnt how to re-pack shelves and dress them.  I also learnt about the type of equipment they use which helped me throughout my time there.  It was overall a good place to work and I am happy with the effort I put in.

Written by Justin, Class 11AFi

For my work experience I went to Holy Trinity CofE Primary School in Upper Tulse Hill.  I helped the class teacher with the Year 5 pupils and also the pupils in reception.  I preferred working with the younger children and really enjoyed it.

Written by Amy, Class CCC

 

I went to do my work experience at the British Heart Foundation in Streatham.  I really enjoyed myself during the week because I learnt about customer care.  The best part was that I received a staff discount so I was able to buy lots of books and DVDs.

Written by Liam, Class CCC

 

For my work experience I went to Holy Trinity CofE Primary School in Upper Tulse Hill.  I assisted staff in   their  classroom and playground duties which I really enjoyed.  I saw a different side to what support staff actually do and really enjoyed my time there.

 

Written by Tevin, Class 11GW

 

Former Year 11 students participated in work experience.  Here are two student accounts:

 I went to the Work and Pension Centre in Central London where I met many interesting people and learnt a great deal about the government.  I spoke to the Minister of Education and shadowed the Minister’s secretary – finding out what ministers did on a daily basis.  My day also included visiting the video editing department to put clips together.  My day ended with a tour of the Houses of Parliament and I learnt about their history.  I really enjoyed it.

Written by Levi, Class 11AM

I went to Vodaphone at Piccadilly Circus for my work experience.  I found it really good and interesting.  I managed to sell to the customers, helped in organising the accessories and learnt about the different mobile phones they sell and the various price plans.  I spoke to a lot of customers and really enjoyed my day.

Written by Bruno, Class 11AM