ABOUT US

Mountjoy is a small community special school (non-residential) for children and young people with severe, complex, profound and multiple learning difficulties, between the ages of 2½ and 19 years. The school is currently funded for forty-three pupils. All pupils attend Mountjoy with the agreement of the Local Authority, on the advice of an Educational Psychologist, usually together with the views and recommendations of a range Education and Health Authority professionals.

• To enable pupils to be happy, successful and keen to learn
• To provide our pupils with a variety of quality educational experiences in all aspects of life.
• To enable pupils to develop effective communication skills, in order to express thoughts, feelings and choices.
• To provide a safe and happy environment in which pupils can work towards achieving their best.
• To enable pupils to build in confidence, develop self-esteem, self-reliance and make informed choices.
• To offer a School’s Curriculum that is well researched, broad, balanced, is based on the National Curriculum and is appropriately adapted to meet the needs of all pupils.
• To develop the moral, cultural and spiritual awareness of all pupils.
• To encourage the development of good social skills, that enables pupils to develop friendships and to become sensitive to the feelings and needs of others.
• To welcome and develop partnerships with parents, carers and a range of professional and lay people with whom we can share advice and develop best practice.

• Sensory room – with light and dark areas and soft-play equipment
• Library – with pupil fiction and non-fiction, audio and visual resources, staff and parent/carer sections, Internet access
• A Hydrotherapy pool
• Multi-purpose school hall
• Three school minibuses

Classes are organised largely by age, with the addition of a specialist base to meet the needs of pupils with the most complex difficulties. The number of pupils per class and the staffing ratio varies according to the needs of the pupils. Placement in, and transfer between classes, is based upon a pupil’s ability to gain maximum benefit from the facilities available within that class. However, we aim to be as flexible as possible in our provision; this means that pupils may work in more than one group during the week in order to meet a range of needs, thus reflecting the schools vision:

Enabling enjoyment in teaching and learning, in the best place, at the best time, with the best resources and opportunities

Mountjoy School’s Curriculum is designed to meet both the needs and entitlement of pupils and is therefore based upon the National Curriculum, adapted to meet the needs of our pupils, by both the use of materials published specifically for SLD/PMLD and through the expertise of our own staff. We therefore aim to deliver a curriculum that is broad, balanced and relevant.

Pupils at nursery age learn within the areas set out in the Foundation Stage. At Key Stage 1, 2 and 3 pupils follow programmes of study in the core and foundation subjects of the National Curriculum, with the Personal, Social and Health Education (PSHE) being an integral part of our ‘core curriculum’ and includes programmes in life, communication and behavioural skills.

Methods in teaching and learning may vary between groups and be planned in relation to the age and abilities within the group. All National Curriculum subjects are taught, either as discrete subjects or through linked, cross-curricular themes