Head’s Welcome
It gives me great pleasure to welcome you to Sladewood. I really hope you enjoy exploring our website and finding out more about our vision, goals and curriculum at our relational school.
I am extremely proud to be fronting this journey at Sladewood. Our Vision is an ethos of belonging so “Together we Will Thrive”. The aim is to create a community of play, laughter, acceptance, curiosity, empathy and a love for learning where strong relationships and communication are at the centre of what we do. Allowing all to maximise their true potential and take with them key skills and knowledge into life beyond Sladewood.
We are proud to be a community that specialises in meeting the needs of children with complex Autism and communication and interaction difficulties. Many of our pupils are pre-verbal and require a highly personalised approach to learning and development.
We use a total communication package, incorporating a range of strategies—such as visual supports, signing, gestures, objects of reference, and assistive technology—to ensure that every child has a voice and a way to connect with the world around them. Our dedicated staff team works closely with families, therapists, and other professionals to create individualised programmes that nurture each child’s strengths, interests, and unique personality.
Here, we celebrate progress in all its forms, and we believe that meaningful relationships, consistency, and understanding are the foundations for growth. Whether a child’s achievements are big or small, every step forward is recognised and valued.
At Sladewood, we offer a unique pedagogical approach to learning through Grouptime and our carefully designed pathways for learning—Learning to Learn, Bridging, and Subject-Specific. These pathways allow us to set appropriate challenge, be realistic, and always keep each child’s future in mind. We take a relational and holistic approach to education, while being aspirational in terms of learning outcomes.
Learning here is approached creatively, using strategies for communication and interaction alongside Thrive, trauma-informed practice, restorative approaches, and ACE-aware knowledge to support the social and emotional wellbeing of our pupils.
Our approach is grounded in our Four core values: Relationships, Kindness, Communication and Love of Learning. This means that within our community, everyone is cared for, valued, challenged, and supported to be and do their best—both during their time at Sladewood and in the next chapters of their lives.
We believe in the power of working together to achieve the best outcomes for our children. Relationships with families and our local community are at the heart of what we do, built on trust, respect, and understanding. Together—with children, families, staff, and partner agencies—we shape futures, building confidence, self-esteem, and independence so that our pupils can thrive beyond school and achieve their very best.
If you would like to find out more, please come and visit us to see our approach in action. We look forward to meeting you and working alongside you to unlock and celebrate the successes of our children throughout their school years.
Katy Hanna – Headteacher
