Sometimes the achievements for young people at High Peak School are less obvious than those perhaps of a young person learning in a mainstream school environment, but they are no less important.  As a school supporting young people with complex needs and challenges, we like to celebrate those achievements.

For example, one of our students, Michael*, had been excluded from two of his previous schools. Michael has ASD and ADHD. He can be aggressive towards peers and staff. He finds transition and change difficult and has limited social skills. However, he is an able young man and is predicted to achieve GCSEs at the end of Year 11.

Our team has worked closely with Michael and his family to find ways where the barriers he has to learning can be removed. He is more confident and can communicate more clearly. As a result there has been:

• A reduction in physical incidents involving other students or staff
• The need for staff intervention has reduced
• Michael can spend longer concentrating on tasks
• He has a greater understanding of how his behaviour impacts on other young people

We think these are significant achievements for Michael, making school a more enjoyable and rewarding place for him and removing those barriers to learning.

High Peak School is a day and residential school on the border of Cheshire East and the Peak District. We offer day and residential school placements for young people with social, emotional and mental health difficulties.