Our School

About St Giles School

St. Giles is a Croydon Local Authority Maintained Community School for pupils aged 4-16 with physical disabilities, complex medical needs, complex speech and language difficulties and associated learning difficulties, moderate(MLD), severe(SLD) and profound and multiple learning difficulties (PMLD).

There is a Further Education Unit for pupils with PMLD aged 16-19.

History

The school was opened in 1925 and was originally sited in Thornton Heath. In 1933 the school moved to Featherbed Lane, Addington and in 1977 it moved to its current purpose-built accommodation in Pampisford Road, South Croydon.

Accommodation

St Giles is a single-storey, accessible building, divided into two main sections linked by a ramped corridor. Specialist facilities include:

• Hygiene rooms with hoists and changing beds
• Hydrotherapy pool
• Trampoline for rebound Therapy
• Dark sensory room
• Light sensory room
• Hall
• Library
• Art room
• Music room
• Science and ICT room
• Food and Design technology room
• Creative therapy room
• Overhead hoists in most classrooms
• Rise and fall desks/tables
• Eyegaze technology
• Adapted ICT
• Wheelchair accessible swing and roundabout
• Wheelchair accessible greenhouse
• Nursing, speech and language therapy, occupational therapy and physiotherapy departments.

Staffing

The school staff includes teachers, teaching assistants, a social care team, nurses and therapists, supported by administration, catering, premises management, technical and cleaning staff.

All school staff are specially trained to become experts in working with pupils with physical disabilities and complex medical needs.

The school is also supported by a number of visiting professionals:

• School Paediatrician
• Orthotist—clinics to provide foot and ankle splints
• Wheelchair Clinic
• Advisory Teachers of the Hearing Impaired and Visually Impaired
• Educational Psychologist
• Dietician
• School Dentist
• ‘Willow’ Grief and Loss counsellors
• Music Therapist
• ELSA – Emotional Literacy Support Assistant

Governors

There are thirteen Governors on the Governing Body, which meets every term. They include representatives from staff, parents, the Local Authority and the community. The three committees, Strategy, Achievement and Standards, Resources, also meet every term.