Our School

About St Giles School

St. Giles is a 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. We admit pupils from a wide catchment area which includes the whole of Croydon and surrounding boroughs.

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, fully accessible building, divided into two main sections linked by a ramped corridor. There are 14 class bases, a multi-purpose hall, Library and specialist rooms for Art, Science, ICT, Food and Design Technology and Music.

The school is set in its own spacious grounds with separate recreation and outdoor learning areas for each age group.

Specialist facilities include:

• Dark sensory room
• Light sensory room
• Hydrotherapy pool
• Overhead hoists in most classrooms
• Hygiene rooms
• 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
• Attendance and Welfare Officer
• Advisory Teacher of the Hearing Impaired
• Advisory Teacher of the Visually Impaired
• Educational Psychologist
• Dietician
• School Dentist
• ‘Willow’ Grief and Loss counsellors
• Music Therapist
• Drama therapist

Governors

There are twelve Governors on the Governing Body, which meets every term. They include representatives from staff, parents, the Local Authority and the community. The three committees, Curriculum, Personnel and Finance and Estates also meet every term.