Spring School

It is an immense privilege to have been appointed the head of Spring School and to lead the development of this fantastic new provision for autistic pupils.

Spring School has been set up to address a growing need for more specialist education provision for autistic children and young people in Kingston. It is run by the Ambitious about Autism Schools Trust, who already have two successful special schools and a further education college, providing excellent education to hundreds of autistic children and young people across London and the Home Counties.

Spring School will build on the Trust’s innovative approach to autism education, which is called the Ambitious Approach. At its heart, the approach is centred around improving the quality of life of autistic young people while they are in education and ensuring this quality of life continues into adulthood.

We will equip young people with the academic qualifications and personal skills needed to thrive in school and beyond. We will offer pupils the best of both worlds: special needs provision combined with a curriculum that follows the national curriculum.

Working in partnership with young people, parents and carers and the whole community, we will develop a wonderful new learning environment where autistic young people can reach their academic potential, strive for independence and lead rich and fulfilling lives.

Andy Nowak, Head of Spring School

Spring School is a special school dedicated to educating autistic pupils aged 4–19.

Our vision is to create a school where autistic children can learn, thrive, achieve and belong. We will offer a model of best practice for autistic children with social communication needs who can learn under a broadly age-related curriculum. In practice, this means:

• Pupils will obtain the best possible outcomes in terms of academic and personal development, based on their needs, aspirations, and priorities and feel proud of what they learn and achieve
• Pupils will have a sense of competence and self-worth with good mental health, well-being, and long-term life chances beyond school.
• Pupils will be directly involved in decisions about their learning and future.
• Families will have the confidence that their children are in a safe environment and are being guided toward greater independence.
• Families will be provided with the tools they need to support their children beyond school and feel they are key members of the school community with their voices heard.

Spring School will give pupils the support and challenge they need to reach their full learning potential. The school will have academic, personal, social and independent targets to provide autistic pupils with ambitious aspirations. Pupils will work towards gaining academic and vocational qualifications, that will help them succeed in the world beyond school.

Partnership working is at the core of the school’s vision. Our school model is designed to offer the best of both special and mainstream education through close collaboration with local mainstream providers, including Chessington School. We will work in partnership with parents and carers, recognising the importance of co-production in supporting children’s learning and development.