Fitzwaryn School

Fitzwaryn School is a Special School and is part of The Propeller Academy Trust. We are located in Wantage, Oxfordshire. 

Fitzwaryn is for children from 3 to 19 years whose special needs range from moderate (MLD) to severe (SLD) and profound multiple learning difficulties (PMLD) Currently there are 122 pupils on roll. The new Student Centre building opened in September 2018, providing spaces for more pupils to be admitted into the school. The school is continually oversubscribed.

The curriculum is organised so that children with similar needs can work together; each class has a mix of needs ensuring inclusion for all our pupils. Generally, each class teacher is responsible for all curriculum areas with individual subjects led across the school. Our organisation is flexible allowing individual needs to be catered for.

The school policy is to broadly follow National Curriculum subjects for all pupils from 3 – 16 years old and an Adult Curriculum model from 16 – 19 years of age thus meeting individual learning needs and encouraging the development of each child’s social and independence skills. School trips and residential visits are an important part of the curriculum offered by the school. A PMLD curriculum is in place for those pupils with more complex needs for whom National Curriculum subjects are not applicable.

The school offers accreditations; during 2023 – 2024 for the sixth form pupils we are transitioning to the offering of Entry Level Qualifications in Skills for Further Learning and Employment via Open Award.

Students can also work towards their Duke of Edinburgh Awards; we were delighted that in July 2023 some of our pupil achieved their Silver Awards.

Our Year 10 and 11s are working towards Open Awards Skills Passport.

Pupils can also achieve their Entry Level Functional Skills in English and Maths

Sport plays an important part in the school's curriculum. Pupils swim either at the local pool or at Kingfisher school when they need hydrotherapy, and there is a range of both competitive and non-competitive sports offered, as well as the use of PE apparatus and more specialised equipment for children with particular disabilities. Many of the pupils are involved in competing in sports events with other schools, both mainstream and special, and all pupils enjoy many outside trips.

In recent years Fitzwaryn’s choir has grown in popularity and they practice at lunchtime. The choir sings at local events e.g. the mayor’s carol concert.

Fitzwaryn School serves an area from Faringdon to Wantage, but a number of pupils come from Didcot, Abingdon, Oxford and surrounding villages. We also have pupils from the neighbouring Local Authorities of Berkshire and Wiltshire.

Fitzwaryn is the registered office for the Propeller Academy Trust and many of the central team are based within the school.