My Choice School
My Choice is committed to increasing access to education and support
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school support
My Choice School has a proven support structure in place with an innovative educational approach and are passionate about teaching all children.
My Choice School
Enhance the self esteem of all students and promote positive behaviour.
Develop achievement and skills in all students.
Education and Support
My Choice Children’s Homes aims to support the educational achievement of all young people in the setting that is the most appropriate to their needs.
Young people who attend external education provision such as local authority schools, other independent schools, Alternative Centres for Education or Learning or colleges will be supported to maintain their placement at their educational setting.
Young people placed at My Choice who are unable to access local authority or other independent provision due to their complexity of emotional and behavioural needs, their level of risk in larger settings or their difficulties engaging in a larger school setting will be able to access My Choice School.
My Choice School
My Choice School is managed by the Headteacher.
My Choice School is available at 4 sites:
My Choice School Arundel: a small school site in West Sussex that can serve young people from our children’s homes in the West and young people at Osprey House, Maple House and Kestral House. My Choice School Arundel has a core team of 2 teachers and two HLTAs with other My Choice teachers providing additional teaching and workshops as their availability dictates.
My Choice Osprey House: a school within the children’s home that serves young people at Osprey House who are not yet ready to engage in a larger environment such as My Choice School Arundel or alternative school settings.
My Choice School Maple House: a school within the children’s home that serves young people at Maple House and Kestral House who are not yet ready to engage in a larger environment such as My Choice School Arundel or alternative school settings.
My Choice School Oak House: a school within the children’s home that serves young people at Oak House who are not yet ready to engage in a larger environment such as alternative school settings. My Choice School Arundel is not available for young people who may need to transition from My Choice School Oak House due to the geographical constraints.
My Choice Schools at Arundel, Osprey House, Maple House and Oak House are DfE registered and have separate policies and procedures to the children’s home policies and procedures.
My Choice School has the following policies:
- Admission policy
- Assessment policy
- SEN policy
- Curriculum policy
- Exam policy
- Computer and internet policy
- Health and safety of students on educational visits policy
- Behaviour management policy
- Anti bullying policy
- Preventing extremism and radicalisation policy
- Child protection and safeguarding policy
- Procedures for managing allegations against people who work with children policy
- The Disclosure and Barring service
- Whistle blowing policy
- Complaints policy
- Student complaints policy
- First aid policy
- Work experience policy
- EAL policy
- Exclusion policy
- Health and safety policy
- SMSC policy
- Risk assessment policy
My Choice Schools at Arundel, Osprey House, Maple House and Oak House have individual prospectuses which are available to all and detail the aims and expectations and curriculum of the school. All students are expected to wear uniform and follow the school expectations of behaviour and attendance.
My Choice School admits young people from Yr7 to Yr11 however young people join our school at any point in the year.
My Choice School views each student as an individual with the potential to succeed. We provide an individualised plan to meet the needs and abilities of all students and have a holistic approach to learning, recognising their emotional and behavioural needs as an essential element in their educational achievement and progression. My Choice School can act as a transition school where we prepare students for a transition to a larger school setting (such as a local authority or other independent provision) or for college if students are admitted late in their Yr11.
My Choice School will assess each student on admission in English, maths and ICT using the BKSB assessment tool. This provides levels, suggested targets and a progression route. The assessment informs the development of the Individual Education Plan. The Individual Education Plan (IEP) will form the student’s personal curriculum for each term and will have details of academic targets and supports. The IEP will be reviewed at minimum twice a term and adjusted accordingly. Each student will undertake regular assessment (at minimum twice a term) to ensure that progress is on target.
My Choice School uses the AQA Unit Award Scheme, ASDAN awards and AQA GCSE English and Maths and Functional Skills English and Maths (L1 and L2) as the basis for the curriculum with variations where necessary. Our curriculum is not prescriptive as it is continually being reviewed and adapted for the needs of each student. Each student may commence their IEP from a different starting point depending on ability to engage in the learning process and levels indicated by assessments.
The AQA Unit Award Scheme curriculum covers:
- Mathematics
- English
- Science
- History
- Geography
- Art, Craft and Design
- Cultural Studies
- Physical Education
- PSHE
- ICT
- Life Skills
All students can follow the AQA unit award scheme (foundation, intermediate and higher level) as appropriate to their needs and abilities. Key Stage 4 students are encouraged to work toward higher level AQA Unit Award Scheme in all subjects and may also access work experience as appropriate. Key Stage 4 students are also prepared for accessing college placements or other training providers in Yr10 or Yr11.
My Choice School also uses ASDAN courses to provide additional or alternative means of study. The ASDAN courses can complement the AQA units or be offered as alternatives to AQA units.
ASDAN Excelsis Award
This award is offered at 3 levels:
- Foundation: for Yr7 to Yr10 or those at GCSE D-G (nc5)
- Intermediate: for Yr10 to Yr11 or those at GCSE A-C (nc6)
- Advanced: for 16+ (Yr11 leavers or those at AS/A level at college)
The Excelsis award covers:
- Leadership and Teamworking
- Self Management
- Problem solving and creative thinking
- Presentation
- Research
ASDAN Short Courses: Offered at a range of subjects, both academic and vocational including Science, PSHE, Citizenship, Humanities, Personal Finance Education, Key Steps and Careers
- ASDAN Stepping Stones: PSHE and Citizenship based
- ASDAN Workskills Online: Assessments in employability skills
Variations to the curriculum will be made where:
- students are unable to engage with or see the relevance of learning or routine and are at risk of disengaging from education and becoming long term NEET
- students emotional and behavioural needs overwhelm their ability to engage with learning or with routines and expectations of My Choice School and their home
- students are experiencing a crisis in their time with us and need additional intensive emotional and behavioural support
- students needs are too complex to be met by an academic programme and require a developmental programme that provides opportunity for play and nurture in order to access learning in an academic or social context
- students are placed in Year 11 without a history of previous school engagement or learning to build on
- students remain on roll (dual registered) at their previous school in order to access GCSEs as agreed with the partnership school and the students’ Virtual School.
ICT is used throughout the curriculum at My Choice School and each school location has access to a computer. Internet access is restricted and supervised at all times in accordance with our policy.
Community facilities are accessed for Physical Education and include swimming, gym and horse riding. The Arundel Lido is used regularly during the Summer term.
Group lessons for musical instrument tuition and practice are available weekly with a visiting music teacher.
Educational visits are encouraged to support all areas of the curriculum both academically and socially.
Additional on line learning can be used to cover First Aid, Health and Safety and any other area that the student is interested in.
Workshops are arranged each term for arts and crafts, Fire Safety, PSHE topics such as SRE, CSE, teamwork, personal development.
All students’ achievements are celebrated at the end of each term with an activity week and a Certificate Day, where students receive Certificates of Achievement and prizes.
Annie Murphy Head of Education
Annie has a BSc in Experimental Psychology and a PGCE. Annie has over 30 years’ experience of working with vulnerable and marginalised children, young people and adults and within this has over 20 years’ experience of managing services for children and young people in residential, play, training and education settings, including 14yrs as Headteacher of My Choice School.
Annie is responsible for statutory duties relating to the education needs, provision and outcomes for all young people who are being looked after at My Choice.
This includes the strategic development of My Choice School, working with the current Headteacher to ensure that Ofsted and Department for Education (DfE) regulations and requirements are maintained and exceeded.
In addition her role requires working with Virtual Schools, SEN teams, schools and other education providers to ensure that additional support and resources for young people at My Choice are used effectively and are targeted to ensure best outcomes.
Susan Evans Head Teacher
Susan is the Headteacher of all 4 My Choice Schools.
Susan has over 20 years’ experience of working in the education sector with children and young people with emotional and behavioural difficulties.
Her qualifications include MA in Education, PGCE, Post Graduate Professional Studies in Education and the NVQ Level 4 Leadership & Management for Care Services.
Susan has worked in mainstream and SEBD settings and has experience of managing staff teams in excess of 25 people.
Susan is responsible for managing the teachers and TAs at My Choice School and for monitoring and promoting the progress of all students, developing the curriculum and identifying additional supports for students.
For further information about My Choice School please email Annie Murphy at: