Local Authorities and Commissioning Bodies
Find out what Orange Tree School can offer your local area
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The Orange Tree School is an independent secondary school for children aged 11 to 18 who will thrive in a small, therapeutic and nurturing environment.
- Caters for children, both with and without EHCPs, who require specialised and tailored education and care.
- Part of Ellern Mede School which has received three consecutive Ofsted 'Outstanding' ratings.
- Small group teaching with specialist teachers and additional support staff where required.
- Offers wide selection of GCSEs.
- School Counsellor, Speech and Language Therapist and Occupational Therapist.
- Clinical team able to liaise with different clinical professionals.
- Located inside a newly renovated church in the quiet town of Whetstone in North London.
What we offer
OTS is part of Ellern Mede School - a recipient of three consecutive Ofsted 'Outstanding' ratings. OTS offers a wide ranging curriculum in a safe and secure setting to children aged 11 to 18 who will thrive in a small, therapeutic and nurturing environment. OTS offers places to children funded privately and through the Local Authority. The school has a wealth of experience enabling children who may have additional needs to thrive and flourish.
Subjects on offer at OTS include English, Maths, Science, Geography, History, art, music, French, Spanish, RS, PSHE, PE, and yoga. Many of these are taught to GCSE level. Subject teachers follow curriculum plans which are allied to the national curriculum and equip students with the necessary skills and qualification to make progress once they leave. Students are supported by teachers and support assistants in small class sizes to ensure that each student gets the attention and resources for their needs and abilities.
An Inclusion team oversees pupil transitions and engagement, assessments, future pathways, and ongoing provisions. Additionally, the clinical team can provide counselling, SaLT and OT and liaison with many different clinical professionals.
The site and facilities
OTS is located in the grounds of a former church with a rich two hundred and thirty year history. The main church building and the church hall recently underwent a large scale renovation, converting the buildings into modern, contemporary educational settings. The ground floor of the church has been completed, with the first and second floors soon following suit. Once the remaining work on the site has finished, the school will be equipped with two floors of classrooms, an LRC, a commercial kitchen, a multi-purpose dining hall, outdoor spaces for both teaching and recreation, and further outdoor classrooms.
The site itself is extremely well situated in the two of Whetstone, North London. The school is a five minute walk away from the underground station (Totteridge and Whetstone), a ten minute walk away from Oakleigh Park Railway Station, and is also accessible via bus or car.
Fee information
OTS fees are bespoke and calculated depending on the level of provision for the individual student. Fees are invoiced termly in advance and detailed information as to the costings can be found HERE.
Referrals from the Local Authority
Many of our students receive placements from Special Educational Needs (SEN) and Education, Health and Care (EHC) teams in a child’s local authority. These are often initiated by the local authority or, in many cases, by parental request to the local authority. In these instances, following a formal consultation, the local authority will be for agreeing and funding the placement.
The referral process follows a number of different stages, each designed to assess whether OTS is able to meet the needs of the student and whether it is able to do so without hindering the education of others. Before a formal response to the consultation has been made by OTS, there will be a thorough paperwork review - including the EHCP - a visit, taster session, and initial risk assessment. Where we can meet needs we will send a formal offer to the local authority.
To read more information regarding the consultation process for local authorities, please click HERE.