Welcome to St Andrew’s College

St Andrew’s College, designed specifically for the needs of the young people in our care, is a non-maintained college which is aligned with our CAMHS treatment model of Trauma Informed Care.  The College provides a safe and supportive space where people can enjoy individualised opportunities to learn, achieve and believe in themselves. Our College’s aims are to give every young person:

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  • An outstanding education
  • Opportunities to try new things
  • Confidence in their abilities
  • Hope for the future.

Our latest Ofsted report issued in 2021 rated the CAMHS College as 'Good' overall and 'Outstanding' for behaviours and attitudes.

The report said that parents of our students believed that the college had 'changed their children's lives for the better'. The inspectors also stated that students' behaviour when in school is 'exceptional' and they are 'respectful, calm and enthusiastic to learn.'

Meet our Head Teacher - Cheryl Smith

Find out more about the approaches we use when working with the young people in our adolescent service;

'We use a Trauma Informed Care approach within the College, so we're very much working at an individual's level and are alongside them as they travel their recovery journey

The College offers a really broad curriculum, which we call Activ8, and this provides our young people with the opportunity to study qualifications and skill development in a range of subjects including; Maths, English, Science, Art, ICT, Expressive Arts, PE, everything you would do in a mainstream setting, and within this context we  build an individual programme for each young person based on their needs and what they want to get out of their education.'

Watch Cheryl's video to also hear about how our College team are supporting local schools with their student's mental health.

A newly refurbished environment supports the wide range of subjects offered to students

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Welcome to St Andrew's College

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Conducting science experiments in a safe environment

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The Activate 8 curriculum offers a broad range of subjects

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The Library provides a quiet learning environment

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Music and arts are a key facet of the College curriculum

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A new and vibrant learning environment

Activ8 Curriculum

The Activ8 curriculum has been designed to foster in pupils:

  • self-motivation
  • the application of intellectual, physical and creative effort
  • interest in their work
  • the ability to think and learn for themselves.

How do we deliver our curriculum?

This curriculum is based on the National curriculum and includes access to all subject areas, but is taught in a more bespoke way to enable our complex learners to feel safe and make progress.

Much of our Education is delivered in a 1:1 format with teachers to provide individual teaching and learning opportunities. As young people make progress we may build some group sessions into the timetable to encourage collaborative working and cooperation.

The education team work alongside other disciplines: psychiatry, psychology, speech and language therapy, occupational therapy, music therapy, physiotherapy, chaplaincy, dietetics, medical and nursing.  This is to ensure a bespoke and balanced educational and therapeutic timetable for all young people appropriate to their individual needs.

Activ8 is flexible enough to meet the needs of our diverse range of pupils and is matched to the individual needs of the individual, with each having a personalised timetable based upon their unique needs. It builds upon each individuals existing knowledge, skills and understanding.

This is done via a rigorous baseline assessment, interviews with the pupil, and continual formal and informal assessment of their academic progress, personal development needs and mental health journey.

Light Bulb Mental Wellness for School's Program

Mental Health Training for Education Professionals and Pupils

Our Light Bulb Program recognises the significance and impact that promoting good mental health can have on all individuals within an educational setting, including pupils, their families and staff. Schools that successfully demonstrate a strong commitment to the mental health agenda, and who can evidence their work while planning for the future, will receive an accredited award at the end of the program.

What does the Light Bulb Program do?

  • Equips teachers and other learning professionals with the tools and skills needed to support young people (particularly those who are vulnerable), and their families.
  • Provides emotional and practical support to teachers, to meet their own mental health needs
  • Provides signposting to useful services and support networks for young people and their families / carers
  • Provides a ready-made framework for schools to demonstrate excellence regarding mental health practice to regulatory bodies such as Ofsted, with formal accreditation.

What people are saying about us

"The school is a calm, caring environment. Structured, well-established routines help pupils to feel safe. Students say that staff listen to them and help them to manage their emotions and behaviour. This support helps pupils to behave exceptionally well when they are in school.

Teachers assess pupil's needs carefully when they are admitted to the hospital. Leaders offer pupils an ambitious curriculum...which is personalised to their needs. Teachers know pupils well...and support them to be resilient and develop their self esteem.'' - Ofsted, 2021

"Ian is my favourite teacher. We discuss and debate everything. He's a really easy going person. We get work done but he is calm and relaxed." - current student

"Helen helps me from the side, she gives just the right amount of advice...you don't find a lot of people like Helen in the world. She goes out of her way to help everyone." - current student

 “Thank you for all the support you have given me during my time here at St Andrew’s. You have always done your best to help me progress in education, even when my motivation levels were so low, and you believed in me. You even helped me through my exams which is a major accomplishment and I am so, so thankful for.'' - former student

 “With grateful thanks and appreciation for all the support you gave to S whilst she was at FitzRoy. We were amazed that she managed to take 3 x GCSEs and was very engaged in education – in no small part due to all your efforts and encouragement.” - parent.