Danesgate Community School also has an Outreach Team. This consists of primary phase workers whom are managed by SLT.
Kestrel Class & Kestrel House
Kestrel Class & House are off site provisions that support pupils who are struggling with mainstream education. Kestrel Class is for lower Key Stage 2 pupils and Kestrel House is for upper Key Stage 2 pupils.
Kestrel Class
Kestrel Class is our Primary Intervention Provision and is based in mainstream schools including, since 2014, our KS1 Kestrel provision for pupils in Key Stage One. Children, who are identified as needing additional support, are referred by the Outreach team. Most children who attend are dual registered and spend part of the week with their mainstream school. The maximum number of children in the group each day is six and there are always two members of staff present.
Kestrel House
Kestrel House is based on the site of Fulford Secondary School as an extension of the Key Stage 2 Outreach provision offered to schools in York.
Children who attend Kestrel House have been identified as needing extra support by one of the outreach behaviour support staff who work throughout the schools in York.
A place at Kestrel House is usually part time so the pupil will attend both their mainstream school and the Kestrel House provision for a set amount of days during the week depending on the issues and level of support needed.
At Kestrel House we believe a good communication network is essential between parents, mainstream school and outreach staff is especially beneficial for our pupils as they need to see that they are important enough for the adults in their lives to work together in this intent.
The Structure of the day for Kestrel Class & House
Kestrel Class runs from 8.30 to 1.30 and Kestrel House runs from 9 till 2pm. The day usually begins with handwriting and spelling activities and the children are expected to come into class and begin their activities quietly. This gives staff an opportunity to ensure that everyone is settled and deal with any issues arising. A maths session follows before we gather together for breakfast at 10:00am. The children have toast and milk and this communal time offers a chance to chat whilst developing social skills such as sharing, taking turns and listening to others.
After breakfast the children will complete a literacy based activity before going out for playtime at 11:15am. Staff play games with the children and the skills needed for successful playtimes in mainstream school are developed.
After another session, which may be SEAL, anger management skills, a cross curricular topic, food technology or art, we have lunch in the school dining hall at 12:30pm. The children may have a hot meal or bring their own sandwiches and we all sit and eat together.
Every day after lunch we have a reading session during which the children listen to a story, read to an adult or read independently.
The final 15 minutes of the day is the children’s reward time. Throughout the rest of the day they reflect on their own behaviour and the choices they have made and this is tracked using a ‘smiley face’ chart. Their reward time activity is dependent on the number of smiley faces on their chart.
A final appraisal of the day is done and the children are given individual certificates to take home. Those who are in their mainstream school the following day will take a Connect Card which ensures that the tracking system for their behaviour continues and that links between settings are maintained.
Pupils are transported by our own minibus with our own drivers and our teaching assistants as support on the bus.