Our Residential Facility (Kiplings)

Horton Lodge’s Residential provision is called Kiplings due to our proximity to Lake Rudyard. Kiplings is inspected annually by OFSTED, and has been rated Outstanding in 2023. Click the link for our most recent report Horton Lodge Residential OFSTED Report – 2023

Kiplings is designed and managed to provide a homely environment for our children and young people. The skills that children learn during the day are applied and practiced throughout the evening in Kiplings to provide a continuous programme of learning.

Purpose of Residential Provision

1. Developing self-help/independent living skills
2. Developing friendship opportunities (limited outside of school) in a safe environment
3. Developing ability to mix with peers with similar social difficulties in order to develop social skills and learn appropriate behaviours
4. Opportunities for different activities
5. Opportunity to facilitate within child self-regulation of behaviours
6. Opportunities for students to develop their own personalities build confidence, self esteem and make choices that are limited within a home environment.  Promotion of the “students voice”
7. Opportunity to access holistic 24 hour curriculum
8. Kiplings can accommodate children and young people on a Res1 or Res2 placement. Children on a Res1 placement will stay for a club activity and for tea. Children on a Res2 placement will stay for the whole evening and sleep overnight. All placements have to be approved by the school panel and they take into account individual needs and circumstances. Placements tend to be for 1 or 2 nights per week for a 6 month period. At the end of the 6 months, placements are reviewed as per our Residential Admissions (2022 – 2023)

Every child will have a transition programme into Kiplings to identify individual needs, ensuring the success of the placement.
During their stay in Kiplings the children and young people are encouraged to be as independent as possible, following the principles of Conductive Education. All children are actively involved in all areas of Kiplings and their own development. The children and young people also have opportunities for social links through clubs and visits.
We have a wide range of clubs within Kiplings, which help the children to have a broad and balanced education. Some of these include: Drama club, Cookery club, Swimming club, Dance club, Gardening club, Music club and Gym club. Clubs change on consultation with the children.
Our priority is to safeguard children and promote a safe and secure environment for children and young people to thrive in. Lucy Bloor is the Designated Safeguarding Lead and the Safeguarding Policy, Residential Statement of Purpose and Complaints Procedure are all available from the School Office.

In Kiplings we have independent visitors. Our independent visitors are available to talk to the children about any concerns they may have, alongside school staff, such as the Residential Support Worker and Head of Care. The visitor also acts as a ‘watching brief’ and looks at the Kiplings provision from the child’s point of view and feeds back to us about anything that they feel is going well or needs improving. This along with other details about the provision are available in the Residential Statement of Purpose – September 2022, and the All About Kiplings – Childrens Statement of Purpose – September 22

To view the National Minimum Standards for residential special schools Click Here.

Kiplings Routine

We meet when school finishes at 3.30pm from school to complete the register and discuss the evening’s activities.

Activity time or club time varies each evening. Some children will choose to join the club and others will play their own games in the play room or bedroom. Children are always given a choice of what they would like to do.  The evening clubs change each term after consultation with the children.

Then it’s time for tea! This is when the children practice self help skills whilst eating and drinking, and it’s a social time as we all sit down together to discuss our day.

After tea it is free play and the children then either choose to have a bath or shower before bed.  This is also an opportunity for children to continue to practice skills learnt in school and develop their independence.

At the end of the evening, it is supper time and a variety of hot/cold drinks are available.  We also celebrate our achievements and discuss what we have enjoyed about the evening.
The evening concludes with story time and then bed!