Aspin House - Further Education Unit is an important part of the post 16 education service provided by Hampshire Autistic Society. Aspin
House is a residential specialist college for young people aged 14-19
with high functioning autism or aspergers syndrome.
Purpose of Unit
Aspin House offers an environment that delivers a high level of individual tailored support in two distinct curricula programmes for students with high functioning autism or with aspergers syndrome. Students are funded either by the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) or by their local Children's Education Services department.
Located in a large house in a residential street in Southampton, the college is registered under Hope Lodge School and offers ten placements, eight of which are residential. The unit is managed by a team of skilled professionals. The unit manager, teacher, teaching assistants and education support workers all have special needs experience in the field of autism combined with relevant training in care practices or teacher/instructor qualifications.
Social
Inclusion
Aspin House is in a residential urban setting at the heart of the local community, near to the centre of Southampton. Importantly, this offers students the opportunity to be part of the local community, promoting active integration within the local community, offering the opportunity to develop skills in citizenship and promote new interests.
Inclusive Learning / Employment
Aspin House offers an educational setting which promotes and inspires learning through highly structured and consistent individual learning programmes. Students receive individual and group attention from staff skilled and experienced in providing small stepped, cumulative programmes of learning. Our curriculum has been specifically developed to ensure that education is delivered to the highest standards, to maximize individual potential and to provide individual student with strategies to successfully transition into adult life. Strong links have been forged with local sector colleges, work experience placements and training providers. Discrete adult support is offered to help develop self-help and independence skills, with the opportunity for students to gain qualifications to support future education and, where appropriate, employment.
Widening
Participation
Aspin House offers specialist teaching to young people who are at serious risk of either not progressing onto mainstream further education or failing within it. We facilitate the participation of non-traditional users of further education by:
Having a clear understanding of the needs, ambitions and aspirations of our students.
Creating an ambitious environment so that every student will be supported to participate in society through inclusive access to education that truly meets their needs.
Person Centered Planning underpins all aspects of teaching and learning, building on individual student's self-esteem, confidence and sense of self worth.
Aspin House offers an autism specific curriculum which takes into account the overall aims of 'Every Child Matters'. Organisation of the curriculum is split into two main areas, the ethos values and the learning skills.
Ethos Values
Learning Skills
Enjoy and achieve
Social interaction
Be emotionally literate
Review and evaluate
Be healthy
Self management
Be safe
Flexible thinking
Maximize independence
Communication
Be active members of
the community
Collaboration
The unit offers a 1-3 year flexible programme differentiated
to each student's needs. Students who take up placement
with the Society participate in a 2-3 month induction period
where staff have the opportunity to complete a baseline
assessment of their individual specific needs. Development
of appropriate behaviour, consideration, concern and respect
for others are very highly valued within Aspin House. Every
opportunity is taken to praise, reward and celebrate success
and achievement. The Society believes in the unique potential
of each individual student and has a determination to ensure
that every student can access the resources that will enable
their potential to be realised.
Visitors are welcome.
OfSTED
Annual Assessment
The document below conatains the main findings from the OfSTED Annual Assesment for Aspin House carried out in 2007.
To download this PDF document, right click the button below and select 'Save
Target As...'. You will need to have Adobe Reader software installed on your
computer to view this file. If you don't already have Adobe Acrobat Reader software,
you can download it for free by clicking the link below.
NATS kindly put on 'The Big Gig' concert for the Society and released a single "The
Best You Can Be" which can be purchased on iTunes with all the proceeds going to Aspin
House.