The Cullum Centre
The Cullum Centre
The Cullum Centre is Hove Park School’s onsite resourced provision; designed to help students on the autism spectrum get the support they need to thrive in a mainstream school setting. The Centres’ role is to give each student specialist and individual support to help them become a full member of their school community – learning, socialising and taking responsibility alongside all the other students. The centre is embedded in the mainstream school and therefore dedicated to fully including autistic students in every aspect of the school’s life. The centre provides specialist support from National Autistic Society (NAS) trained staff, such as learning in small groups, social skills interventions, therapy sessions and bespoke learning programmes. The centre also offers students a calm setting to which they can retreat to if they need a quiet, safe space. Cullum students will be able to integrate into the mainstream school and have the potential to access a broad and balanced curriculum.
Brighton and Hove LA have commissioned 20 placements at the Cullum Centre in Y7-Y11. Places are offered to students who have an Education Health and Care Plan (EHCP) with a primary diagnosis of autism and are allocated by Brighton and Hove LA after consideration by a multi-professional team.
Teaching approaches
In the classroom, teachers at Hove Park receive up-to-date training and have a good understanding of how to meet the needs of students with a variety of special educational needs. Teachers are also provided with specific specialist training when necessary, to ensure they are able to support students with more complex needs.
Within the Cullum Centre a range of approaches are used for withdrawal sessions. At Key Stage 3 interventions are tailored to the students’ individual needs. We offer a range of Speech and Language groups which focus on all aspects of communication, e.g. Vocabulary Groups, Active Listening and Memory Magic. We also offer a range of social skills groups including Circle of Friends and Lego Therapy.
At Key Stage 4 provision is tailored specifically for students in Y9 (the bridging year to KS4), Y10 and Y11 to help support them in preparing for their GCSEs. Study Support sessions focus on ensuring students are up-to-date with their independent studies and homework whilst also providing an opportunity to receive extra support for English and Mathematics. Students can also use this time to revise in the lead up to the exams and improve exam technique. In Y11 students are given additional support in making important post-16 choices, attending college open days and in completing their application forms. In addition to this, students are also supported with their social and emotional wellbeing and in becoming more independent young people.
Support from external specialists
Cullum Centre students are supported by a range of external professionals. The Centre has a specific allocation of Educational Psychologist time and access to support from a Speech and Language Therapist. We receive advice from specialist staff from the Local Authority’s Integrated Support Service, Brighton and Hove Inclusion Support Service (BHISS), which includes educational psychologists, primary mental health workers, specialist teachers and practitioners in learning and communication and social, emotional and mental health
Provision - The Cullum Centre classroom
Provision for students is assessed on an individual basis. The Centre has its own teaching room, therapy room and life skills kitchen. Some students may require a large proportion of their time to be spent in the Centre's own teaching room; most will spend the majority of their time in mainstream lessons and will just come to the Centre’s teaching room for specific interventions.
When in the Centre’s teaching room, students spend their time working either 1:1 or within a small group (approximately 4-6 students). Sessions are either delivered by a TA (Teaching Assistant), one of the visiting external specialists or a SEND Specialist Teacher.
The Cullum Centre classroom remains a quiet and calm space at all times as we are aware that many of our students are sensitive to noise and crowds. The Cullum Centre as a whole is open at break and lunchtimes to ensure that such students have a calm place to spend unstructured time, away from the main thrust of the school.
Provision - In-class
Cullum Centre students are supported by a Teaching Assistant in a high ratio of lessons. We try to ensure all core subject lessons (English, Mathematics and Science) are supported as an absolute minimum; but this is adjusted according to individual need. As a high proportion of lessons are supported, should a lesson become too stressful for a Cullum Centre student, where possible the TA will ensure that the student is withdrawn to the Centre classroom or other quiet place to work if this is needed.
Provision - Alternative
For some students, a more tailored curriculum is required; for example, opportunities to develop more functional-based skills which relate to the outside world, such as learning to catch the bus, relating to staff in shops, using a bank account, reading train time tables and work experience (in Key Stage 4 only). This kind of provision is considered on an individual basis and is planned in collaboration with parents, outside specialists and the Head of Centre.
Monitoring of provision and progress
The quality of teaching and learning in the Centre classroom and the progress of the students allocated to the Centre is closely monitored by the Head of Centre. The Head of Centre also liaises with curriculum subject teachers, Year Heads and other relevant staff to ensure that all students within the Centre have access to an enjoyable, challenging but accessible curriculum which is tailored to their needs. A key aim is that all students will leave school with a good set of GCSEs, appropriate to their ability, which will enable them to enter further educational study and support them later in life with their career choices. Just as important, is that Cullum Centre students enjoy coming to school as a result of the high levels of academic and pastoral support they receive and that they also enjoy being part of the wider, mainstream school community.
Nevill Campus
Nevill Road, Hove,
East Sussex, BN3 7BN
Nevill Office: 01273 082817
Valley Campus
Hangleton Way, Hove,
East Sussex, BN3 8AA
Valley Office: 01273 082857
Sixth Form Office: 01273 082870
