James Brindley at Hospitals
Welcome
James Brindley Academy provide education for any children and young people from EYFS to Post-16 whilst they are receiving inpatient care. We are one of the largest hospital schools in the world and have a team of dedicated teaching staff who aim to minimise the impact of a stay in hospital on a child’s education.
We have staff based in a range of locations across Birmingham. We are based at Birmingham Children’s Hospital, and also have staff at University Hospitals Birmingham sites including Heartlands Hospital and Birmingham Queen Elizabeth Hospital.
We understand that this can be a worrying time for pupils and parents or carers, and recognise the importance of high quality education provision and the role it plays in trying to normalise a child’s life during their hospital stay.
Our staff are available to deliver lessons at the bedside for children who are inpatient for more than three school days, or five days for Post-16 pupils. We strive to work in partnership with the pupil’s home school to provide a personalised curriculum. We work collaboratively with a range of NHS professionals, including the Neurosurgery team and Learning Disability nursing team. We are able to assist multidisciplinary teams (MDTs) and home schools with EHCP reviews for pupils who are inpatients, especially where it is identified that change of educational placement may be required.
Key Staff to contact are:
Centre Leader and DSL: Janine Zablocki
SENCO: Sarah Reid
Transitions Coordinator: Naela Mushtaq
Centre Administrator: Heather Brookes
STP Sector Administrator: Anke Muenzenberg
Contact: hospitals@jamesbrindley.org.uk
Curriculum
Our aim is to complement the child’s home school curriculum whilst targeting identified gaps in their learning. As a hospital school, we work within a multidisciplinary team including NHS professionals, to ensure the best outcomes for pupils. We adapt our teaching and learning to take full account of individual educational, medical, social and emotional needs, supporting our pupils to overcome their personal challenges. We aim to build resilience and encourage perseverance by providing a safe environment where pupils feel safe and ready to learn.
The subjects offered to our young people within Hospitals are:
- English
- Maths
- Science
- Personal, Social, Health and Emotional (PSHE) Education
- THRIVE intervention
Staff are committed to prepare pupils to transition from hospital back into an educational setting.
For most pupils our curriculum will focus on key skills and knowledge from the National Curriculum which pupils would be focussing on in their home schools.
For longer term pupils we aim to liaise and work together with the child’s home school about the curriculum to be followed while the child is in hospital.
Wherever possible, our teaching staff will aim to focus on learning activities based upon the curriculum of the pupil’s own school and teaching will be personalised to the needs of the individual. This will be informed by curriculum information provided by the pupil’s home school, parents and child.
For pupils with more complex learning needs such as PMLD, or where their school curriculum is no longer appropriate, we will provide tutoring and learning activities that address the needs of the individual. This may involve a more therapeutic and/or sensory approach.
Support may be provided from our SENCO, for example, should an Educational Health and Care Plan (EHCP) be required.
For Post-16 pupils, we can provide support with A-Level study, liaison with colleges and universities, as well as providing careers advice. If pupils are well enough, wherever appropriate, we may facilitate examinations.