Children of statutory school age who are attending hospital ,or are too ill to attend school , are taught at two hospital sites;
Alice Ward at The Robert Jones and Agnes Hunt Orthopaedic Hospital NHS Trust, Gobowen (RJAH) and on Wards 19 and 20 at The Princess Royal Hospital, Telford (PRH).
Teaching is carried out at a variety of locations including at the bedside and in the main schoolroom areas. Hospital teaching serves as both a therapeutic and academic function where we aspire to motivate and engage children in their learning.
Robert Jones and Agnes Hunt Orthopaedic Hospital
At RJAH, Alice Ward has 16 beds and admits children and young people between the ages of 0-17 yrs for planned orthopaedic surgery and / or rehabilitation. Children may be admitted as a day case or for longer periods of physiotherapy and hydrotherapy sessions.
During term-time , the teacher on Alice Ward works closely with the physiotherapy team to ensure that a child’s education may continue alongside their individualised physiotherapy programme.
Princess Royal Hospital
At PRH ,Ward 19 has 36 beds and is a general paediatric ward where children are admitted with a variety of medical conditions. Patients can be short stay, long stay or recurrent with a few being planned admissions. Ward 20 is the paediatric oncology and haematology ward and has 5 beds. Patients here are recurrent ,tend to have longer stays and are often planned admissions. At PRH there is a teacher available for the equivalent of three and a half days a week with priority given to long stay and recurrent patients.
Aims:
In addition to the aims and ethos of TMBSS, medical provision work to achieve the following:
- To provide an enjoyable, enriching learning experience for all children within the National Curriculum and develop creative, personalised learning programmes appropriate to each child’s needs and abilities.
- To support a compassionate approach where children feel safe and welcome within the hospital environment and recognise the child and family as unique, with individual needs and circumstances, reassessing pupil’s needs in the light of changed circumstances.
- To maintain effective liaison with a child’s school and other professionals involved in their care to ensure continuity and progression across the curriculum , reducing levels of anxiety for children and their families about schoolwork.
- To motivate and engage children in their learning where school becomes an integral part of their rehabilitation.
- To nurture self-esteem and confidence and maintain a sense of normality during a child’s stay in hospital.
E-Safety
Whilst working at either hospital site, staff and pupils follow the e-safety and Wi-fi policies of those institutions.
Medical Home Tuition:
Consultants can make referrals to TMBSS for pupils to receive a period of medical home tuition. This provision is for those who are medically unfit to attend school but have been discharged from hospital.
In consultation with the home school, TMBSS can provide and appropriate home tutor who will liaise closely with the pupil’s home school and hospital teacher. A reintegration to school or integration into alternative provision can be set up.
Medical Service Staff
Specialist Teacher (Robert Jones & Agnes Hunt Hospital) – Mrs Portman
Specialist Teacher (Princess Royal Hospital) – Mrs Caldicott
