Tudor Grange Academy Treetops is a bespoke specialist provision for children with an EHCP stating a primary need of complex social communication and interaction difficulties including autism. It is a provision for those who have struggled to access a mainstream education but have the ability to do so. Treetops provides a smaller, personalised environment allowing for students to be successful. There will be opportunities for students to integrate with mainstream teaching and learning however, there is no expectation that they will.
CLICK: TG Treetops Uniform
DOWNLOAD: Treetops Brochure
Principal Introduction
A very warm welcome to Tudor Grange Academy Treetops. Our vision is to provide an outstanding specialist provision that caters for children with complex social communication and interaction difficulties including autism. We want our provision to become a place where students and parents work together with the school to ensure the very best experiences for all.
As a Trust, we pride ourselves on our community and we are very much looking forward to creating a community spirit within Treetops. We want to create an environment where parents will feel supported and will feel just as much part of the school as the children. We aim to instil, in every student, the skills, aptitude and ability to transition successfully to post 16 education.
We are very excited about our new base and hope that parents, pupils and the local community will join us in working collaboratively to ensure that Treetops becomes a beacon of excellence.
We look forward to welcoming you and having the opportunity to show you our vision and plans for our exciting brand new specialist base.
Jodie Bolter, Principal
Treetops Testimonials
After so many years trying to get my daughter an education that all children are entitled to, two failed placements at a special school and autism unit, over time almost two and a half years out of full time education, I am so delighted and thankful that My daughter was given a place at Treetops.
Getting my daughter to school was a battle due to her autism, sensory needs and severe anxiety, she was never going to cope in a unit in a high school. Treetops has helped her enormously.
The teachers and support staff are fantastic due to their specialised knowledge of autism and other needs relating to this large subject, the unit is a small setting and is perfect for those children who can’t cope with noise and too many people. Since my daughter has attended Treetops the change in her is amazing whereas it took two to three members of staff to get her into school she now goes freely and her anxiety around school has almost vanished which proves how the setting is so important. She feels safe.
I cannot thank Treetops staff enough for the support and help they have given my daughter, as although the unit is fantastic we all know it is down to the caring committed and knowledgeable staff who make the placement a success.
The change in my daughter is huge and as a family we cannot thank them enough
George started his transition to Tree Tops September 2020 and so far is settling in really well.
Prior to this George attended a different mainstream base where he was expected to attend mainstream lessons… He simply wasn’t able to cope. They were not able to engage him, at all for two years and it wasn’t unusual that I would have to pick him up.
The environment at Tree Tops is very supportive with open communication. Staff are skilled and understand the sensory needs of a person with autism. As a result, George is now benefiting from an education that he feels able to engage in.
This has had a positive effect on his home life. He is less agitated and more willing to join in with family time. He is also keen to work on his independence skills and generally just seems happy.
My son started Treetops around the time of its opening in January 2020. He was at a MAB in a middle school prior to Treetops, however he was struggling to adapt to this new learning environment. Attending mainstream lessons, navigating busy corridors to get to different rooms, large numbers of students and different teachers for every lesson caused him high levels of anxiety and in turn impacted on his attendance and his mental wellbeing. Since arriving at Treetops and experiencing a very slow, detailed and personal transition, he has thrived. The staff are patient, knowledgeable and they pay particular attention to the needs of the children in their care. Samuel loves going to school, has friends and is starting to make progress. The building is clean, bright and has lots of areas that the children can use if their learning environment becomes too overwhelming. Lessons are taught within the base by trained staff or subject specialists in small class sizes which is perfect for my son. He has been at Treetops for just over one year, and his mental wellbeing has significantly improved, meltdowns have decreased and he so much happier at home and at school. Treetops and the amazing members of staff have taken the weight of the world off his shoulders and for that we will be eternally grateful.
There has been a sharp rise nationally in the number of children attending school outside their local area due to a lack of suitable provision. Tudor Grange Academies Trust is committed to being part of the solution to this problem. Building on the success of the existing Mainstream Autism Base at Redditch, we have developed our fantastic new enhanced specialist provision for children with more complex social communication and interaction needs. Not only will our focus be on supporting all aspects of our students’ development (educational, communicational, social and emotional) to help them reach their full potential and be successful in their adult life, but we will also work collaboratively with students’ families and with other local providers to ensure the best possible outcomes for children in our community. We look forward to welcoming you to Treetops.
Clare Waterhouse, Executive Trust Lead SENCo and Safeguarding
Careers Education
Careers Education plays a key role in the life of students at Treetops. Whilst they follow the same opportunities as students in mainstream, the pathway is highly specialised for each student taking into consideration their individual needs. They have various opportunities to access careers advice both individually and within the curriculum focus days offered to all students.
Students are fully supported through discussion groups, small group work, personal statement completion, application form writing and visits to colleges and universities which are a regular highlight for all students.
Work experience can be arranged for any student in Treetops in Y10. This opportunity will be carefully crafted to ensure it is a highly successful experience for the student.
Curriculum
Our curriculum is strong and imaginatively taught taking into account a personalised approach which considers each individual’s interests and strengths. Each student’s curriculum will consist of educational and therapeutic work including visits from our therapy dog, Willow.
A high priority is placed on teaching the traditional core elements of the curriculum, English, Mathematics and Science. Approaches to learning are flexible which enables all pupils to grow in confidence, to be able to take risks, and support problem solving. Our curriculum will inspire and encourage learning through rich experiences both in and outside the classroom.
A flexible approach…….
We understand that our students will have varying needs and an individual’s needs may change within the course of a term or a week or a year. Treetops offers a flexible provision that enables pupils to progress and flourish.
A nurturing environment…….
At Treetops we have a variety of spaces specially designed to meet a range of learning, social and emotional needs. The Treetops building is a self-contained base set apart from the main school. The common room is a large area with comfortable seating, a kitchenette and tables and chairs. Students can use this room to prepare themselves for learning, to relax or mix with others at social times, to prepare food and drinks and to eat their lunch. The learning spaces include a number of different areas where students can undertake practical subjects, use workstations with computers, work independently or in groups or use a laptop or iPad to complete activities. Additionally, students can access the chill out room, a low-sensory environment where they can spend time desensitising in the sensory den, on the beanbags or in the rocking chair. Treetops also includes a meeting room where professionals and families can come together to discuss matters pertaining to the development, progress and wellbeing of the students.
Caring staff……..
Treetops is run on a day-to-day basis by our Lead Autism Teacher and Specialist Autism Teaching Assistants. Subject specialists from the mainstream school provide additional expertise. All staff have a minimum of the Autism Education Trust’s Level 2 training.
Specialist teachers from the Complex Communication Needs Team support students’ transition to Treetops and a Speech and Language Therapist and an Occupational Therapist visit Treetops regularly to provide ongoing support, in line with provision outlined in the EHCP documents.
Places at Treetops……..
Places at Treetops are offered following a consultation with the Local Authority, where the school will decide whether a child’s needs can be met at Treetops, based on the provision detailed in the child’s EHCP. The school is not able to offer places directly.