Prospect Centre
Centre Lead: Miss Claire Ritchie
Claire is a first-rate, motivated individual who seeks excellence, placing her learner’s interests and progression at the forefront of her work. Claire has worked at Mount Tamar school for thirteen years in which she has developed her knowledge of Autism, behaviour management and classroom management.
The Centre
Prospect is situated in the residential location of North Prospect, Plymouth. Within walking distance to Mount Tamar Schools main site, Central Park and Ham Woods, our centre has off road parking for secure transport pick up and drop offs and an enclosed play area for our learners. The centre offers a quieter environment away from the main site for those lesrners who may become more anxious when in a busy centre and or have autism.
Prospect Ethos
We offer a rich and stimulating curriculum, which is individually tailored reflecting good practice in an environment that supports young people’s learning. Prospect offers a range of sensory and therapeutic interventions and vocational opportunities to enrich our young people’s aspirations.Prospect has developed a holistic approach working in partnership with professionals, parents and families to meet the needs of our young people.
We believe it is important for our learners to achieve their full potential and importance is placed upon achievement at all levels. Learners achievement is celebrated and positive rewards are used to promote and encourage good behaviour and learning. There is a caring yet purposeful atmosphere within Prospect and there is a balance of focus between welfare and achievement for all.
Our values strongly underpin our vision, as they hold our centres name ‘PROSPECT’ at the very core of the school; they ensure our learners are always central to every decision we make and everything that we do:
P Positivity
- For every student, every member of staff to approach everyday with positivity and passion for learning.
- Believing each individual with autism has the opportunity to make a positive difference in this world.
R Resilience
- Recognising opportunities to build on key skills such as resilience, confidence,compassion, empathy, patience, and problem solving through regular experiences such as Forest School
- Promoting tolerance and acceptance within relationships and friendships
O Opportunity
- Providing innovative experiences that allow our young people to meet their full potential
- Facilitating opportunities for all to make positive choices both academically and for life
S Support
- To work closely with our students to ensure all outcomes are in line with their aspirations for the future, whilst supporting their transitions into adulthood.
- Differentiated support that eases learning in our classrooms
P Promoting
- Being a positive and empowering centre that encourages and celebrates success in all individuals and respectfully promotes autism in the wider community.
- To be a ‘centre of excellence’ where knowledge and learning is promoted throughout our Aspire centres for learning and sharing knowledge, ultimately improving the lives of those with autism
E Empowering
- Provide a secure environment where our learners can empower one another, providing a unique by helping one another through times of difficulty
- Empowering each other to celebrate their differences and diagnosis
C Collaborative
- Demonstrating collaborative relationships between parents and teachers to enhance the academic success of all our young people
- Maintaining collaborative relationships with professionals to ensure that staff are well informed on Autism.
T Tutelage
- Providing guardianship in creating respectful, honest students with strong British values, to enable them to become respectable adults and good citizens.
- Supporting Mount Tamar’s School diploma, to aid parents, carers and guardians to understand our approaches and strategies.
The main area has larges windows with views onto our outdoor space. The areas are divided into separate teaching areas, such as Social Skills, Science and Technology, all supporting our TEACCH approach to learning. To the left of the centre there is a large open planned teaching tutor space that leads into our calm room, which provides a safe space for our young people.
The centre then leads onto our centre library, providing an area for learners to indulge in reading for fun or recreational activities during well earned breaks. This area leads onto two separate rooms used for personal learning and our staff room.
The ground floor has access to a kitchen which provides an area with a feeling of support and collaboration, this area enables Prospect to provide an area to develop our learners independence. In this we are able to provide school breakfast and lunches, where all students are encouraged to eat together along with all staff and continue with the development of positive social interactions
On this floor the centre has two additional classrooms for one to one work. Both areas are blessed with natural light and the same amenities provided in our mainsite classrooms. Learning here is both personal and individualised to ensure that the centre is able to support our young people in reaching their academic goals.
Externally, our gardens are surrounded by solid
wooden fence that provide a secure and private area for our young people to enjoy their much earned breaks. A mixture of flaura surrounds the grounds, providing a calm and exciting outdoor space. The outdoor areas are also westerly facing, with a secure gate leading onto our off road parking area, for transport to conduct their pickups and dropoffs. The external areas, such as the off road parking and front of the building have an added gate and CCTV for extra security.
