FAQ
What kinds of services do we provide?
What kinds of learners come to WESC?
What is the reputation of the WESC School?
What skills and experience do the staff have?
What other services do we provide?
What is the difference between the College and the School?
How do you care for young people who are away from home?
How do we involve parents and partners?
Who are we?
Although we’re called the West of England School and College for young people with little or no sight, we often go by the shorter and friendlier title of: WESC.
What’s our history ?
We’ve been providing education and care for young people with visual impairment since 1838. Only just recently we’ve been designated a High Performing School by the Department for Children, Schools and Families and Ofsted inspectors are equally impressed with what we provide.
But don’t just take our word for it. The most important people to tell you what they think are the learners.
Where are we?
The school and college are situated on a large site on the edge of Exeter and offer a safe and pleasant learning environment as well as access to all the facilities and amenities of a large city.
What do we do?
WESC is the leading regional centre for young people with little or no sight.
We pride ourselves on our specialist provision delivered by experienced professionals who work collaboratively to provide education, health, care, therapy and mobility training to ensure that our learners receive the highest quality services and provision.
What kinds of services do we provide?
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The school for children from 5-16 years of age
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The college for learners from 16-24
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Outreach and advisory services for visual impairment
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Training in Visual Impairment and Special Needs
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Training for learning disabilities and sensory impairment
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Workforce development and research
What kinds of learners come to WESC?
Many young people attending the West of England School and College have severe and complex needs as well as visual impairment. Our aim is to develop their independence so that they can develop academically and socially whatever their ability.
We provide a personalised curriculum for each learner which is designed to meet their individual learning and care needs and to encourage them to thrive and achieve in a supportive environment.
What is the reputation of the WESC School?
The West of England School and College School has an outstanding reputation for meeting the needs of young people with sight loss and additional complex needs and was awarded High Performing School Status by the Department of Children, Schools and Families in November 2008.
This was in recognition of the highly specialised and personalised learning we provide linked to opportunities for wider and challenging experiences which develop life skills for independence. We work in partnership with local mainstream and other special schools to ensure varied learning experiences and to share best practice with other professionals.
Teaching, care, mobility, therapy and nursing staff work collaboratively to provide a holistic and extended curriculum to meet the needs of each and every young person.
What skills and experience do the staff have?
All of our staff are dedicated professions with specialist skills in teaching, care, therapy and nursing. Staff work collaboratively to provide a holistic and extended curriculum to meet the needs of each and every young person in our care.
What other services do we provide?
Among other things we provide:
- A family support group
- A primary department
- A secondary department
- A wide range of nationally accredited qualifications from GCSE, ‘A’ Level to Unit Awards
- A high staff:pupil ratio
- Qualified teachers of the visually and multi-sensory impaired
- Specialist professionals in speech and language therapy, physiotherapy, occupational therapy, music therapy, mobility, qualified nurses and care staff.
- Access technology including the latest aids for learning for both print and Braille users
- Specialist sensory environments
- Swimming and hydropool
- Outdoor education
- Community involvement
- Day and residential placements in an excellent recreational setting.
What is the difference between the college and the school?
The WESC College provides post-16 education and training by working in partnership with local further education colleges throughout Devon to provide a range of academic and vocational courses both on and off-site.
We are in the forefront of providing specialist training for transition into adult life, including vocational education and training, pre-employment skills and work experience opportunities to develop progression routes into sustainable careers and employment.
Among other things we provide:
- A challenging curriculum with individual learning plans
- Specialist support for each and every learner
- Access to mainstream colleges
- A wide range of nationally accredited qualifications
- Work placements with local employers
- Purpose-built accommodation to support transition from fully supervised accommodation
- Varied leisure programmes
- High staff:student ratios
- Qualified teachers of the visually and multi-sensory impaired
- Specialist professionals in speech and language therapy, physiotherapy, occupational therapy, music therapy, mobility, qualified nurses and care staff.
- Access technology including the latest aids for learning for both print and Braille users
- Specialist sensory environments
- Swimming and hydropool
- Outdoor education
- Community involvement
- Day and residential placements in an excellent recreational setting
How do you care for young people who are away from home?
Young people who live away from home need a challenging and supportive learning environment which also encourages them to reach their full potential by becoming socially and educationally independent.
The Learner Services team are highly experienced professionals all of whom see their role as assisting young people to develop into mature individuals who are able to make responsible personal choices and who value themselves and others.
An organised and varied external curriculum is provided to enhance learning. This includes simple, everyday activities such as supermarket visits: trips to the beach or park: leisure activities such as ten-pin bowling: skiing or residential holidays to Colorado and the Calvert Trust.
The activities organised by Learner Services prepare learners for the transition from one stage in life to the next. All activities are designed to provide great fun and memorable, life-enhancing experiences such as making new friends: learning about others: building self-confidence and self-esteem.
We offer:
- Experienced and qualified staff
- Individual care plans
- Named key workers
- Weekly and termly boarding for post-16
- Trips and activities ranging from the routine to the adventurous
- Planned programmes to develop social and life skills.
How do we involve parents and partners?
The full involvement of parents with their children’s learning, care and progress is highly valued and taken very seriously by all staff at the West of England School and College as are the views of all key stakeholders. These twice-termly forums allow parents and partners to:
- Be fully involved in the key developments taking place within the West of England School and College
- Be full participants in the expression of opinions which contribute to these developments
- Provide a network by which parents, partners and staff can work collaboratively on projects which can improve and develop provision at the school and college.
VI Radio
Broadcasting three times a day from a purpose built studio, the station can be picked up from anywhere on the campus. Shows go out at breakfast, lunch and evening times and are produced and presented by learners who play a mixture of live and recorded material.
VI Radio reporters are always on hand to cover on and off campus events with regular interviews with visitors and guests to the School and College.
VI Radio provides a range of learning opportunities so that young people produce and present their own shows using a state-of-the-art editing suite and to develop their communication and broadcasting skills. The musical choices which are skilfully produced also contribute to VI Radio’s lively output.