Pastoral care at Pontville involves the school day, residential provision and home support.

During the school day pastoral support is available through the learning support staff and Pastoral Care Manager, supplying 1:1 support and guidance to day and residential pupils whilst in the school setting.

Home support is offered through home visits by the Pastoral Care Manager and through events at school.

Residential provision exists on site and 52 week packages are available through our sister organisation Witherslack Care. 
 

"The residential areas are homely and well furnished and equipped. They provide a relaxing and secure environment in which pupils can live safely and which enhances their self-esteem. The whole school environment is secure, well situated and well maintained." Ofsted

Accomodation

Young people have access to three residential units. The smallest unit is for primary pupils and contains three individual bedrooms with staffing appropriate to need. The remaining two residential units are for young people aged 11-19. They are organised in relation to the level of need presented by the individual.
Elmwood Unit caters for those young people who have more intensive care needs for which they require support and independence training.
Oakwood caters for those young people who have a skill level allowing them to have a degree of independent living.  Attached to this house is an annexe used for semi-independent living whereby those young people soon to be moving on from Pontville and into their own accommodation, or further education college residence, are given a programme involving planning and budgeting to live as independently as possible

Individual Support

All young people at the school have a keyworker. This is a personally identified member of staff who works with the young person on individual targets and programmes. Our care staff are committed and motivated to ensuring high quality provision.  In recognition of this, we have been awarded 'Outstanding in All Areas' in our 2009 Ofsted inspection.

"The school "is particularly successful in improving pupils’ communication skills, increasing their self-esteem and confidence and preparing them for adult life." Ofsted

Activities

For young people with Social Communication Difficulties it is essential they have access to many and varied activities in which they can practice the skills acquired across the school day and learn to transfer them into their everyday life. This involves access to sporting and cultural activities on site and in the local community.
The young people at Pontville have excellent access to a variety of stimulating, interesting and challenging activities including: swimming, climbing, ice skating, cinema trips, local youth clubs, restaurants and many more. The list continues to grow as young people join us and bring with them interests and ideas that help broaden the experiences of everyone and make a positive contribution to the work we do.
  

Community

Pontville is fortunate to be on the edge of the small and friendly market town of Ormskirk. This gives the school excellent links for activities during the day and the evening, enabling us to integrate and include our young people into the wider community. We have undertaken a number of fund raising and information awareness events, which have been well supported by the local population and helped consolidate the role of the school within our local environment.

This has also taken on an international flavour with the school supporting fellow students in Cambodia through fund raising and developmental projects.