Get in Touch
- Academy Type: Medical Academy
- Principal & Main Contact: Lucy Stocker
- Senior Administrator: Emma Tennant
- Careers Leader: Jane Watson - jwatson@waveedu.org
- Designated Safeguarding Lead: Judy Richardson - jrichardson@waveedu.org
- Address: Treliske, Truro
- Phone: 01209 715079
- Email: CHES@waveedu.org
About
Our main aim is for children in the hospital to maintain an interest and enjoyment in learning as far as their medical circumstances permit to ensure continuity in education. We work with children, families, schools, local authorities and NHS team to support children and design a personalised teaching plan to meet their learning needs. We assess our pupil’s needs and develop a curriculum that supports these.
We strive to offer a sense of normality in the hospital school and whether at the bedside, in our schoolroom or online, pupils will be supported to access work from their home school, alongside taking part in our termly topics designed to stimulate learning and engagement of the wider curriculum.
If a pupil has a long or recurrent admission then we will liaise with staff at their home school and plan work around the topics that they are covering. For some pupils we will design a bespoke hospital school curriculum to meet their learning needs.
Generally, pupils on the children’s wards aged 5 to 16 who are recurrent or long stay will receive one lesson per day of up to an hour. This will vary based on a number of factors including, staffing, pupil age, length of stay and other appointments that must be fitted into the child’s day.
We take a multi-disciplinary approach and work closely with NHS teams to ensure that every child’s education is tailored to fit around their medical treatment.
Teaching and learning provides a continuity of education and allows pupils to make academic and personal progress through an individualised approach around their medical needs.
Reading: We continue to receive 120 books each half term from the wonderful Read for Good charity. Students are given books to read during their stay and teaching staff support them with reading. The storyteller from Read for Good runs reading sessions for all students
The Hospital Schoolroom staff teach a Topic for each term that students are encouraged to take part in. Below are examples of recent topics we have studied;
Termly Topics
Term 1: Winter cinquains and art (English)
Term 2: Rainforest and endangered species (Science/geography)
Term 3: Paul Klee – life and style of the artist. The Cat and the Bird painting interpretation (Art/English)
Music therapy: We liaise with the music therapy team and have referred 3 CLIC patients for music therapy so far this year.
Liaison
We have a daily meeting with the play team for the handover of children on the wards plus any current salient issues such as safeguarding concerns. We take part in a monthly psychosocial oncology MDT meeting also attended by the paediatric oncology clinical team, psychologists, play therapist and social worker. We have regular liaison with the physiotherapy team, eating disorder team, CLIC team, nurses and other medical professionals on a daily basis on the ward. We also have access to the weekly paediatric oncology MDT meeting.
Staff
Dee Fox
Teacher
Dee started her teaching career in Thailand, teaching English and Linguistics at a university in Bangkok. She then returned to the UK to train as a KS 1/KS 2 teacher. Dee has worked across all age ranges and particularly enjoyed the posts of year 1 and year 3 class teacher at Trevithick School and St Mary’s. Dee also worked at Truro College teaching Foundation Studies including art and life skills to students with additional learning and support needs.
Dee has worked for CHES for several years and is passionate about keeping children and young people in touch with their education whilst in hospital, whilst making their time in hospital as stress free as possible. She particularly enjoys providing creative and mindful activities for children on the wards and in the schoolroom.
Dee also volunteers at a community garden project and at Little Harbour, where she provides support for siblings. She enjoys gig rowing, tennis, Pilates and exploring the world.
Fiona Fletcher
Teacher
Fiona studied Biological Sciences at Exeter University followed by a PGCE in Secondary Science at Kings College. She has enjoyed teaching across all age ranges and roles have included Head of the Science department at Lyndhurst Middle School and Year 6 Class teacher and KS2 SENCO at Wadebridge Primary School.
Fiona discovered the Hospital School when her children were admitted to RCHT and made it her aim to work there. She is passionate about providing some normality and access to education for all young people and trying to support them and their families with fun, engaging activities to support their curriculum as appropriate. She has enjoyed visiting other hospital school settings to explore their provision and gain new ideas.
Fiona lives on the Lizard peninsula with her family, she loves reading, eating, exploring the coastline with her dogs and boating. She has recently taken up gig rowing and volunteers to support the children's rowing club.
Julia Baxter
Teacher
Julie trained to be a teacher at Leeds University and graduated in 1992. Her first teaching post was at a primary school in Falmouth where she taught across all the primary age ranges. She taught for 15 years in the Early Years Foundation Stage and developed a keen interest in teaching children to read and write. Julie has been teaching at CHES Academy for 8 years now as an English teacher, particularly focusing on developing Literacy skills. She has recently started working at the Hospital Schoolroom and likes to teach therapeutic subjects such as Art and Cooking.
Outside of work Julie enjoys living in Cornwall near to the sea. She loves to explore the coast with her family and dog. Julie enjoys many sports including swimming and running.
Judy Richardson
Pastoral Lead
Judy originally trained and worked as a Medical Laboratory Scientific Officer in Pathology and then moved on to work in the pharmaceutical industry supporting medical professionals to set up asthma clinics. Judy was then a full time mum bringing up her three children. Judy has worked in education for the past 10 years and has worked in both primary and secondary education. She has a keen interest in supporting families and understanding their needs. Judy has extensive experience in working with other agencies to ensure families and young people can access the services they need. Judy is a Thrive practitioner, this ethos and training is at the heart of her working practice. She has a keen interest in supporting young people to become more emotionally resilient. When Judy is not at work she loves spending time with her family. She is a keen kayaker, coast walker and runner. She is very proud that she has completed 2 marathons. Judy also loves cookery, crafts of all sorts and reading.
