Southampton Hospital School’s outreach provision is a contracted service to Southampton City Council for all Southampton resident pupils who cannot attend school due to medical needs.
Outreach schooling is crucial in ensuring children can continue their education despite various challenges. By providing flexible and tailored educational programs, outreach schooling ensures every child can learn and thrive, regardless of their situation.
Entry to the outreach provision is managed by the LA medical needs panel, led by the LA inclusion team. The panel meets every 2 weeks to review referrals received and all current pupils.
From September 2024, Working Together to Improve School Attendance guidance (DfE, 2024) requires schools to inform the appropriate LA when a child has or is at risk of missing 15 days or more due to a medical need. In Southampton, this is through a referral to the medical needs panel, via the LA’s intranet. Schools can access this here
The medical needs panel will determine which pupils to refer to SHS, and the LA will inform schools of their decision and the outcome of the panel meeting within 48hrs. Pupils referred to SHS for outreach provision will be contacted directly by SHS to arrange an initial introductory meeting with the pupil, parents and child’s school.
This reintegration service will work with you, your child and your child’s school to develop and implement a bespoke package to support your child’s transition back to school.
Our outreach tutors are qualified teachers with many years of teaching experience, and they are adept at building positive relationships with their pupils. Our team will work with your child’s school to identify and prioritise the appropriate school work whilst ensuring the tuition progresses at the right pace for your child.
Outreach tuition is always aimed at supporting children to get back into their usual school and is not a long-term substitute for attending school.
Our team will be in constant contact with your child’s school, including through sending weekly reports on attendance and progress towards reintegration. We will also hold regular review meetings with yourself and your child’s school, to discuss the progress made and to identify any remaining barriers to attendance.
The pupil’s continued engagement with learning and attendance of sessions is necessary for the outreach provision offer to remain open.
Our outreach provision will ensure your child’s medical needs are understood and information is shared amongst the relevant professionals. We will support your child to develop and implement strategies to overcome the barriers caused by their medical needs and will support your child’s school to adapt these strategies to suit their setting. Our outreach teachers develop robust reintegration plans using a graduated approach that is informed by your child’s medical needs, to ensure your child has the best opportunity to access education at their own school.
