Our Ethos and Philosophy

We put the needs of our children and young people first. We are resolute in our commitment to ensuring their right to a quality education and to be treated with dignity and respect which we do with compassion, kindness and sincerity.
We are non-judgemental and celebrate diversity. We unreservedly accept all our children and young people as part of our culture and community
We promote that compassion, tolerance and positive intervention can effect change.
We believe in a strong and transparent partnership with parents, carers and families, including other professionals around each family.
Our empowering teaching approach puts our autistic students at the centre of all we do and always looks ambitiously towards next steps and preparation for meaningful adult living.
Our curriculum is broad, balanced and creative with enhanced access to the community with positive opportunities for sensory, physical, social communication and practical living skills. It is underpinned by established research and effective autism specific best practice.
Individual priorities for learning are identified from EHCPs and our holistic and thorough assessments, which consider individual interests, strengths and needs, including the views of the student and their family.
We intend that all our children and young people will be happy and safe. That they will be confident communicators and will learn independence skills and gain qualifications to be as autonomous and fulfilled as possible.
We are committed to Equal Opportunities and all that implies.

At Sybil Elgar School we know, value and support your child

We want your child to come to our school and find happiness and fulfilment, while achieving their full potential.

Here is what we aim to offer your child:

Specialised, high quality and well-resourced teaching and support
Professional, caring and dedicated staff with autism qualifications
Primary, secondary, sixth form and 19-22 education
Specialist classrooms and teaching areas
Secure, newly refurbished playgrounds with autism-friendly equipment
Secure indoor and outdoor sports facilities
On-site educational courses combined with community-based education
A wide range of exciting opportunities in art, dance and music
Continuing research into best practice in supporting autistic children and young adults
An international reputation for success in autism-specific education

At our school, we believe in equal opportunities and everyone here champions the rights of our children to access education and opportunity. We offer a vibrant and dynamic teaching environment. Sybil Elgar takes in children with a wide range of abilities and it is very important to us that every child looks forward to coming to school and enjoys their learning. We celebrate everyone’s achievements and share these celebrations with our families regularly.

Our school is a place where their wellbeing is of primary importance. We have extremely robust safeguarding procedures and practices in place to support this. We firmly believe it is the right of every child to be healthy, safe and happy, and to achieve and make a positive contribution.

Special areas of expertise

A caring, accepting environment

At Sybil Elgar we specialise in autism. Here your child will find an environment in which they can grow in confidence, learn and achieve.

We have an international reputation for providing care and education to autistic children and young people. We never stop looking for effective ways of helping our children. This means that Sybil Elgar School is a rewarding place to be for everyone involved.

An enriched curriculum for everyone

What makes Sybil Elgar special? We find ways to allow your child to learn, in whatever way they feel comfortable.

Everything we do is centered on your child. We make sure that our curriculum meets their specific needs and our multi-disciplinary team will closely support their learning in communication, social, behavioural, emotional, sensory, physical and self-help skills. At our school, your child will learn to develop a sense of self worth and self respect. We cater for a wide range of talents and abilities and are dedicated to helping every child along every step of the way.

Performing arts and independent life skills focus

In addition to our specially-adapted academic curriculum, your child will find new opportunities and passions throughout their time at school by learning to express themselves through music, dance and art.

We offer an extensive performing arts curriculum at our 16-22 provision to help our young people find fulfillment and achievement, from taking part in shared dance and music activities to performing in front of others.

Find out more about our academic and performing arts curriculum.

Vision, mission and values