About
us
The Jigsaw Trust is a registered Charity set up in
1999 by a group of local parents with autistic children.
Its aim is to establish a specialist resource for children
suffering with this perplexing lifelong disorder.
The Trust opened The Jigsaw School in September 1999
and is the main funding vehicle for the school. The
Trust works in consultation with an advisory group,
including Surrey Local Education Authority, The National
Autistic Society (NAS), CABAS®,
the registered charity PEACH, Honormead Group of Special
Schools, Parents Autism Campaign for Education (PACE)
and other leading professionals. The school uses established
methods of early and intensive behaviour intervention,
and is the only one of it's kind in Surrey.
In Surrey alone, the Local Education Authority estimates
that some 670 children have autistic spectrum disorders.
Resources are pressurised and current provision cannot
meet the needs of all of these children. The Jigsaw
School will add to the provision available and also
broaden the scope of provision in the area. In short
Jigsaw will make a difference.
"Although direct provision for children with autism
is increasing slowly, the demand still far outweighs
the actual places available" Paul Cann. Ex-Chief
Executive of the National Autistic Society
The School - Back to top
The Jigsaw School is an independent day school registered
with the DfES to provide for children aged 4-14 years.
It operates for 45 weeks a year divided into 3 school
terms. It has a staffing ratio of 1 member of staff
to each pupil. Each child at the school works on a programme
designed around a broad and varied curriculum, but geared
to their individual needs. It is this specialist child-centred
education and structured support that will help to maximise
the skills of the children and help them achieve their
full potential as adults.
Aims and Objectives - Back to top
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To offer early intensive intervention for pre-school
and primary age
•children with a
planned growth up to 18 year olds in future years |
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To offer an approach to learning based on the
principles of
•Applied Behaviour
Analysis (ABA) |
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To provide a curriculum which meets each child's
individual education plan |
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To offer access to the national curriculum where
appropriate |
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To enable children, where possible, to integrate
into mainstream schools•and where not, to
continue to support their ongoing needs |
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To provide parent education and build partnerships
between
•parents and staff |
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To provide a safe, caring and enjoyable environment
where children can thrive •and
grow towards independence |
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To provide a training and development programme
for teaching staff leading to •a
recognised qualification at post graduate level from
an established university |
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The founding principle is to enable each child
who comes to us to achieve•their full potential.
To this end, The Jigsaw School will adopt an ABA•approach to teaching
that has been pioneered and developed in the US over the last
30 years. |
Teaching Method - Back to top
After substantial research by the parent group it
has been decided to adopt CABAS®
(Comprehensive Application of Applied Behavioural Analysis
to Schooling) as the teaching method for The Jigsaw
School. CABAS®
is a specific ABA programme designed for the school
environment and offers a proven teaching system designed
around the individual. Jigsaw believes that adopting
CABAS®
will enable the school to best achieve its objectives.
ABA
ABA is a structured teaching programme built on a discipline
devoted to the understanding and improvement of human
behaviour Although there are many therapies, teaching
programmes, dietary regimens, and other interventions
available to families of children with Autism and other
Pervasive
Developmental Disorders (PDD), only one has been documented
to have produced significant and comprehensive improvements.
That method is a programme of intervention based on
the principles of Applied Behaviour Analysis (ABA).
More clinical trials and studies have been conducted
using ABA for the treatment of children with autism
than any other method. With emphasis on early and intensive
intervention, ABA has been demonstrated to greatly improve
the prospects of children with autism.
CABAS®
(Comprehensive Application of Behavior Analysis to Schooling )
The Jigsaw School uses ABA to deliver a broad curriculum
in line with each child's Individual Education Plan
(IEP). Research into CABAS®
has shown a direct correlation between the expertise
of teachers and the eventual outcome for children. Therefore,
staff and parent training is an integral part of the
CABAS® system.
Staff are trained in both the theoretical and practical
approach to delivering an ABA programme.
CABAS®
provides teacher training, supervisory support and administrative
support to implement a system or school-wide programme
for students with disabilities including autism. CABAS®
trained teachers provide academic instruction and classroom
behaviour management based on a combination of technologies
developed through scientific research in human behaviour. Curriculum,
Teaching and Assessment
Every child selected by The Jigsaw School will already
have a diagnosis of autism or a related communication
disorder.
As part of the CABAS®
teaching system every child has an Individual Education
Plan (IEP) which links with the national curriculum.
Each child's teaching programme involves breaking down
tasks into learnable elements and teaching them until
mastery is achieved. The child is constantly rewarded
for desired behaviour with systematic use of positive
reinforcement and praise. Each element of the teaching
process is continuously charted and assessed. This enables
staff to identify strengths and weaknesses and to help
the child progress in a positive and targeted direction.
Selection of all tactics is on an individual basis and
research based.
The School Curriculum also includes art, music and dance
and there will be regular opportunities for indoor and
outdoor play. Makaton signing, PECS (Picture Exchange
Communication System), sign language and other forms
of augmented communication are used if appropriate.
The Local Education Authority regularly reviews all
statemented children. Thus an external assessment of
progress is also available, and any appropriate revision
of Individual Educational Plans will be made.
The Jigsaw School teaching staff receive intensive training,
and their skills are assessed on an ongoing basis to
ensure that standards are maintained. Staff training
is an integral part of the CABAS®
system, which believes that investing in the staff is
investing in the child's future. CABAS®
research has shown a direct correlation between the
expertise of the instructional personnel and the eventual
outcome for children.
Outreach and Mainstream Support - Back to top
The Jigsaw School will continue to provide support for
those children able to attend mainstream school according
to the need of the individual by providing:
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Specially trained one to one supporters to accompany
children to school |
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Special classes and workshops devised for autistic children |
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A full programme of pastoral support for the growing
children |
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A focus for their special needs |
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Ongoing support and assistance for parents, carers and
siblings |
Admissions Policy - Back to top
The Jigsaw School caters for the needs of pupils diagnosed
with an autistic spectrum disorder. All pupils have
a Statement of Educational Needs. Application forms
are available on request from the school office. Places
will be offered following an initial assessment by senior
staff and class teachers. We are at present inundated
with requests for visits to the school. We are able
to offer informal visiting sessions where there is an
opportunity to see the school, meet the staff and request
information.
The Board of Governors - Back to top
The Board of Trustee comprises of three parent representatives
and four independent Trustees and is the governing body
of the school. The Board meets quarterly and visits
frequently to monitor the management and supervision
of the school.
The Future - Back to top
The Jigsaw School is just the start. Although currently
restricted for space The Jigsaw Trust is already looking
at new premises for the next unit, plus it will ultimately
provide for children from pre-school through to 18 years.
The overriding aim is to help each child achieve their
full potential in a safe, caring and enjoyable environment.
The Jigsaw Trust will still be pursuing goals for integration,
and will continue to raise awareness for autism and
broaden the scope of provision currently available.
Our objective is to continue to demonstrate what kind
of progress can be made using ABA methodology and to
strive to develop skills that will enable each child
to be included and where possible integrated into a
mainstream school. In addition, the School will act
as a centre for parent education and research.
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