_Frequently Asked Questions

You will have the opportunity to meet with staff termly at target setting and review meetings and will receive written termly progress reports which will discuss academic subjects, attendance and behaviour. An Annual Review of your child’s Education Health Care Plan will be hosted by Releasing Potential, which will give you the opportunity to meet with your child’s tutor as well as representatives from the Local Authority and other agencies involved as appropriate. Your child’s tutor will be in touch with regular updates through calls and texts to let you know how things are going.

Progress data for all students is held centrally by the Head of School, who supports tutors to analyse student progress.

You will find an outline of our curriculum in this section of the website. We will explore with you through your attendance at regular meetings how your child learns best, and you will be a key partner in the learning process.

Different year groups have different curriculum focuses and children are allocated to the most appropriate group according to a combination of age, ability and need. Within each class differentiated programmes are followed giving a broad and balanced curriculum accessible for all.

The welfare of children and young people at Releasing Potential is paramount for all staff. Your child’s tutor has responsibility for the well-being of your child.

Tutors are supported by the Head of School and her Assistants/Deputies. They can access advice and support from a range of agencies including counselling services, Education Welfare, CAMHS and Social Care where appropriate.

All staff are experienced in working with a range of students with complex needs and we continually train and develop our team to ensure we offer the best for our students and their families. Students who work on a one-to-one basis will be matched with appropriate staff based on their needs and interests, and this will depend on the skills and qualifications of the individual tutor.

All our staff have ongoing training in a range of special educational needs, all undertake our Level 3 qualification in the Management of Challenging Behaviour, all have regular safeguarding training and case management supervision from senior managers.

Staff visit students when a referral is made; parents and students visit the School, and we home visit every student before they take up their place with us.

Students joining in the middle of a school year are provided with a phased induction according to their needs, as most new students need time to adjust and build towards a full-time timetable. A detailed Information passport is requested from previous schools, and we also receive copies of EHCP and any other relevant information when a student is accepted on to our roll.

Students leaving Releasing Potential are supported in choosing the appropriate next provision, such as local FE colleges or our 6th Form. Students will have the opportunity to attend Open Days and interviews supported by our staff. Detailed transition plans are prepared drawing on our detailed understanding of each student’s needs.

Referrals are usually made by the Local Authority, who will contact us to request that a child be placed at Releasing Potential School and will fund or part-fund the placement. However, we do offer private placements to students whose parents wish to consider Releasing Potential as a private placement.

To discuss a referral, please contact the Havant office for further information and so that we can ensure your questions are answered by the most appropriate person: 0239 247 9762.

Our Chichester site is fully accessible, but we are not able to accommodate wheelchair users at Havant. It is part of our School Development Plan to adapt the Havant building to allow full accessibility.

If you have concerns about your child’s progress, you should contact their tutor either by phone to the School office or by email to the tutor. Email is preferable because it ensures there is a written record of your correspondence, and staff are not usually available during the school day as they are teaching. All staff emails appear on the School website. A copy of our full Complaints Procedure is published in the Polices section of the website.

Under the policies set out, there has been no official complaint made by a parent or a child against the school in the last 12 months.