Assistant Education Minister, Deputy Scott Wickenden is visiting schools to meet students and staff, to find out more about how they are recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic.
On Wednesday, 26 May, Deputy Wickenden visited La Sente School with Group Director of Education, Seán O Regan. They met with headteacher Tom Turner and visited students at staff at both the Key Stage 2 and 3, and Key Stage 4 sites.
La Sente was established in 2019 following the merger of D'Hautrée House School and the Alternative Curriculum Centre. It provides specialised education and support for students with social, emotional, and behavioural challenges across two sites.
The curriculum focuses on a core curriculum including English and Maths, cooking, Personal, Social and Health education, social skills and regulating emotions. Key Stage 2 & 3 students also cover other subjects within their curriculum and at key stage 4 students can also opt to study Art, photography, Sport, ICT, construction and child development.
Students have access to outdoor learning, including a forest and beach school and a range of outdoor and adventurous sessions including, climbing, kayaking, surfing and coasteering.
La Sente also works with a range of outside agencies to support the bespoke needs of the individuals within the school.
During the visit some of the students spoke about their learning and facilities in the school including how they would like the outside ball court to be improved.
Assistant Minister for Education, Deputy Scott Wickenden, said: "I'm grateful to students and staff for making the time to welcome me into their school day. I have promised the students that I will work with Ministers to help make the improvements that they asked for.
"It's clear that there is a lot of work to do to provide a modern, healing environment for the school. The children and young people at La Sente are those who need the most support from the Island, and we must work to make sure that there's parity between students here, and students in mainstream school."