SELECTION CRITERIA FOR PROSPECTIVE STUDENTS AT ROSSBOURNE SCHOOL

Students attending Rossbourne School come from diverse backgrounds and display a wide variety of learning difficulties. The majority of students have been diagnosed with an identifiable learning disorder which has, primarily, interfered with their academic progress. Secondary to their learning difficulties have been associated issues with lowered self-esteem and social/emotional concerns. Consequently, the transition into a specialist setting can become necessary for those students who are generally too able for placement in a government special school, but would also have difficulty competing in a mainstream secondary school environment.

The predominant learning difficulties experienced by students at Rossbourne include:

• Lowered cognitive functioning (intelligence)
• Upper end of mild intellectual disability range
• Learning disability
• Language disorder
• Autism spectrum disorder
• Attention deficit disorder

Regardless of the nature of the learning difficulty, there are several criteria that can determine whether a placement at Rossbourne would be successful and must be taken into consideration. Although each student is assessed for suitability on an individual basis, there are several global factors that predict the likelihood of a successful enrolment.

Students most suited to Rossbourne include:

• Intellectually, the closer their IQ is to a score of 80, the more the student benefits,
  both academically and socially.
  
  
• Academically, they have an initial foundation of achievement, when leaving primary school,
  comparable to a grade 3 equivalent in ‘reading comprehension’, with other academic areas
  at a similar level.
  
  
• Willingness to learn, be motivated and to be challenged, and to extend their abilities both
  educationally and in their independence.
  
  
• Acceptance of school rules and responsibilities, displaying mature socially appropriate
  interactions.