Waterloo Lodge is a small, independent school in Chorley, catering for autistic children aged between 10-18 who may have a range of additional needs.
Our aim is to provide a supportive environment that enables our young people to thrive, learn, gain qualifications and develop skills that equip them for adult life.
Along with our rich and varied curriculum, we focus on developing core life skills such as communication and social ability, sensory processing and emotional regulation. Every pupil develops the essential capabilities they need to be as independent as possible when they leave school.
An entire floor of our school is dedicated to providing therapeutic learning spaces for our pupils. Rather than move classrooms in the traditional way, pupils on this floor remain in a familiar setting to support their particular learning needs and there are regulation zones which offer a comfortable space for time-out.
All our teaching staff have undergone intensive therapeutic training and we employ a team of therapists who work in class groups and one-to-one with pupils if they need it. With class sizes of no more than six pupils, led by a teacher and Learning Support Assistant, our young people receive personalised support to help them learn. We also have a team of Mentors who work proactively with individuals to assist with their personal wellbeing and respond to challenging situations.
Mission Statement:
Waterloo Lodge School is a place where everyone is treated with dignity, with respect and is of equal worth. Our vision is to develop a highly effective learning community:
Open & Honest
- To be fair and transparent
- To do the right thing
- To be respectful
Dream Big
- To make positive changes
- To aspire and achieve
- To be ambitious
Deliver Promises
- To be accountable
- To take responsibility
- To be committed
Be Inclusive
- To value diversity
- To create safe, nurturing environments
- To care about each other and what we do
We aspire to being an exemplar of best practice for pupils locally and regionally. We have a clear view of our purpose and practice and this is articulated in the theoretical and philosophical basis of our work.
We believe that the potential for future development of the pupils placed within Waterloo Lodge School rests primarily within the individual child, but this ‘potential’ is encouraged to fulfilment through the supporting work of all the dedicated teachers and staff working in partnership with parents and carers.