Secondary Partners

Benton Park School has links with the secondary schools and collages below:

Phase III Projects

NW SILC – Triple Partnership
Benton Park School is one of the mainstream secondary school partners of the North West SILC. Here pupils with a range of learning needs are on the roll of the SILC but are based at Benton Park full-time. They learn in ‘key stage base areas’ but also have opportunities to learn alongside their mainstream peers. The pupils are included in all aspects of pastoral and community life within the school. These partnership pupils are supported by a team of staff with suitable experience and expertise, who are employed by the SILC but in fact are part of the Benton Park staff.

Benton Park School has Technology College Specialist Schools Status. As a development of this initiative a ‘triple partnership’ project was set up to enable SILC partnership pupils, (those based at Benton Park) and those from one of our specialist sites (former special school) to learn alongside some of Benton Park’s pupils in Technology and Science lessons. The pupils learn together as a group, taught by Benton Park specialist subject teachers and supported by staff from the SILC.

At lunchtimes the SILC pupils also benefit from being able to relax and socialise in Benton Park’s Student Support Centre. Here they meet lots of other pupils from the school community.

This project has allowed the:

• SILC pupils to have access to specialist teaching facilities and teachers with excellent subject knowledge;
• SILC pupils to engage with their peers in a relaxed and informal setting during recreational times.
• The mainstream pupils to develop empathy towards pupils with considerable challenges in their lives and have a greater understanding of diversity and difference; and the
• Benton Park teachers to develop their teaching skills by having to cater for a wider range of learning needs.

One of the pupils based at one of the SILC’s specialist sites (Back Lane, Green Meadows) has said:

“It is interesting and they help us to learn well. They have the right tools for technology. The teachers can tell us lots about science and technology. They say fantastic things. We have the opportunity to make new friends.”

Benton Park School
Harrogate Road Rawdon
Leeds
LS19 6LX