First Day at Milestone

Today was my first day at Milestone Special School. The Milestone School is a community Special School that provides for approximately 290 children with a wide range of special educational needs.

The school offers the full National Curriculum as a basis for curriculum development, and adds to this a wide range of additional activities for personal and social growth.


Links with mainstream schools are developed through joint projects in certain subjects across the key stages. Our integration programme is important in ensuring that children who are transferring to mainstream are supported throughout the transition.

By virtue of its distinctive blend of expertise, facilities and resources, The Milestone School plays a significant role in the network of services the Local Authority provides for meeting the special educational needs of pupils in Gloucestershire. The school provides advice and support for teachers of pupils with physical and learning disabilities in mainstream school. (school website)

The class that I was placed in was a class that housed 9 pupils with 1 teacher and 2 teaching aides.  The students that were in my class were students with a wide range of learning difficulties.  I had 1 student in the class who was blind and non-verbal.  I had another student who was in a wheelchair and another student who was verbal, no physical restrictions, and appeared to be a student I would see in a mainstream school who has a mild learning difficulty.  I found this placement to be very eye opening and very emotional.  I have never found myself in a scenario as a teacher that I didn't think that I could handle but being in this classroom has shown me things that I don't think I can even put into words.  Anyone who walks through the doors of Milestone know that it is a special place and that there are special children who go to school here.  The school is such a wonderful school and so advanced in regard to the things that children with special needs need in order to grow and develop.  I can't wait to see what this experience brings me.  

I will post pictures later; I haven't finished editing them.