Music

At Clifton Hill we have a highly skilled visiting music specialist who is able to deliver a wide range of instrumental lessons to our students. Our teacher can adapt the lessons for any student and parents and carers can purchase either small group or individual lessons. Through these lessons our students gain skills which can provide them with a valuable interest they can use to self-occupy now and in the future. Lessons also have proved to raise levels of self-confidence, self-esteem and this positively impacts all other areas of a student’s progress.

Students who have music lessons put on an annual evening concert for family and friends at school and this event is a fantastic memorable occasion on our school calendar.

Dance and Drama

Students have taken part in a number of dance activities both externally and in school. These have included taking part in the SSSSA creative dance day and hosting a visiting dance teacher from synergy dance who has delivered excellent lessons for some of our upper school students. For the last 5 years students have taken part in the Shakespeare for schools festival and have had enormous success with this. Students from across the school have taken part and been involved in plays adapted to be fully accessible, such as Romeo and Juliet and Macbeth. We also put on a whole school show every 2 years that is written to accommodate every single student in the school. This gives our young people a chance to really shine and develop many skills such as confidence, team work and communication.

Trampolining

Many of our students access Trampolining at Caterham’s Saturn V rebound hall. They deliver specialist trampolining sessions for children with a wide range of learning difficulties and other special needs.

We also have a trampoline on site at Clifton Hill and trained staff who deliver rebound therapy for our non-ambulant students or those with specific complex needs. The benefits of trampolining and rebound therapy include:

  • Increased balance & movement
  • Increased sensory integration.
  • Increased spatial awareness.
  • Increased confidence in movement.

Residential Trips

All students have access to our regular residential trips which we have run for many years. Residential visits have so many benefits for our students such as teaching life skills, developing team work, communication skills, improving independence and self- confidence. Learning outside the classroom always adds value to each individual’s academic and personal development. Residential destinations have included Hindleap Warren activity centre and the Isle of Wight.

Sports

We participate in The Panathlon Challenge which is a national charity providing sporting opportunities for disabled young people. We compete in county sporting programmes such as multi sports and swimming. The pathalon challenge encourages students to participate and be motivated in social and team sports. Clifton Hill also takes part in other events such as the activity day for students with PMLD at Young Epilepsy in Lingfield Surrey. This gives students with complex needs opportunities to take part in activities such as canoeing and wheelchair bike orienteering.