What is Dove House School Academy?

We are a 'converter academy', which means that we were able to convert into an academy because we were judged by Ofsted to be an 'Outstanding' school. Dove House is run by a trust "the Dove House School Academy Trust" which in effect is the school's governing body. As an academy we're not directly responsible to the local education authority, and unlike some other academies, we're not sponsored by another school or organisation. But Hampshire County Council does have the final say over which children can come to Dove House.



So what is the difference between Dove House and other Hampshire special education schools?

One of the main differences is that, as an academy, Dove House can decide on its own priorities, so we're better able to meet the special educational needs of children with learning difficulties within the communities we serve. But regardless of our structure, it's important to bear in mind that all schools are different, and the label does not make the school.



What is Dove House like?

Dove House is many things to many people. Here are just a few of them:

It's a Secondary School for children with learning difficulties, many of whom have autism and other associated conditions.
It's a Specialist School for Maths and Computing. This means it runs maths and computing courses for local community groups and schools.
It's a Teaching School and we work in partnership with other schools in the area to improve education in Basingstoke.
It's an 'Outstanding' school, according to Ofsted 2007 and 2010.
It's a school which provides the National Curriculum, but which also has several specialist provisions to meet the individual needs of its pupils.
These include Literacy PALs, Speech and Language, Occupational Therapy, Life Skills, Link Centre (Transition) and an Autism resource.
It's a school which aims to "make a difference" It's a school which provides a calm, caring and friendly environment for its pupils.