Welcome to Ancora House School
Headteacher’s Welcome
Welcome to Ancora House School.
Ancora House School is a specialist medical pupil referral provision supporting young people across two sites in Cheshire West and Chester. We provide education for young people who are receiving inpatient care, attending day provision, or accessing our community site. Our pupils come to us at different points in their educational journey, at times when they are facing significant social, emotional and mental health challenges.
At Ancora House School, we believe that every young person deserves an education that helps them to feel safe, understood and able to succeed. Our role is to remove barriers, rebuild confidence and support each young person to make meaningful personal, social and academic progress from their individual starting point.
Ancora House School - Hospital Site is based at Ancora House, an adolescent mental health inpatient unit with two wards, Indigo and Coral, on the Countess of Chester Health Park.
Ancora House School- Sapphire ward is also based at the hospital site and is a provision for young people accessing the Cheshire Eating Disorder Day Service (CHEDS) and young people who are inpatients in the Integrated Eating Disorder Unit (IEDU).
Ancora House School - Community Site is based at Castle Park House, Frodsham. It is commissioned to provide education for young people, who for a range of reasons, are currently unable to access their home school. For admissions information to the Community Site please click on the following link Ancora House: Admissions (ancorahouseschool.co.uk)
Our curriculum is built around our intent: “Building resilience for future success.” We provide a personalised curriculum that is carefully adapted to meet the needs of each young person. For some learners, this may begin with low-demand activities that help them to build trust, regulate emotionally and feel ready to learn. For others, it may involve continuing GCSE, A Level or Functional Skills pathways. Whatever the starting point, our aim is always to help young people re-engage with learning and take positive next steps.
We are proud to offer a curriculum that places Preparation for Adulthood, PSHE, wellbeing, life skills and academic learning at its heart. We use trauma-informed, evidence-informed and adaptive approaches to teaching, ensuring that young people experience both high levels of care and high expectations. We work closely with families, home schools, colleges, clinical teams, the local authority and other professionals so that support is joined-up, purposeful and centred around the young person.
Transition is a key part of our work. Many of our learners find change difficult, so we carefully plan each stage of their journey, whether they are returning to their home school, moving on to college, or preparing for employment, a new education setting or training. Our aim is not only to support young people while they are with us, but also to help them move forward safely, confidently and sustainably.
Across all aspects of school life, we celebrate diversity, promote equality and help young people to develop the confidence, resilience and skills they need to take their place as valued members of their communities. We recognise that progress may look different for every learner, and we celebrate each step forward.
I am privileged to be Headteacher at Ancora House School alongside a committed and caring team who place the wellbeing of our young people at the heart of all they do. We are ambitious for every young person and are proud to play a part in helping them rebuild confidence, rediscover learning and look towards the future with greater hope.
Amanda Lacey
Headteacher
Ancora House School
