On behalf of the children, staff and Governors, it is with great pleasure that I welcome you to Silverwood School. We are a happy, thriving and successful community where every child and young person is recognised as an individual. Our aim is for all children to reach their potential. Learning is at the centre of everything we do both in and out of the classroom and with so many opportunities at Silverwood School, we are exceptionally proud of the achievement of all our children.

We are enormously proud of Silverwood School and what we provide to our children, their families and the wider community. Silverwood School is staffed by a highly creative and dedicated team of teachers, teaching assistants and therapists who are highly skilled and creative in ensuring our curriculum is exciting and innovative in giving our children the opportunity to be successful, develop a wide range of skills and enjoy their learning. Our staff focus on the uniqueness of each individual child, ensuring they have a broad, balanced and relevant curriculum.

Children and young people join us with a wide range of different needs and bring a wonderful mix of interests and personalities. When learning with us at Silverwood, all children and young people are cared for, valued, challenged and supported to achieve the very best they can.

Silverwood School is a new maintained co-educational special school for pupils aged 4 to 19 years. We formed in September of 2020 with campuses in Rowde, Trowbridge and Chippenham: former schools of Rowdeford School, Larkrise School and St Nicholas School.

We have an ambitious vison to create a truly integrated and inclusive system of outstanding education for all children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) in Wiltshire. Wiltshire Council have invested £33 million into our new build at one site, to create a state-of-the-art centre for SEND education, health, care and training across 4-19, with a predominant focus on children with complex SEND.

Mr. S McKeown

Executive Headteacher

Silverwood School is an amalgamation of 3 special schools in Wiltshire. The three campuses of Silverwood School are known as Chippenham Campus (formerly St. Nicholas School), Rowde Campus (formally Rowdeford School) and Trowbridge Campus (Formally Larkrise School) it also incorporates Popular College in Chippenham. The new website is still under construction so please make sure you use the links below to access the website for the campus you are interested in.

Chippenham Campus is a maintained special school catering for children from 4-19 across 3 sites. Our school provision meets the needs of learners with a range of complex needs . This includes learners with Profound and Multiple Learning Difficulties, Severe Learning Difficulties and Autistic Spectrum Disorders (ASD.) The school is spread over 3 sites. The main school site is for 4-16 year olds on Malmesbury Road (corner of Long Ridings). On this site we have a Hydrotherapy pool. Poplar College for sixth formers is a mile away from the school site and there is a bungalow close to the site which supports our students in understanding independent living and moving into adult life. We are excited about the opportunities this provision provides for our young people as we forge strong working links with employers and further education providers within the area. https://www.st-nicholas.wilts.sch.uk 

Rowde Campus is a secondary (11 – 16 years), co-educational, Special School for students with complex learning difficulties. Some have additional sensory impairment, physical difficulties or medical needs, and others are identified as being within the autistic spectrum. All are considered to be ‘vulnerable’. The School provides for up to 180 students and all students admitted to the school have an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP). https://www.rowdeford.wilts.sch.uk 

Trowbridge Campus is for children with Severe Learning Difficulties including those with Profound and Multiple Learning Disabilities and Autistic Spectrum Disorders. It caters for children aged 4 to 19 from across West Wiltshire, to provide education and therapies tailored to individual needs. The school has high expectations of students as individuals, and provides a well structured environment for learning, based on good standards of study and social behaviour. http://www.larkriseschool.co.uk 

Students leave Silverwood school with confidence in their own ability, the capacity to apply their knowledge and understanding to everyday life, and the belief that learning is enjoyable, rewarding and ongoing. At Silverwood, we maintain that every child has individual skills and talents, which should be valued and encouraged. 

At Silverwood we seek to create an inclusive community, in which each individual is cared for and challenged, by high expectations, to reach their full potential.

To achieve this, we provide a positive and creative learning environment, which incorporates a rich and varied programme of experiences and opportunities, both in school and within the wider community. This enables all students to experience success that can be celebrated and valued, thereby developing a positive attitude to learning and life.

We aim to teach the skills of communication, social awareness and independent living so that our students can establish a meaningful role in society. We believe that it is important to develop students’ confidence and self-esteem, together with appropriate skills, values and attitudes. This can empower them to take full advantage of their life chances, become valued and valuable members of society, and meet the challenges ahead.

Silverwood School is committed to ensure that all students and staff are given the opportunity to be the best that they can be. We aim to achieve the following using our core values as the vehicle that drives this commitment. Through attending and working at Silverwood School everybody will:

1. Flourish, develop their interdependence and autonomy, and be prepared for the future

2. Believe in their ability, be the best they can and achieve their full potential

3. Be inspired, have the opportunity to understand the wider world and experience success

4. Be given a voice, be heard and be treated and valued as an individual

5. Have a sense of belonging, feel safe and confident, and learn how to keep themselves and each other safe

If you're searching for your next role in a special educational needs setting, why not contact us now? You'll be working at a great school and be part of a friendly, helpful team. We're always interested to hear from enthusiastic, committed teachers, Teaching assistants and support staff.