Katie* came to Grateley House School in November 2015 and for many years had struggled with her communication skills.
On arriving at the school, she found it difficult to communicate her thoughts and needs with support staff, often leaving her feeling dejected. She also had a very scruffy appearance when she arrived at the premises, which led to further communication breakdown and it taking time to build up trust with staff.
When she initially arrived at school, she had a habit of running out at night and not attending classes during the daytime. She also did not care about her appearance or personal hygiene, needing a significant amount of support and restraint to keep her safe at times.
It took a long time for the staff and Katie to build up a rapport, but over time and with a set programme in place, Katie has made many improvements. She is now fully independent when it comes to looking after herself and requires little assistance from staff. She also now attends a full curriculum at the school, performing very well in her chosen courses.
Recently, she has just completed her first independent trip to Cadets and is thoroughly enjoying her new extra-curricular activity. It was a very proud moment for staff and it reminds us why we do what we do at Grateley House. Well done Katie!
*Name has been changed