ESPA College
Encyclopedia
ESPA College is part of European Services for People with Autism
in Tyne and Wear
England. The college provides various services for people on the autistic spectrum. However, the college management team is based in a separate building to that of the company, clearly established that they are in many ways a differing service. It educates young people aged 16–18. It was recognised in a 2002 OFSTED
report as providing a "good, targeted curriculum for the autistic".
ESPA aims to provide people with Asperger syndrome
and other related disorders with an inclusive education. One aspect of this is protecting students with AS from neurotypical
students who would engage in bullying and other forms of abuse, in mainstream environments.
The college is managed by a lead team of four people: Chris Pickup is the Acting Principal, Sara Everett is the Deputy Principal, Patrick Cahill is the Quality Manager, and Mike Smith is the Admissions, Placements & Transitions Manager. Pauline Shannon is the College Manager for Tasker/Westfield, which is also regarded as a senior role within the college.
Each site has its own management structure which will include a site co-ordinator & duty management team.
Autism
Autism is a disorder of neural development characterized by impaired social interaction and communication, and by restricted and repetitive behavior. These signs all begin before a child is three years old. Autism affects information processing in the brain by altering how nerve cells and their...
in Tyne and Wear
Tyne and Wear
Tyne and Wear is a metropolitan county in north east England around the mouths of the Rivers Tyne and Wear. It came into existence as a metropolitan county in 1974 after the passage of the Local Government Act 1972...
England. The college provides various services for people on the autistic spectrum. However, the college management team is based in a separate building to that of the company, clearly established that they are in many ways a differing service. It educates young people aged 16–18. It was recognised in a 2002 OFSTED
Ofsted
The Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills is the non-ministerial government department of Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Schools In England ....
report as providing a "good, targeted curriculum for the autistic".
The College
Opened in 1992, the college has provided a unique educational experience for learners. All learners follow a tailor made curriculum, which is a programme of study and support specifically designed to meet the social, educational and emotional needs of the young adults that study there. Every learner has an Individual Learning Plan specific to their needs, which includes targets that learners refer to during their Record Of Achievement and Development (ROAD) target system; this is used twice per week, once to set the target, and once to review.ESPA aims to provide people with Asperger syndrome
Asperger syndrome
Asperger's syndrome that is characterized by significant difficulties in social interaction, alongside restricted and repetitive patterns of behavior and interests. It differs from other autism spectrum disorders by its relative preservation of linguistic and cognitive development...
and other related disorders with an inclusive education. One aspect of this is protecting students with AS from neurotypical
Neurotypical
Neurotypical is a term that was coined in the autistic community as a label for people who are not on the autism spectrum: specifically, neurotypical people have neurological development and states that are consistent with what most people would perceive as normal, particularly with respect to...
students who would engage in bullying and other forms of abuse, in mainstream environments.
The college is managed by a lead team of four people: Chris Pickup is the Acting Principal, Sara Everett is the Deputy Principal, Patrick Cahill is the Quality Manager, and Mike Smith is the Admissions, Placements & Transitions Manager. Pauline Shannon is the College Manager for Tasker/Westfield, which is also regarded as a senior role within the college.
Each site has its own management structure which will include a site co-ordinator & duty management team.