Royal School Manchester caters for students from 2-19 years and has three discrete learning environments:

• The Deaf/SLD Department which caters for students with/without a hearing impairment, learning difficulties and additional complex needs
• The Sensory Department which delivers education for students with a multi sensory impairment and /or autism
• The Post 16 Department for students aged 16 -19. This may include discrete provision for learners on the autistic spectrum who, on occasions exhibit challenging behaviour

Staffing ratios are high due to the complex needs of the students , many of whom require individual programmes tailored to their learning needs.

Owing to the diverse range of communication difficulties and/or additional complex needs, communication development is seen as an integral and focal part of all teaching and learning and permeates throughout all subject areas and the extended curriculum which is delivered in the residential houses for students who are resident or who have respite at the school.

Where appropriate individual programmes are in place to enable more specific communication strategies to be implemented.

Teachers planning is differentiated to meet individual needs. Students are generally working towards National Curriculum Level 1,ie: at P Levels, throughout their education in the primary, secondary and post 16 departments, but will study age-appropriate key stage programmes which have been modified to enable access through Person Centred Planning.

Links with the community are seen as very important in the development of independence and life skills and a wealth of opportunities are available to our students to access learning in the community.  The school works in partnership with local schools to provide inclusion and joint participation in join activities for example music and sports projects.  The musician-in-residence works regularly with classes and also facilitates projects with Arts organisations such as the Hallé Orchestra.