The hospital inpatient classroom is based on the Children's Ward (Gate 46) of Pinderfields Hospital. Here teaching staff deliver education to school aged children during term-time.
No two children are the same, especially when navigating health challenges. We make education engaging, colourful, and completely tailored to how each child is feeling. We shape learning around our students' personal interests to bring a spark of joy, creativity, and normal routine to their hospital stay. We work hand-in-hand with families and healthcare professionals to ensure learning is perfectly paced with each child's medical treatment and energy levels. We maintain robust links with each student's home school so they never miss a beat, ensuring a smooth, confident transition back to their regular classroom when they are well enough.
The support pupils receive from school staff helps their emotional and mental wellbeing, providing the familiar routine of school and serves as a distraction from being in hospital, with all the associated stress and anxiety. Most importantly, it allows for the continuation of education. Close links with Wakefield schools ensure that students are provided with work mirroring that being completed by their peers school.
Hospital Education minimises the impact of the illness on their educational progress and achievement and reduces anxiety in young people regarding work they might be missing at school. This anxiety can be particularly intense in Year 10 / 11 pupils, who have coursework deadlines and examinations coming up. For longer-stay patients, we keep in close contact with the young person's school, encouraging them to engage in the work they are missing.
When appropriate, examinations and assessments (e.g. GCSEs) can be carried out on the ward as we are a registered exam centre.
The majority of pupils return immediately from the ward to their own school after their stay in hospital. However, those who are discharged, but are unable to attend school, may be referred by their consultant to our headteacher for continuing education through our Wrenthorpe site which covers home tutoring for medically unfit children.
See our individual pages for more detailed information.
Welcome to this half terms topic SUMMER, we are bringing the sunshine into our classroom and the ward with a vibrant, multi-sensory 'Summer' topic designed to inspire and engage all of our learners. From diving into the wonders of the Great Barrier Reef in Geography to exploring place value through holiday budgeting in Maths, our curriculum is packed with practical, hands-on activities. Students will be unleashing their creativity by designing 3D footwear, painting on real silk, and crafting symmetrical butterflies, while our younger learners develop vital literacy and phonics skills through beautiful summer storytelling and poetry. We are also taking our learning into the digital world by training our pupils to be 'Internet Detectives' in Online Safety and using creative iPad apps to design digital collages. Wrapped up with essential, life-enriching lessons on sun safety and health, this topic is all about celebrating the season, building confidence, and making learning joyful and accessible for every child.
Admissions
Children from the wards are admitted to the hospital school based on advice received from medical staff. This is always at the heart of any teaching or support work that is undertaken by staff. Children will fall into one of the following three categories:
* pupils who a medically well enough to be taught in the classroom
* pupils who are well enough to be taught but must remain in their own rooms and taught at their bedside
* pupils who are not medically fit to be taught
"PARENT/PUPIL COMMENTS
The lady running the school was caring and passionate about making the kids hospital stay as pleasant as possible. She is amazing x
Xhas absolutely loved hospital school. It has kept her in a good routine and given her educational activities to keep her entertained and interested. It has been excellent for X.
Distraction, change of scene, support, encouragement, stimulation, sense of purpose. He was asking to go back to the classroom! I really appreciated the supportive and friendly team, who made us feel so welcome - I enjoyed helping out with Lego sorting and testing out games with you guys, Lisa and Marta are fabulous and have made our stay at Pinderfields so much brighter, thank you x"
"He did not miss out on the opportunity to learn something. Very helpful and convenient as we he was away from school for quite some time."
"Worked as a great distraction for her and lifted her mood while she was in the classroom."
"My child was able to access their learning through the support of Lisa and Marta. They were both amazing with my son. X is Autistic, Lisa and Marta made me feel comfortable and safe to leave my son at the school. Darius was very happy being at the school and learning. This helped distract him from all that was going on in relation to his health. Thank you Lisa and Marta for all your support, advice and help you provided me."
"My son has significant disabilities and the polish teacher Marta was absolutely amazing! She did a full sensology session with my son and everything was according to his needs. She went above and beyond and I am so grateful for her. Cannot thank her and the hospital enough for this opportunity whilst being poorly in hospital."
"X's parting comment was that Lisa was the best teacher ever and she wished all teachers were as fun as her."
"Staff are friendly and approachable. They go every step to help with work from school. Cannot praise the staff enough."
"They understood the curriculum and made us feel at ease."
"Lisa was very helpful. She liaised with school to sort out work/revision for X and then taught the sessions to her in a way that allowed her to enjoy the session but still took into account that she was ill."