Community access
Our Curriculum is Community-Focused
We are committed to learning beyond the classroom and make the most of our location between two vibrant Birmingham high streets and in close proximity to beautiful parks. Through regular visits into the community, our students develop essential life skills beyond Fox Hollies.
Bishop Challoner Catholic College
Over several years, Fox Hollies has worked in partnership with Bishop Challoner.
Each year, we collaborate with a small group of students from Bishop Challoner who work alongside our students from our semiformal pathway on an inclusive arts project. Our students are then invited to Bishop Challoner to experience a mainstream school environment and interact with peers in a different setting.
City farm
Located in Balsall Heath, a short five-minute minibus drive away from our school, St. Paul’s Community Trust runs a city farm that offers our students fantastic opportunities to experience and learn about animals in a supportive, safe, and low-sensory environment.
Supported by the farm manager, students are shown how to care for the animals and can enjoy hands-on experience in feeding.
Parks
Our school has easy access to nearby parks, either within walking distance or a short minibus ride away. Our park visits support students’ sense of direction, fitness, well-being and connection to nature. Locations include Martineau Gardens, Highbury Park, Kings Heath Park, and Cannon Hill Park.
Midlands Arts Centre (MAC)
Our arts-led curriculum benefits from partnerships with the Midlands Arts Centre (MAC) and Common Ground Arts. The MAC serves as a venue for our students, offering accessible toilets, disabled parking, and safe access around the fenced park. This community-focused venue provides opportunities for students to visit new inclusive exhibitions and events in a familiar and safe environment.
Swimming
We take students swimming in school to develop essential life skills, fitness, and water safety, while also providing a calming and inclusive experience that supports the well-being of students with SEND and sensory needs.
Cocks Moors Woods Leisure Centre: Informal pathway swimming access
Cocks Moors Woods Leisure Centre
University of Birmingham Pool: Semiformal pathway swimming lessons.
TouchBase Pears
We have built a strong relationship with TouchBase Pears, an arts and well-being centre as part of Sense Charity. Students from our informal pathway attend weekly music and dance sessions in their inclusive studio space.
Work experience
For information on how we support work experience and preparation for adulthood, please visit our Post-16 page
Cafés
We take students to cafes to teach life skills and provide students with practical experiences in communicating food choices, managing sensory sensitivities, handling money, and regulating emotions in sociable environments. Cafés offer an opportunity for students to enhance their independence and social integration.
Cycling
Midland Mencap’s Parkride weekly sessions in Cannon Hill Park provide an excellent opportunity to promote fitness for students in our informal pathway. Students use adapted bikes and trikes, some with handles for assisted steering. The sessions are specially designed for people with learning disabilities and are supported by trained staff.
Shops
Our school’s location on Kings Heath High Street provides students with direct access to various local shops. Engaging in shopping activities enables students to develop functional maths skills, such as budgeting and money management, while also supporting reading opportunities. For example, students utilise symbol-supported shopping lists when purchasing ingredients for cooking lessons.
Roots to Fruits
Over the last three years, we have worked with Roots to Fruits to deliver horticulture lessons in our school allotment. These lessons help develop life skills, well-being, environmental awareness, functional literacy, and maths, providing a hands-on, sensory-rich experience that benefits students in our semi-formal pathway.
The Hippodrome
Fox Hollies participates in the Freefall Project with Birmingham Royal Ballet at the Patrick Centre, as part of the Hippodrome’s inclusive arts initiatives. The Fox Hollies Freefall group practises and performs on stage at the Patrick Centre, while every year our semi-formal students attend performances.
Additionally, we have
access to Hippodrome SEN-specific theatre shows, including pantomimes.
Trampolining
Over the last two years, we have worked closely with Rush Trampoline Park to plan fitness sessions for our informal pathway students who require a focus on sensory integration strategies. Rush SEN sensory trampoline sessions provide students with opportunities for movement and exercise in a supportive environment.
Queensbridge School
Fox Hollies is co-located with Queensbridge School.