The Lookout Education Centre at Hopewood
The Lookout Adolescent Unit is a 32 bed inpatient facility for young people aged 12 – 18 years old. These young people are experiencing mental health difficulties that can no longer be managed in the community. This may include eating disorders or difficulties, mood disorders such as depression and anxiety, obsessive compulsive disorder, schizophrenia and bipolar disorder.
The unit has three wards:
- Pegasus Ward, a 12 bed specialist eating disorder service
- Phoenix Ward, a 12 bed general adolescent unit
- Hercules Ward, an 8 bed Psychiatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) for children and young people needing more intense support.
The Lookout Education Centre provides education for the young people who are in-patients of The Lookout Adolescent Unit. We endeavour to cover all subjects that the young people are studying, using specialist teachers, email and telephone support from their mainstream teachers. All groups on site have a personalised curriculum, differentiated to their needs which covers the core subjects of Maths, English and Science and an enrichment programme.
We also encourage young people to take part in ‘enhanced curriculum’ activities e.g.animation group, drumming, gardening, cooking, outdoor education and off site trips. The aim is to enable the students to develop a good work/life balance, encouraging them to enjoy learning and develop interests.
We work very closely with the students’ schools, aiming to keep them up to date with their own work as far as possible.
The site is also an examining centre for Functional Skills and offer AIM Awards in addition to, or to supplement public examinations.