Life at the Mount

The Mount, as an intentional community working and living with adolescents and young adults with special needs, offers both formal courses set within a structured timetable and an extended curriculum based in the 5 distinctive house communities where the students live during term time.

Each house provides a high standard of care, being well maintained and providing nutritious meals of largely organic food (as confirmed by positive reports from Commission for Social Care Inspection). The aim of the house setting is to provide an atmosphere where the potential of each student is recognised and fostered  therapeutically, educationally and socially.

 

  
 

Rhythm in Daily Life

The daily rhythm implemented in the Houses aims to provide a therapeutic atmosphere for students and co-workers alike. Co-workers and students work to develop moments of both peace/reflection and activity that serve to form a harmonious balance and provide a healthy breathing quality to the day as a whole. A yearly rhythm is built up through the celebration of Christian festivals, and provides excellent opportunities to experience and participate in a range of cultural activities (presentations, plays, music, meals etc). This is of enormous benefit in supporting the students as they undergo a life-learning process.
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Independence and Social Skills

An extended curriculum (as distinct from the timetabled daily sessions) is developed to provide a meaningful context within which the students can learn and develop independence and social skills. They can also extend and reinforce their numeracy and literacy life skills. The extended curriculum is individually created and is built upon initial assessment, and subsequent co-worker observation.

 
The Houses
The 4 smaller house communities comprise 1 or 2 House co-ordinators (and their families), 2 or 3 trainee co-workers, and 4 - 7 students (male and female). This provides an intimate, extended family-type setting. The largest house - a former monastery building - has between 14 and 16 students, with a high ratio of trainee and senior co-workers.

Facilities for the House settings are excellent. There is a range of single and shared bedrooms (maximum 2 people per room), large living and dining spaces and homely kitchens. The students have access to a library, dvd/ video movie resources, snooker table, table football, board games, newspapers and indoor sports area and equipment. The grounds offer space for outdoor activities (games, walks, gardening, cycling, and social interaction).

The varying nature of the different Houses and the ratio of co-workers to students provides scope for diverse and dynamic social relationships to develop within a secure atmosphere. The international range of co-workers allows for exposure to a wide variety of cultures and customs.

 
swimming pool visit