Gloucestershire Hospital Education Service

The Gloucestershire Hospital Education Service aims to provide continuity of education for children who are too ill to attend their main school.  They may be:

• in hospital as an inpatient on the Children’s Ward at Gloucester Royal Hospital (GRH
• referred to GHES by a consultant paediatrician or CAMHS care co-ordinator for outreach education

GHES also works with pregnant schoolgirls as part of the county support for school-aged mums.

At GRH there is a small classroom and team of teachers who work with the ward staff to identify who can access education on a daily basis.  Teaching takes place in the classroom or by the bedside.  For patients admitted to the ward for long-term or recurring treatment, the teaching staff contact the child's home school to liaise about work to be covered and can support with work set by the home school too.  When necessary, invigilation of exams, internal or external can be arranged.

The outreach team work with children across the county who are too ill to attend their main school but not hospitalised.  The teaching can take place in the home, in classroom space in Cheltenham or through online lessons.