Zespół Szkół Specjalnych nr 11

About us

Our school was founded in February 1990 for students with complex disabilities, who could not find their way through the then educational system. The staff independently searched for effective methods and forms of work organisation, chiefly by contacting professionals from abroad: Denmark, Germany, France, the United Kingdom, Belgium, and the United States. We pioneered in the education of students with multiple disabilities in Poland. Having been encouraged by professionals from the national centre for didactics, we started organising courses for other teachers, and sharing our experience and enthusiasm with them. Our school has come to be recognised in various places all over the country. We are glad to have helped in shaping the current norms in special education in Poland.

Throughout the years our facility has become a modern school for children and young adults aged 7-24 who have special educational needs. In our two buildings we create an educational space for both the younger and the older students with complex disabilities (physical, intellectual, and sensory disabilities, as well as behavioural and speech disorders). At any time, we have approximately 25 classes — half of them at al. Dygasińskiego 25 and the other half at ul. Dobczycka 20. Our classes consist off our students accompanied by a teacher and a teacher’s assistant. We also have 20 home-schooled students. Early childhood intervention team working alongside our school looks after 35 families with children aged 0-7.

To our students, we offer:

  • functional education based on an individual programme of education and therapy
  • individualised activities in small groups
  • attention of the therapeutic team (teachers, psychologist, speech therapist, physiotherapist, teacher’s assistant) led by the class teacher
  • regular classes with physiotherapists thanks to cooperation with a public physiotherapy centre
  • professional and experienced staff who can assign appropriate therapeutic methods to the students’ actual needs
  • classrooms and offices equipped with hardware facilitating everyday education and care: ceiling hoist systems, mobile lifters, specialist furniture, didactic materials, utensils, projectors, interactive whiteboards, assistive technology with specialist peripherals selected according to students’ needs (alternative mice, keyboards, switches, mounting arms, interfaces, eye trackers), as well as hardware enabling alternative and augmentative communication: diverse communicators and tablets with language software
  • sports activities; our students participate in various Special Olympics competitions and develop their skills in boccia — a Paralympic discipline known all over the world
  • opportunity to become a part of a theatre group mentored by professionals
  • opportunity to become a part of Ejejsi Band — a band performing experimental music involving professional musicians
  • trips and excursions
  • support in finding the subsequent place for activity at the end of education — continuing project ‘Absolwent’ (‘Graduate’)

We join hands with the parents, who can participate in the school life through a parent board. Mothers of our students meet regularly thanks to the project ‘Mamo, odpocznij!’ (‘Mum, get some rest!’), established by the ‘Szkoła bez Barier’ Foundation (‘School without Barriers’), which operates in support of our school. Regular meetings of the fathers of our students are made possible by the project ‘Ojcowie – dzieciom’ (‘From fathers to children’), which encourages them to make equipment, adaptations, and didactic materials for the students. Parents can also seek help and advice from a psychologist-led support group.

We associate ourselves closely with the philosophy of dialogue. Our priorities are: enabling student activity; bringing out the full potential of our students; building authentic relations with each of them; communicating with them at the highest possible level (even those with limitations in the use of speech); facilitating their participation in education and in the social life, student life, the lives of their families and local communities, through various strategies and physical helps.

We constantly work on improving the quality of our operations based on our internal standards, especially in the field of education of students with multiple severe disabilities and students with special communication needs. In our school there are several teams tasked with tackling certain problems, which regularly gather members of our teaching staff. We firmly believe that each individual has their own way of developing. Everyone has their skills and talents. Our goal is to improve the life quality of our students, making sure they develop the best way they can, and preparing them for the adult life. This is the mission of our school.

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