About Our Program

Welcome to Grandview School!

This program combines each student’s academic and therapeutic goals in a small class setting.

All students have an Individual Education Plan (IEP) and are supported by an education team made up of an Ontario Certified Teacher (OCT) and Registered Early Childhood Educator’s (RECE’s). Students learn inside and outside the classroom setting in the accessible playground and yard. The school team encourages all students to strive to meet their individual best. 

If you are interested in the program, please call the school for a tour. If interested in a referral to the school, please see the criteria below. Please read the 2024-2025 Special Education Report for a more in-depth look at our program.

Our Program

The Grandview School Authority is established under Section 68 of the Education Act to provide, in accordance with the Act and its regulations, the education component of Grandview Children’s Centre’s therapy program. All students attending Grandview School are clients of Grandview Children’s Centre (GCC), whose home school boards are the Durham District School Board, the Durham Catholic District School Board, the Kawartha Pine Ridge District School Board, the Peterborough, Victoria, Northumberland and Clarington Catholic District School Board, the French Catholic School Board and the French Public School Board.

Grandview School exists within the Grandview Children’s Centre (Grandview Kids) to provide an education for those children under the age of 21 who require treatment such as individual or group therapy. It is the Board’s goal to provide appropriate programs to children admitted to Grandview School and to assist the integration of these children into community school programs when and as possible. Educators, including teachers, Early Childhood Educators, and therapists, work as a team to combine education and therapy in order to meet the unique needs of the children. 

Grandview School students are accepted for a one-year placement. Parents are supported through the student’s transition into Grandview School and then on to the home school board, with the assistance of the liaison teacher and other education and therapy staff.

Special Education Placements

Grandview School Authority has one school, Grandview School, with four classrooms. The classes are mixed groupings of children with multiple exceptionalities and those with a wide range of speech and communication needs. The students enrolled each year usually range from first-year of kindergarten to grade one age. Frequently, students with speech and communication needs require occupational therapy for fine motor and visual motor difficulties that become apparent during the year. Grandview School accommodates post-surgery clients who need a short-term placement to receive intensive physiotherapy.

An IEP is completed for each student. The student’s strengths and needs are discussed by the parents and the Grandview School team at the interview before the first day of school. The Ministry of Education IEP template is used. Only accommodations to the regular program are needed for most of the students at the kindergarten level. Some students require modifications to the program or an alternative program. A Transition Plan is included in each student’s IEP to inform parents about the process for integration into the home school board. 

Referrals

Referrals are submitted by a Grandview therapist to the Admission Committee by January 31st. The Admission Committee reviews each application and decisions are made by April 1st. There are many more referrals received than can be accommodated in the Grandview School program. The Admissions Committee also meets throughout the year to review early transition into and out of the school program and also review the Admission process on an ongoing basis. A child may also be admitted during the school year, for a short period of intensive therapy following surgery. In some cases a “school only” placement may be offered if therapy spaces are limited and there are classroom spots available. These students will attend our school, benefitting from a small class placement with specialized teachers, and be followed by School Based Rehabilitation Services (SBRS).

Important Information:

• If your child meets the criteria to apply, this does not guarantee that he/she will be accepted as space is very limited.
• Child must be eligible for at least Junior Kindergarten (4 years old by Dec. 31st)
• Child must be a client on Grandview Children’s Centre (Grandview Kids) caseload.
• Children are ranked and accepted based on their ratings of level of need, current skills and rate of progress.
• Families must prepare for regular school placement as the number of available student placements at Grandview School is limited.
• Therapeutic services within Grandview School includes but is not limited to:
  • Ongoing classroom programming with consultation from the SLP, OT and/or PT.
  • Therapy sessions may be completed by an SLP, SLTA, CDA, PT, PT or OT/PT assistant.
  • Students will be reassessed by the therapists in September.
  • A therapy plan for all students will be coordinated at the end of September.
  • Therapy is scheduled based on students’ individualized care plans and may consist of group or individual therapy occurring in or out of the classroom.
  • Parents are encouraged to observe and participate in therapy.

Admission Criteria

Multidisciplinary Referral: Student Requiring Physio, Occupational and Speech Therapy

• Child actively participates in 30-45 minute adult-directed therapy sessions without difficulty
• Child has the ability to actively participate for a full day in a classroom setting
• Child can participate in a shared support environment without direct one-to-one support for significant amounts of time
• Child is medically stable to adequately attend school
• Child does not exhibit significant behaviour/safety concerns that would interfere with therapy and/or classroom participation or interfere with that of others
• Child is an intentional communicator
• Child consistently and reliably demonstrates the ability to signal at least three of the following signals (using forms of communication such as body movements, vocalization, facial expression, verbal words, eye gaze, speech generation devices or picture communication)
  • Signals yes and no
  • Signals they are thirsty/hungry
  • Signals they need help
  • Signals they need a break or are all done
  • Signals what they would like among choices
• Child consistently and reliably demonstrates the ability to understand the following
  • Cause and effect
  • Simple questions (e.g. do you want more?)
  • Simple directions (e.g. look at the ball)
  • Simple play routines (e.g. anticipates what comes next)

Speech Therapy Referral: Students Requiring Speech Therapy

• Child actively participates in 30-45 minute adult-directed therapy sessions without difficulty
• Child has the ability to actively participate for a full day in a classroom setting
• Child can participate in a shared support environment without direct one-to-one support for significant amounts of time
• Child is medically stable to adequately attend school
• Child does not exhibit significant behaviour/safety concerns that would interfere with therapy and/or classroom participation or interfere with that of others
• Child has severe speech production difficulties
• Child demonstrates no greater than a mild receptive language delay

For more information please reach out to the school office using the contact information below.

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Contact

Phone: 905-576-8403
Email: school@grandviewkids.ca

Hours

Monday: 8:15 a.m. – 3:15 p.m.
Tuesday: 8:15 a.m. – 3:15 p.m.
Wednesday: 8:15 a.m. – 3:15 p.m.
Thursday: 8:15 a.m. – 3:15 p.m.
Friday: 8:15 a.m. – 3:15 p.m.
Saturday: Closed
Sunday: Closed

Address

1461 Harwood Ave. N. Building B
Ajax, ON L1T 0R3