School is just down the hall for residents at Voorhees Pediatric Facility (VPF).
For 30 years, children who stay long-term have attended class within the specialized-care facility. Bancroft School gives kids with complex medical needs the opportunity to get an education while having continuous skilled nursing, specialized services, and technology that may not be available at traditional schools.
About 65 residents, ages 3 to 21, attend the New Jersey Department of Education-approved private school in a wing of VPF. The children are grouped by age across six classrooms, each with essential equipment like medical gas outlets and code bells.
Every Bancroft student has an individualized education plan (IEP) designed with the local school district to address their specific educational needs. Multi-sensory experiences like horticulture and music enrich the learning environment. And, thanks to a grant, a dog named Joye provides emotional support and helps further students’ education by teaching socialization and caregiving skills.
“Our team is dedicated to looking at the whole child to see what their abilities and strengths are and to build upon those to put the child in the most optimal position to succeed,” said Colleen Valentino, senior director and principal of the school in Voorhees Township, New Jersey. “We work together to give them the quality of life they truly deserve.
Small classes, big impact
Bancroft students benefit from a small student-to-teacher ratio of about 2-to-1. Each classroom has a state-certified special education teacher and a teaching assistant. Working in staggered, full-time shifts allows one-on-one tutoring for students who can’t attend classes. School days are divided into two 4-hour sessions on weekdays throughout the school year.
Board Certified Behavioral Analysts work with the teaching staff, students, and their families on behavioral modification plans as needed. Students participate in therapies — including speech, physical, and occupational — during their school day. A registered nurse in each classroom tends to students’ medical needs.
The school prioritizes preparing kids to transition to their family home, group housing, or a traditional school setting. Many lessons and activities are designed to help students adjust to life outside VPF, including:
- Training parents on systematic intervention strategies to support their child at home and help them keep the skills they gain at school.
- Teaching caregivers how to use assistive technology to control computers, smartphones, and electric wheelchairs.
- Arranging field trips to the zoo, aquarium, beach, and even ferry rides. “Not many of these kids can say they’ve been on a boat,” Valentino said. “We want to get them out into the community and experience life outside of these four walls.” The school also brings the outside world to VPF by hosting local school bands so Bancroft students can enjoy performances and interact with other kids.
Better education, better health
Attending the school helps the children with their medical care, Valentino said. Students can better communicate their needs with medical providers, promoting independence. Sensory integration techniques improve students’ tolerance of medical procedures. And overall, they have better stamina for the rigors of their daily care.
Some of the children arrive at VPF due to a traumatic event, so the school also provides an important emotional component to the resident’s care.
“When they first come in, they may be very depressed and have a difficult time coping,” Valentino said. “But the constant support and structure we provide — and that we're continuously building upon their abilities — gives them the confidence to keep working. We’re giving them purpose back.”
