Upper School: Ages 14-18

Upper School classrooms at Cotting School offer a warm, nurturing, and therapeutic environment conducive to learning and social/emotional growth for students ages 14-18. Students benefit from individual and small group instruction, which enables students to demonstrate what they do best and how they learn. In Upper School classrooms teachers, assistants and therapists work as a team to help each student reach his or her own goals. Students spend the majority of their day with a single educator for a variety of academic subjects, including math, written language, reading, science, social studies and life/transitional skills. All of our teachers are talented, motivated, and wonderfully adept at teaching multiple grade and ability levels. Upper School students visit other classrooms for age-appropriate enrichment activities such as music, art, adapted physical education, library, pre-vocational programming and health. Each class gives students the opportunity to gain knowledge, develop their skills and interests, and offer unique ways to express themselves. State-of-the-art computer and assistive technology is readily available and integrated into the classroom and curriculum. Students also enjoy practicing their independence throughout our fully accessible building, outdoor playground, gymnasium and playing fields. Students also have therapy services integrated into their school day. Classroom teachers work closely with therapists to ensure that students are gaining skills that will help them more effectively access the curriculum. Therapists might work with students in class, in their therapy area or with a small group of other children. Community-based instruction is an opportunity for Upper School students at Cotting to visit a variety of settings in which to practice their skills. As students grow in their abilities, we give them more and more opportunities to apply their skills in real life settings such as community, work and home. Cotting’s Work Internship Program (Project Bridges) empowers young people in the Upper School and Capstone areas of our program to view themselves as a vital part of the greater community through volunteer work experiences. Students contribute to the productivity and morale of worksites while advocating for their individual needs and applying their skills in a professional setting. Most of our students are looking forward to being granted senior status, typically during their last full year at Cotting. As a senior, they are eligible to participate in a variety of special senior activities culminating in a graduation ceremony and where they receive a diploma or certificate of completion. We expect Cotting students to reach the highest level of academic achievement and independence that all of their skills allow. Cotting School is fully approved by the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE).