Most Inclusive Practice Across a School
Westlea Primary School
Westlea Primary School is larger than most other primary schools with around 300 on the role. The proportion of pupils known to have special educational needs and/or disabilities is well above average. This is because the school has a specialist resource provision catering for up to 8 pupils with a physical disability – currently there are 9 children on roll (this is about to increase to 10 children). Each of the SRP children has an EHCP and 2 of the children are currently in EYFS, on bespoke packages to meet their complex educational needs.
We also admit children with high levels of medical needs from outside our catchment area as the schools in their area do not have the facilities or skills we have and will not admit them. The children are all fully integrated into mainstream provision, due to the expertise and commitment of the SRP and mainstream teachers and TA’s. The school’s previous SRP Lead (now the Headteacher) was recognised by the borough as Leading teacher of inclusive practise. A recent Local Authority audit of the SRP provision judged the provision to be good (this was the highest possible judgement).
Our expertise with SEND children also attracts parents from outside our catchment area who send their children to our school. Currently, there are 17 children with EHCPs in the school, including children with ASD and SEMH needs.
Most Inclusive Practice in Early Years
Inspiring Foundations
Our Federation consists of two Nursery Schools in the City of Sunderland; Houghton Community Nursery School and Mill Hill Nursery School. Both settings provide outstanding Early Years Foundation Stage Education for children aged between 0-5 years.
Houghton Community Nursery School is situated in Houghton-Le-Spring within Sunderland, serving a varied community. Mill Hill Nursery school is based in the Doxford Park area of Sunderland, and serves a mainly white British community.
Both nursery schools have grown and changed in response to the ever changing needs of the community. Houghton is open 7.30am until 6.00pm, with Mill Hill being open from 7.45am until 5.30pm both for 50 weeks of the year. Initially both schools were purely for 3/4 year olds, however the schools adapted and opened provision for 2 year olds , followed with provision for babies.
We view all the provision as one, and firmly believe that any child that comes to either school should have an outstanding experience.
Most Inclusive Practice in Further and Higher Education
London South East Colleges
London South East Colleges provides outstanding education and training for young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) across the boroughs of Bromley, Bexley and Greenwich at its Nido Volans centres.
The team currently supports 286 16-24-year-olds with complex to moderate learning difficulties. It provides discrete and personalised study programmes at our Bromley and Bexley Nido Volans Centres.
Nido Volans means ‘fly the nest’ and that is the College’s aim – to give learners the skills, personal development and qualifications they need to work and live with greater independence.
Most Inclusive Practice in Special Schools and Alternative Provision
The Summit Centre
The Summit centre is based in Queen Elizabeth’s Academy. It is set within an area of significant deprivation. It serves the wards of Ladybrook and Bullfarm/Pleasley, which are among the 20% most deprived wards in the County according to the Government’s official statistics (English indices of deprivation 2015). When considering the deprivation measure of education, skills and training, the Summit referral area falls into 10% most deprived areas nationally. The surrounding areas of the Summit Centre have low, levels of education attainment – 13.3% of the population have ‘no qualifications’ – significantly higher than the national figure of 8%. Furthermore 11.6% of children live in households that are workless (NOMIS 2016). In working households, the average salary is 36.5% lower than the national average for England (National Statistics, 2017) and 38.25% of households are paid less than the ‘living wage’ (social mobility index data). The Academy is currently undersubscribed with high numbers of SEND (in particular SEMH) students and EAL students
Queen Elizabeth’s Academy SEND numbers have been accumulating rapidly which has therefore identified a requirement for an additional support centre on site which could house the most severe at risk of exclusion students and offer a bespoke education package to meet their needs.
For the past 15 years the Academy has been in special measures and various projects /strategies have been implemented and failed. When I started in 2010 the Academy had over 80 students accessing various off-site alternative provisions and a significant number of exclusions and permanent exclusions too.
Most Innovative Special Needs Intervention
TCES Group
TCES is an independent provider of specialist education based in London supporting exceptional neuro diverse children and young peopleaged7 to 19whohavespecial educational needs and disabilities typically associated with autism, social emotional and mental health needs and associated disorders. Most of them will have experienced multiple placement breakdowns and significant trauma, often resulting in behaviour that challenges. On average pupils will have been excluded from other provisions up to three times before reaching us and had significant periods out of education. TCES pupils learn at one of our four schools or within our Home Learning service; Create Learning and Create Learning Primary support our most complex and vulnerable pupils, with TCES East London and TCES North West London supporting those who are able to access learning within a school environment. When possible, we aim to step children down from Create into one of our main schools.
TCES Home Learning offers one-to-one distance or home/community education to children and young people between the ages of 5to 19 who are out of school currently. This is likely to be due to their refusal to attend school, often linked to mental health and anxiety issues.Since TCES was founded by our CEO Thomas Keaney 21 years ago, we have never permanently excluded a pupil, and since 2018 wehave a policy of no fixed term exclusions either. Independent research(https://www.tces.org.uk/info/research) conducted by David Woodger and Caroline Frizell, Goldsmiths University of London in 2019concluded that TCES’ approach, including our refusal to exclude is, ‘highly effective in transforming the lives of pupils, educationally, emotionally and socially.’ Dame Esther Rantzen, founder of Childline and TCES patron said of the independent research, “We are extremely grateful to the children and young people who took part in this research about whom you will read in the report. Their achievements are conclusive evidence that TCES’ approach works, and it works well. I believe that its policy of never permanently excluding, along with other interventions could, and should be used as a template for the educational sector as a whole.
Support into Employment
Newham College
Newham College is a Further Education College in East Ham, East London within one of the most richly diverse and deprived Boroughs in London. With a disproportionate amount of families living in multigenerational homes and temporary accommodation, 48% of residents are living in poverty. The consequences of poverty and inequality has had a huge impact during the Covid 19 pandemic, with the London Borough of Newham being one of the worst affected areas in England and Wales.
East London is also characterised by lower qualification levels, lower employment rates, and lower salary levels than other parts of the capital. With all these factors in mind there is a huge need to prioritise independence and successful employment outcomes for Learners within the borough and help shorten the poverty gap.
One of the core objectives of our SEND provision is to help learners to be job ready so that they can eventually secure paid or voluntary employment. We are extremely proud of our Employment Curriculum and work hard to ensure that appropriate steps are taken to progress learners prior to progressing into our Newham Supported Internship Programme (known as NSIP) and into sustained paid employment.
Contribution to the Sector
David Winter
Portland College is a leading independent specialist college and registered care home for young adults with disabilities. Our Further Education provision is available for learners aged 16-25 who have an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP). Our Care services are for adults of any age from 18 upwards, but generally attracts younger adults.
Our vision is for all people with disabilities to have a lifetime of opportunity, and we strive to achieve this vision by delivering excellent programmes to inspire and empower young people to lead more fulfilling, independent lives.
Originally purpose-built 70 years ago as a residential college for disabled minors and WWII soldiers, we have developed our provision, facilities and expertise over the years to cater for a much more diverse learner base with a wider curriculum offer.
Our learners all have very different needs emotionally, physically and medically, and our specialist staff support them to improve their independence, health & well-being and employability so they can look forward to brighter futures.
Partnership with Parents
Penwortham Primary School
Penwortham is the second biggest school in the London Borough of Wandsworth. There are over 650 pupils on roll; 26 pupils with EHCPs, 83 children on the SEND register and 180 EAL pupils. Penwortham operates over 3 sites – all are easily accessible for children with disabilities (e.g. Ramps, lift). Each floor has an accessible toilet. One classroom is fitted with a professional soundfield system that is beneficial for children with hearing impairment. The learning environment is highly inclusive, the children are provided with a large range of resources such as: visuals, sensory aids, SEND and EAL materials, IT technology etc.
We are very proud winners of the 2020 SEND awards in two categories: Most inclusive practice across the school and Partnership with parents.
Inclusion in Further Education and Higher Education
Derwen College
Derwen College, near Oswestry, in Shropshire, is a national specialist further education college for young people aged from 16 to 25. We currently have 143 residential and day students with a wide variety of special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), including autism, communication difficulties, challenging behaviours and profound and multiple learning disabilities (PMLD).
Our strapline is ‘a place of possibility’. While we focus on employability and development of independent living and social skills, each student’s expectations and outcomes are bespoke and based on supporting them to achieve the very best they can and raise their aspirations.
Students are based at the college’s main site in Gobowen, near Oswestry, and at three smaller satellite sites at Walford, Ludlow and Telford. Learners follow vocational pathways in Hospitality and Food, Horticulture, Retail & Enterprise and Performing Arts. Most recently, the College has launched a bespoke Nurture programme which caters for students with Profound and Multiple Learning Disabilities (PMLD).
Excellence in Special Schools and Alternative Provisions
Cortani Academy
Our Alternative Provision Academy provides education for students in key stages 2, 3 and 4 who struggle in mainstream school. We have a maximum of 40 students on roll all with SEMH needs. Over half of our students are FSM and PP. Our relationship-based curriculum ensures the needs of all students are catered for. All staff have been trained in a trauma informed approach, including emotion coaching and restorative practice, which is embedded within our working practice and our policies reflect this.
As well as SEMH needs, the majority of our students have additional complex needs which are often undiagnosed when they arrive with us. Most of our students require an EHCP which is a priority if this has not been awarded before they come on roll. At the moment, we have a large number of students with autism which we take into account when planning our support. Our provision takes into account sensory needs alongside this and practical support is provided as necessary.
All of our students have had a negative experience of education in the past and often trauma within their personal lives too. We gain a comprehensive history of each student to ensure we are able to offer the most effective package of support.
Most Inclusive Practice
Handforth Grange Primary School
Handforth Grange Primary School is a mainstream Primary within the Frank Field Education Trust. We are known within Cheshire East and out local area for the standard of support and provision we provide to children with SEN. Currently, within a school of 336 children we have 44 children on the SEN register, 20 EHCPS and 24 children on SEN-K support. At Handforth Grange Primary School we are committed to welcoming all students.
We have a resource provision for 7 children with Education Health Care Plans whose main area of need is Autism. This provision is currently over PAN with 8 children being supported within this provision. Children within the Resource Provision will have a balanced curriculum designed to meet their individual needs with periods of time in mainstream classroom complemented by specific social and sensory integration programmes completed on an individual basis or in small groups. Adjustments are made where necessary and where possible to enable all students for whom Handforth Grange Primary School is the best placement, to access lessons and social time as freely as possible. The children are part of the year group PAN, are therefore their progress remains the responsibility of the class teacher under the code of practice. The expectation is that children within the resource provision should have the capacity to be able to spend 50% and above of their time being taught in the mainstream classroom alongside their peers with support. Specialist teaching is provided within the resource provision where needs cannot be met in the classroom or to provide additional sensory, life skills and speech and language interventions.
