Teach-Primary-Issue-19.2

GAV I N HAMI LTON provision, named The Orchard. The project was made possible thanks to our Trust, the Bradford Diocesan Academies Trust (BDAT), which helped us secure additional funding. Stage 2, with a more traditional learning setup. The two spaces are unique in their sensory-aware design, too, including designated spaces for circle time, which help children develop their self-awareness and regulate their emotions, Widgit visuals to develop communication skills, and gentle lighting for a calm and nurturing space. One room has colour, smell and texture themes throughout the week for the children to explore, while also establishing a sense of routine. We saw this as an ongoing journey and worked closely with an educational psychologist and the local authority to continually enhance The Orchard. As a nation, we are seeing an increase in the number of children identified as having additional needs. At Shipley CE Primary School, 21 per cent of our pupils are on the SEND register and 5.6 per cent have EHCPs. Both numbers are above the national averages, and both are set to rise further. However, establishing effective SEND provision is a complex process, and like many schools across the country, we have faced a few hurdles including a tight budget, challenges to recruit specialist staff, and the need to grow our own knowledge. But our vision was clear: create a dedicated, nurturing space where children with communication and interaction needs, including autism, for whom the mainstream classroom was not appropriate, could thrive. Our journey began with a bold decision to repurpose our no-longer-used ICT suite into a bespoke SEND The transformation required careful planning to find cost-effective solutions. For example, we repurposed unused furniture and fundraised through our Christmas and summer fairs to earmark additional money for the project. To maximise space and resources, The Orchard has two rooms, which offer two different provisions tailored to the varying needs of our children: one room for early years pupils, which features hands-on, interactive learning, and one for Key FOR SEND A unique space A bit of creativity, plus a little bit of elbow grease, has transformed an out-of-date space into a haven for pupils with additional needs INCLUSIVITY FIRST GETTING STARTED CPD Our adaptive teaching programme includes a centrally driven CPD strategy informed by the EEF’s five key principles of good- quality SEND ( tinyurl.com/ tp-EEFSEND ). Sixty staff across the Trust have been trained, and we now have a cascade system within our schools, where each colleague learns from the others. GO OUTDOORS Over the summer, we renovated and built The Orchard Garden, creating a turf- covered area, which provides a unique environment for sensory-attuned outdoor learning. 30 | www.teachwire.net