Teach-Primary-Issue-19.2

www.teachwire.net | 31 community-driven approach. We also used the space to practice flexibility within our curriculum. Some of the best ideas for support have come from our children, and we wanted to really listen and understand their interests. We honed this approach by creating a flexible structure for each day, allowing for different learning tasks and activities, remaining supported by a reassuringly predictable structure. This utilises overarching themes or topics that provide a balance of functional skills development and key national curriculum areas. We worked incredibly hard to integrate the new space within our wider school community, which helped us to bring parents along on our journey. To achieve this, we reviewed and enhanced our professional development opportunities to include additional training on intensive interaction, sensory diets and profiling, and the use of visuals, alongside a whole-school focus on inclusion strategies supported by the EEF. This has been crucial in upskilling all our teachers and support staff to feel confident in meeting pupils’ needs, but also so that our families and children are confident and supportive of their work. Our team visited and learned from other schools as part of this training, considering how their approaches might work within Shipley as part of a Whilst SEND success can be difficult to measure and requires a different or additional set of standards, we use the AutismEducation Trust (AET) framework for assessing pupil wellbeing, engagement, and overall happiness. This helps us to understand our pupil voice and set appropriate challenges through identifying individual learning priorities and developing unique progress scales in key areas such as social skills and independent living. Whilst academic benchmarks are still important, we’ve prioritised these non-academic milestones that better reflect our pupils’ developmental journeys. We are proud that The Orchard has already had a profound impact on the teaching and learning outcomes for all our pupils. For example, there has been a marked reduction in classroom disruptions, greater attendance, and improvements in the wellbeing of both pupils and staff. We have also seen changes in the social and emotional development of our pupils, with many demonstrating newfound confidence and engagement across the curriculum. NAOMI AND EMMANUEL AIGBOJE - JACHIN’S PARENTS “[Jachin’s] speech is improving, his ability to socialise has improved too, thanks to the specialised and inclusive environment provided by The Orchard.” QUDRAT SHAH - SHAFA’S GRANDFATHER “We have been absolutely amazed by the great improvements Shafa has made since joining The Orchard.” SARAH HYLAND - BEAUX’S MUM “[The] spacious and quieter environment helps, along with a higher staff-to-child ratio to give Beaux the support he needs. He is definitely enjoying school more.” Gavin Hamilton is headteacher is Shipley CE Primary School inWest Yorkshire, part of the Bradford Diocesan Academies Trust (BDAT). shipleyceprimary.org.uk bdat-academies.org “Our vision was to create a space where children with communication needs could thrive” BUILDING EXPERTISE CELEBRATING PROGRESS SPEAK OUT We focused on using this space for pupils to share their own ideas and engage in independent learning, surrounded by staff who made them feel seen and valued. LOOKING AHEAD We’ll continue growing, especially to develop our sensory curriculum and integrate our learning as part of a whole-school approach. We’re working closely with our local authority to secure additional resources. F EATURE S L E ARN I NG J OURNE Y