Policy

Ofsted annual reports

A few years later Ofsted still have concerns, but their language is somewhat more cautious, even when they acknowledge ‘loopholes’ that could be unlawful.

“There is also a need to reform alternative provision (AP), removing the loopholes that allow so much of it to avoid regulation and oversight. We need to go deeper into the reasons why so many children sent to AP never return to mainstream schools. We need a better understanding of what happens to the children who are removed from school.” Ofsted annual report 2020/21

It is clear in the last 12 years the UK Conservative Government has failed to uphold the rights of Disabled children as illustrated with the assaults described above.

In addition, the Government refused to endorse Article 24 of the UNCRPD. Tara flood said:

“At the time the UK Government agreed to the Article 24 text, but as we know betrayed Disabled people, shortly afterwards, when it signed the Convention, by placing conditions on its implementation of Article 24 and allowing for the growth in segregated provision and the denial of the human right of Disabled pupils and students to a full life it might appear that, in anticipation of such an attack on Disabled children’s rights it might be appropriate to close their access to redress in the courts”

With the increase in assaults on Disabled children such a legal response from parents could have been anticipated and the Government were warned about the drastic effect of removing Legal Aid in 2011, but perhaps that was their intention? By denyig access to law, they deny access to justice and the Government knew they would be carrying out many injustices against Disabled children The lawyers have made clear that the reduction in Legal Aid had serious consequences for society.

For many parents seeking legal support to redress the assaults against their Disabled children there is a legal desert, leaving families abandoned to continued assaults. Parents of Disabled children do not seek conflicts, they do not want to go to tribunals or court. They are propelled into a toxic struggle with the statutory services, who they assumed were there to ‘support them’, but so many professionals have allowed themselves to become adversaries of Disabled children and their parents.

Rob Delaney, the father of a Disabled child, describes the struggle he and his partner had with statutory services in his book ‘A Heart That Works’: “….hours, days, weeks stolen from families who could be playing with their sick child but instead they must beg for help in front of rooms full of people whose governments assassinated budgets have trained them to be adversaries of families… After many exhausting meetings and hearings that radicalised me for several lifetimes. We got Henry home…”

Conclusion

We cannot fall into despair at these callous injustices against Disabled children by the statutory services and Government. At the very least we must record and support every effort to influence Ofsted, CQC, Local Authorities, MPs and police where appropriate. We encourage parents to contact local Disabled Peoples Organisations without delay, (such as Special Needs Jungle) to pass your case on to the appropriate authorities – Today!

Inclusive practice is alive and well in Surrey

By Richard Rieser,

World of Inclusion

Pyrcroft Grange Primary is a one form entry academy school in Chertsey, Surrey with a strong ethos of inclusion for everyone to learn and be the best they can.

Set in extensive grounds on the edge of the small town of Chertsey and surrounding beautiful countryside, the school is physically accessible and has a Centre for Communication and Interaction Needs (COIN), where the focus is on integration into their mainstream age-appropriate class.

The 34% of pupils on free school meals includes a significant number of Traveller children and belies the first impression of a school in the affluent suburbs.

It is resourced by Surrey Council for 20 pupils with Autism, Speech and Language, and Specific Learning Needs who have Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs).

The school has a further seven pupils with EHCPs and 27 on SEND support. The school has developed space for sensory and quiet rooms, key stage 1 and 2 COIN areas, a library, IT suite, gym/hall and separate dining area. On visiting, what impresses is the focus on learning and excellence for all, utilising the skilled and committed staff, rich range of learning resources (inside and outside) and a variety of outside organisations to provide a rich and varied curriculum. Headteacher for six years, Sue Nardoni, acknowledges the engagement of all learners and respect all pupils have for each other and the whole school community is key.

Progressive Curriculum

The school curriculum is based on the National Curriculum but with many inclusive aspects. I especially liked the commitment to remove barriers to learning, ensuring all children make progress from their individual starting points.

Involving parents is a key to success for all. Teachers ensure all families get a phone call twice every half-term, and a daily home/ schoolbook is used for pupils who attend the COIN. Emphasis is placed on daily reading and oracy learning for all children. Parents are encouraged to make sure children also read their reading book nightly and have a quiet space for their weekly home tasks.

The school curriculum is called Intent, delivered by 13 teaching staff (2 for COIN) and 18 teaching assistants (6 for COIN). Every class teacher is responsible for the learning of all in their class including those who attend the COIN. Most go to COIN for extra help with Literacy and Numeracy in the mornings. Some stay afternoons at COIN (5 currently).

The emphasis is on building relationships and respect with their peers. Pupil who needs a break can go outside when they want. Teaching methods include Teaching, Appreciating, Collaborating and Cooperating and Holistic (TEACCH) approach, zones of regulation, social stories, Emotional Literacy and Support Assistant (ELSA) and sensory regulation.

The elected School Council (SC) of 2 or 3 pupils per class in years 1-6 is organised to ensure the voice of the Disabled children at the school are heard. The SC came up with the mission statement:

The school believe good play promotes emotional, social and academic development and ensures all children get a minimum of an hour of outdoor play every day. all pupils can’t attend, and they make sure all necessary reasonable adjustments are in place. As an Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills (Ofsted) rated outstanding school they are very popular and massively oversubscribed.

Working with Opal Play Project the school have organised their outdoor space into areas with a different focus such as loose parts, giant sandpit, bug hotel and nature play, mud kitchen, table tennis, scooters, trikes and bikes with a hard core circuit, climbing frame, trim trail, mechanics area, mini golf, football pitches, Bessie the Reading Bus, trampolines, outdoor chalk boards, wild area and cultivation garden. A pair of wellies left at school is part of the uniform to enable access outside. There is a breakfast club from 7.45am, lunch and after school clubs staffed so all can attend who want to and gap provision until 6pm. The school have an interesting Personal, Social, Health and Economic education (PHSE) programme of study which include practical skills and important topics for safeguarding and challenging prejudice and bullying.

The school runs many trips to local museums and galleries, Forest School and Residentials in Year 4 (3 days) and Year 3 (5 days).

Nicola Colley, SENCO, head of COIN and deputy told me, they share their excellent practice with other schools in the Trust and locally. High staff retention, happy school where everyone knows all the children and their needs. They have had two wheelchair using children and they were very popular and successful.

A number of children who attend the COIN are non-verbal but by Year 3 they are all speaking and mainly achieving good outcomes when they leave. They have an OT and Speech and Language Therapists (SALT) 1 day per week and all teachers value and include all children in their classes:

“We teach by modelling what we expect the children to do and all the staff including me and the head will turn our hand to any task from helping toileting to hearing children read. We are a strong inclusive family here.”

I visited Pyrcroft Grange as part of my consultancy and development work with the Bourne Education Trust (BET) and Alex Russell CEO. BET have 26 schools mainly in Surrey, covering 12,500 students and over 1,300 staff, committed to ‘Transforming Schools: Changing Lives’ and are fully committed as a Trust to develop Inclusion.

“All our schools aspire to be fully inclusive. This means that all pupils are welcomed regardless of education need. Each school has a SENCO to provide high profile and visible leadership. We believe that all teachers should be a teacher of SEND and train them as such. All pupils learn, contribute to and take part in all aspects of school life. Pupils with SEND spend most or all their time learning with peers, and our schools encourage awareness of the mutual benefits of inclusion.”

(BET Equality, Inclusion and Diversity Annual Report Sept, 2022)

Pyrcroft Grange is a beacon, other schools in the Trust need to turn the aspiration into a reality.

By S Harris

Within 5 months of being born our daughter Grace was fighting for her life as she battled Meningitis. Seven weeks later she came home from hospital and, from that moment. our lives changed forever. Grace had sustained a brain injury and was destined not to walk. I was frightened, but resolved to make sure Grace was always treated equally, as the next couple of years were dominated by doctors, consultants, therapists and other professionals. But the real troubles began when Grace reached school age, and her development took a detour.. .

I never considered anything other than mainstream school for Grace. I had established a relationship with our Education Authority who were supportive of this, and a school was chosen because it was local, newly built and on one level. Grace would need additional support and the Educational Authority didn't have a problem with this, so I assumed there wouldn't be one.

The opposition when it came blindsided me. It came from the headmistress of the school, whose objections, many and varied, were quickly overruled by the Education Authority. Grace started in Reception with a dedicated learning assistant at age 4. The first year passed without problems - or so I thought.

It was at the beginning of year 1 the learning assistant warned me that she had been told to keep a log of any unusual incidents involving Grace, for example, occasions she could not keep up or may wet herself. This 'evidence' was to demonstrate Grace's unsuitability for mainstream schooling. And at age 5 Grace picked up that something was wrong, and that peeing was somehow a problem. So, she stopped peeing at school. I was unaware of this until she became very ill with a urinary infection.

Her learning assistant then told me what had been going on. A meeting was called with the school and the Education Authority. The school presented their evidence the gravity of a criminal trial. It was to be a very short meeting. The Education Authority dismissed the school's objections, e expressing disappointment with a teaching staff colluding to expel their only pupil with physical difficulties in a new school designed to be accessible.

Entry to Middle School - This school, was in the same building and the natural progression from First school. I hadn't imagined a problem, but I found myself in a DeJa’Vu situation with the Head teacher there too. He put up a variety of barriers, pointing out difficulties and generally trying to put me off. Finally, I lost patience with parrying off his objections. Without anger I told him that like it or not we were destined to be shackled together for the next 4 years and that we could do it the easy way or the hard way. I said I was giving him an opportunity to learn; that I was offering up my daughter to be his learning tool and that he could take this opportunity and learn from it or learn nothing and we would all have a miserable 4 years. I predicted he'd thank Grace one day. Did he have a "why not?" moment too? I don't know but he came back to school and embraced this new challenge with enthusiasm. There was nothing he wouldn't do for her. Eventually, at his suggestion and with his support I became SEN Governor of both First and Middle Schools for many years. Furthermore, we became firm friends. Grace is now 32 years old, and we are still firm friends.

After 4 happy years, at graduation from Middle school, Grace was presented with an award for endeavour. The Head teacher recounted our introduction and thanked Grace for enriching himself and the school.