We believe that our children only have one crack at their education,' declares Cate Tindall, early years co-ordinator at Newfield School in Blackburn, Lancashire, which provides education for children with Complex Learning Difficulties aged two to 19. It is this positive attitude that instils confidence in the parents that their children can and will achieve to the best of their abilities in relation to their individual special educational needs.
'Many parents have no preparation for having a child with disabilities. It should be one of the happiest times, but all their hope crumbles. Everything about their child can become very medical and clinical,' says Ms Tindall. 'We can help parents come to terms with their child's particular individual needs, reassure them and make them feel that they are doing such an important job. As the parents they are the child's first teacher.
'We have to be positive. For example, the child may be on the blind register, but how much can he see? The child benefits from this approach. The parents also get a buzz from the fact that there is hope and that we are working towards building skills and abilities that are important for that individual.'
All the children at Newfield School have Statements of Special Educational Need. These are used to develop a Personal Learning Plan outlining key targets for the coming term - for example, retaining an object in their grasp or reaching out to touch and investigate. Lessons are then carefully planned in line with the Early Years Foundation Stage, incorporating a curriculum target alongside the personal target.
The school's latest Ofsted report said, 'Provision in the Foundation Stage is outstanding. Children have a flying start in their education. Their needs are quickly assessed and very specific interventions are adopted, resulting in children making excellent progress, albeit in very small steps.'
Staff follow the full EYFS curriculum, based around themes appropriate to the children's age and abilities. It is a creative and sensory-based curriculum and takes into account advice from a range of other professionals such as speech and language therapists, physiotherapists and occupational therapists, on matters such as positioning and communication skills.
Information and communication technology is widely used to facilitate learning, along with the traditional counting rhymes, books and messy play resources. The school is incredibly well equipped and even has a hydrotherapy pool with a hoist and ramp so that it can be accessed by children of all abilities.
Many of the nursery children have limited physical control and need specialist equipment like seating, standing frames and wheelchairs. 'We pride ourselves that no-one is in the same position for longer than an hour,' says Ms Tindall. 'No matter how good the lesson is, the child won't learn if they are uncomfortable. So if the child appears to be uncomfortable, we check thoroughly, because they can't communicate through speech.'
Each child has a personal 'passport' containing information such as their essential needs, feeding requirements (some children are tube-fed), medication, how they communicate and how they like to be communicated with. These passports stay with the child so that any unfamiliar staff or visitors understand them.
At the end of each lesson the staff focus on what each child has achieved in relation to their individual targets. Each child also has a home/school book to let parents know what they have been doing through the day and a personal Record of Achievement for all areas of learning. This forms the basis of their individual Early Years Portfolio. This evidence is collated over three years and is presented to the child at the end of the Foundation Stage.
Ms Tindall stresses the importance of this document. 'It is essential that the parents can look at it and positively think, "My child can ..." It is a celebration of their child's school life.'
INCLUSION LINK
The nursery children at Newfield School have developed friendships with children at a local mainstream nursery through an inclusion link that has been running for 20 years. They will continue to have links with mainstream settings until they leave school at 19.
Once a fortnight five children from local Brunel Nursery School and a staff member go to Newfield School for a morning session of language/story and social play. When possible the visits are reciprocated, but at the moment the children's medical needs make it difficult, although it's hoped that one child in the group will soon benefit from visiting the mainstream nursery.
Newfield inclusion co-ordinator Julie Jones says, 'The most important aspect of the link, for our link schools, is disability awareness and increasing children's understanding of different abilities.
'For our pupils, especially those who are physically immobile and are developing language skills, the visits by the children from a local nursery create a different environment for them, with lots of language and movement. Our children are able to see other children doing different things and to learn from their peers.'
Staff at the nursery school talk to their children before they start the visits, to prepare them for meeting children in wheelchairs or with feeding tubes. 'The children gain an understanding that not all children are as fit or able as they are,' explains headteacher Dorothy Holden. 'They learn to be really caring, gentle and help each other. They get excited when it's their turn to visit and always come back talking about what they've done.'
Newfield School is also linked with a nearby college, and a group of 16- to 18-year-olds visit weekly for wheelchair dancing sessions.
WORKING WITH THE FAMILY
The school's quality of care and support is enhanced by excellent partnerships with external agencies. 'The school can see the whole picture and support the parents,' says Cate Tindall. 'Parents of children with special needs deal with many different agencies, which can be very daunting. Parents can feel intimidated by the professionals they meet. They comment "but I'm only his mum", when they are actually the expert on the child. We have empathy with them and give them the confidence and skills to ask questions.'
Children's Complex Need Service A social worker from the Social Care Needs Team holds monthly drop-in sessions at the school. Parents can ask questions or find out about services face-to-face, rather than through an anonymous phone call.
Clinics Paediatricians and other medical professionals run clinics at the school. The familiar surroundings are less daunting for children and parents and it also reduces the time they miss from lessons and work.
Parent sessions The parents' group extends to all members of the family who have dealings with the child. The parents' group meet each week. They have a rolling programme of activities. The sessions are promoted through the SHARE philosophy and reflect the needs of the children whose parents attend. Often, specific parents are invited for sessions that reflect their child's needs. The activities are presented in a way so that the parents can take away ideas and continue them at home. Specialist speakers are sometimes invited to speak to staff and parents so that together they can find out more about a certain syndrome or behaviour. By working together, staff and parents share information and positive outlooks are developed.
Parents' room There is a dedicated area for parents to relax after appointments with professionals, and there are plans to open a coffee bar. A group of parents have gained health and hygiene certificates so they can prepare food for events.
Family events The school organises activities to involve the whole family, such as beach parties and fashion shows. Some of the children have trouble accessing the local cinema, so this Christmas 'High School Musical 3' was shown in school. The main hall was transformed into a cinema with surround-sound, hotdogs and popcorn. Children, parents, cousins, grandparents and staff and their families joined together as the extended Newfield family.