Case Studies

Prepared for the ACE Centre North by Diane Risk

Adam (Y2) 'He belongs in our School' - One school’s determination

This case study outlines the journey that Adam, his family, and his Primary School took following Adam’s accident when he was on holiday from Nursery. Neither the parents nor the school had been in such a situation before.

Within this case study the following issues are considered.

Partnership with parentsStaff wanting Adam to return to school

• Staff training
• Preparation of pupils within the school & the effect of Adam’s return on those pupils
• Assistive Technology for Learning
• Adam’s medical needs
• What Adam’s inclusion means to him

This case study describes how these issues were addressed positively and creatively, with Adam & his family, the school, pupils and parents of other children within the school, the LEA and the Health Authority – all working in partnership.

Belling - Developing the outreach role of Belling Special School in partnership with the LEA.

Belling School is an all age special school for pupils with a physical disability or serious medical condition. As well as supporting individual pupils within the school and within the wider community of schools, the school provides a resource centre for mainstream colleagues to further develop their skills and capacity to work with pupils who use communication aids. There are a variety of training methods used, some of which involve pupils from Belling School working with mainstream staff

The systems described show -

• The expansion of the role of the Special School to allow the development of a CAP contact team that works across the authority;
• How the team works with different CAP centres to develop a range of additional skills;
• How pupils participate with the CAP team in training mainstream colleagues; and
• How ‘Leading Edge Funding’ for technology for SEN’ is being used to support this strategy.

Sam (Yr 11) a mainstream pupil throughout his education - An infrastructure of support that includes LEA SEN Service,special / mainstream / health colleagues within the TEAM.

Sam’s communication aid was he result of the first CAP assessment carried out in the LEA by this team. Sam has cerebral palsy and some learning difficulties. He also has physical difficulties and uses an electric wheelchair.

Within this case study the following areas are covered.

• The ‘teams’ who participate in planning and supporting Sam’s inclusion and the inclusion of other pupils across the LEA;
• Sam’s support and the issue of dependency / independence / inclusion.
• The management of Sam’s transition from Primary to Secondary School and from Secondary School to Sixth Form College;
• Sam’s wider inclusion into the community, including his work experience;
• The effect of Sam’s presence on the behaviour of other pupils & his tutor’s statement; and
• Sam’s individual timetable & personal statement.

This case study shows how an LEA infrastructure has developed to enable Sam, and other pupils, to have their needs met in mainstream schools throughout their education. Sam has ‘pioneered’ the way. His primary and secondary schools had not worked with pupils with needs like these before.

Lowtown Special School: - Developing pupil independence and inclusion into the community through the use of AAC.

Lowtown special school is an all age special school for pupils with severe and complex learning needs. About 12 years ago Mary left nursing to become a Learning Support Assistant and was later appointed to be AAC / IT Co-ordinator at Lowtown school. This case study follows the journey taken by Mary, the head teacher and the staff to develop more sophisticated methods of promoting pupil’s communication through the use of AAC.

This case study shows the ways in which the school has addressed the following issues.

• Developing the role of Communication Manager;
• Developing staff training in the use of AAC within the curriculum, and providing ongoing support to staff;
• Providing more flexible timetables / curriculum to allow pupils to have teaching and support to develop their social, spontaneous language;
• Supporting positive movement to work experience and the world of work by adults in the community to learn how to communicate with pupils who use communication aids; and
• Enabling pupils to programme their own aids so they are able to take control of their own environment;

Systems have been developed in school to ensure all staff are able to promote access to the curriculum for pupils using AAC.  This has allowed Mary to work with pupils to enable them to develop the additional skills needed to programme their own aids; to develop social and spontaneous language; and to have the social skills to be confidently included within their local community.

A possible post CAP strategy - A special school developing its outreach role in partnership with the LEA and HealthAuthority.

Clydesdale School is the only special school within this LEA and caters for pupils with a range of severe and complex needs across all ages. Initially the school collaborated with the Health Authority to provide assessments for pupils needing AAC and or ATL In the special and mainstream setting.

CAP enabled more sophisticated and complex assessments and interventions to be used.  This has led to the development of new collaborative systems across the LEA and Health Authority.

The Case Study will describe -

• The initial system developed with the Health Authority;
• Developing the role of the special school across the LEA;
• The development of new collaborative systems across the LEA and Health Authority; and
• The difference this way of working has made to children and mainstream staff.