As part of an inclusive approach across all of our Transform Trust schools, our school leaders work in collaboration with a wide variety of internal and external support groups to help mainstream nursery, junior and primary schools meet the needs of all pupils. Due to its commitment to inclusivity, we were very pleased and proud that Allenton Community Primary School was invited to take part in the DfE’s Partnerships for Inclusion of Neurodiversity in Schools (PINS) programme in Derbyshire.  

Pupil voice is prioritised at Allenton, so it was no surprise that the ‘meet and greet’ in reception, followed by a whole-site tour, was led by school leaders: Year 6 children, Amaya, Esmee and Morgan, who are dedicated members of the Transform Trust Children’s Parliament. Formalities were suspended as the children were encouraged to address the Secretary of State as ‘Bridget’, and they proudly showed off their school’s recent refurbishments, its walls and shelves adorned with accolades and ‘show and tells’, and the children’s stunning art and written work.

After the tour, the children were able to question ‘Bridget’ about her role and the election process. Morgan and Esmee wanted to know if she gets nervous, especially around the time of the election, as they both found it nerve-wracking at first, to which she answered “Yes, of course, but I think preparation is key. The more prepared you are, the less need you have to feel nervous.”

Amaya, as part of her role in Allenton’s parliament, has been learning about the meaning and importance of belonging within a school community and beyond. She wanted to know what Bridget and her team were doing to ensure every child in every school feels like they belong. Bridget agreed that “it was extremely important for children to belong” and said she was taking time to visit schools like Allenton to get a better understanding of what it takes to be a fully inclusive school and see where support can be given. 

Parents, Jenny Wilson and Solitaire Smith, along with school and trust leaders, and the PINs team, then met with Ms Phillipson to share their positive experiences of the programme and their personal challenges as parents of children with SEN.

Jenny explained that whilst she has always felt fully supported by staff at Allenton, she has really benefited from the external support and practical guidance received via the partnerships the school embraces, such as the PINS programme. She said, “The school has been amazing. There is such a long waiting list to get an EHCP (Education Health and Care Plan), but the support they put in place for my daughter, Katie, was immediate and not dependent on an official diagnosis. This has included being part of the PINS programme. It’s been great to have access to practical support from someone outside of school who is also a parent of a SEN child. The school already has sensory areas and calm spaces where Katie can self-regulate and staff are on hand to support her. But the additional perspective on the way Katie processes things that happen in her day has given me and the staff more practical ways to support her and we’ve all seen a marked improvement.” 

Jacqui Trowsdale, Head of School at Allenton said “The partnerships we create at school between parents/carers are really important to us and benefit every child. Extending that further, the bonds we create between our school, parents/carers, and external agencies are crucial in terms of managing the specific challenges around SEN provision. We are an inclusive school, and we want to do whatever we can to meet the needs of every child and their families. The PINS project has given us access to specialist learning and resources through links to other organisations.

“Today provided a great opportunity for us to highlight some of our innovative initiatives and resourceful solutions that are making a positive impact. We also spoke candidly about what government could do for all schools – which is to provide and integrate the wider support of external agencies such as Health, SALT, CAMHs, BEMHs and social care. This will complement the work already going on in mainstream schools to meet the needs of pupils with more complex needs. 

“Politics aside, I was so proud of our school today, particularly with Morgan, Amaya and Esmee who were wonderful hosts. They were typically polite, curious and warm - and this set the tone for a truly inspiring few hours.”

Rebecca Meredith, Transform Trust CEO, said “While our trust has made significant strides in supporting children with neurodiversity and engaging staff, parents and carers through tailored programmes and initiatives, like most trusts in the country, we need access to many more resources to scale our efforts effectively. Being able to discuss this openly and honestly with the powers that be was certainly refreshing.

“Throughout my career, I have had enormous respect for Sir Kevan Collins and was grateful to have been given the opportunity to discuss the serious challenges our school communities are facing with him today and present some solutions that we know are having a positive impact on our children. Many schools are resourceful and doing whatever they can to meet the needs of their children, but they need urgent access to additional funding and support to help expand their inclusive practices and to ensure that every child, regardless of their needs, has access to the high-quality education and care they deserve.”

The Secretary of State for Education was impressed by her visit to Allenton Community Primary School, particularly with the children’s conduct and support during the visit - and was delighted with the gift they presented her with to remind her of their school, an Allenton school mug to take back to her office.