A GOVERNMENT minister has visited a primary school to find out more about its work with pupils who have special educational needs and disabilities.
School standards minister Georgia Gould said Blackhorse Primary School’s work on SEND is a “fantastic example of best practice” and would help shape national reforms planned for the New Year.
Ms Gould visited the school in Blackhorse Lane, Emersons Green, at the start of December, with Filton & Bradley Stoke MP Claire Hazelgrove, regional schools director Lucy Livings, South Gloucestershire Council co-leader Ian Boulton and Ross Newman, who leads the organisation that runs the school, the Leaf Trust.
She saw at first hand work that takes place at the school’s resource base for children with social communication needs, discussed the provision of more resource bases, increasing SEND funding and improving access to specialist services.
The minister said the visit had been “invaluable”, adding: “Blackhorse Primary is a fantastic example of best practice – not only locally but nationally, too.
“Seeing the work done here to support children with additional needs will help inform much-needed reforms for SEND support that our government will set out in the new year.”
Head teacher Simon Botten said the minister had asked to visit after being told it was considered a “beacon of excellence” by the Department for Education for its work on inclusion.
Mr Botten said: “She was impressed that Blackhorse was able to marry both high academic standards for all children, with excellent provision for children with SEND.”
He said the minister praised the access to a speech and language therapist, counsellor, a pastoral team and specialist teachers and teaching assistants, and described the resource base as “the best she’d seen”.
Ms Hazelgrove ran an event and online survey for parents on the future of SEND support over the summer, sharing the results with Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson.
She said: “I’m glad the schools minister has now visited our community to see our local reality in person while reforms are being developed.
“South Gloucestershire has also long been at the very bottom of the league table for funding per pupil head in England, through the funding formula inherited from the last government.
“I’ve raised this in the House of Commons, too, and was glad to be able to discuss this further.”
The MP arranged for the minister to meet Christine Lote, a constituent from Stoke Gifford with incurable cancer who is campaigning for a change in school admissions policies to consider medical needs, after her daughter was denied a place at their nearest school.