The Springfields Academy in Calne has welcomed education professionals from across the South West to share its nationally recognised approach to supporting autistic children and young people, with the aim of helping mainstream schools develop more inclusive learning environments.
The school, part of Reach South Academy Trust, hosted a Regional Improvement for Standards and Excellence (RISE) discovery morning on Thursday 15 October, giving visiting educators the opportunity to see how its specialist teaching methods and inclusive practices could be adapted for other schools. Springfields currently supports 284 autistic pupils aged four to 19, all of whom have an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP).
During the event, visitors joined learning walks, discussions with senior leaders and tours of the school’s adapted facilities, exploring approaches to literacy, communication, personal development and wellbeing. Headteacher Sam Cottrell introduced the school’s work, while Nicola Whitcombe, Regional Director for Reach South Academy Trust, and RISE advisor Jo Stoaling joined discussions about how specialist education can help inform teaching in mainstream settings.
A particular focus was the school’s personalised learning pathways and therapy-first approach, which places pupils’ individual needs at the centre of their education. Visitors also explored how Springfields works with families, staff and external specialists to identify and remove barriers to learning, alongside opportunities to adapt these approaches for mainstream classrooms and specialist inclusion bases.
The event followed significant national recognition for Springfields, which was recently named one of just eight Beacon schools in the country by the National Autistic Society. The school has also achieved Advanced status in the society’s Autism Specialist Award for the second time. During a recent Ofsted inspection, Springfields received the highest possible ‘Exceptional’ judgement in three areas, with inspectors describing its impact on autistic pupils and young people with additional needs as ‘truly transformative’.
Nicola Whitcombe said, “We are incredibly proud of the inclusive practice that takes place every day at Springfields and the positive impact it has on our pupils and their families. This discovery morning was an opportunity to open our doors and share that practice with colleagues across the region.
“We know that specialist schools have a wealth of expertise that can support the wider education system, and we wanted to create an opportunity to share what works and explore how approaches can be adapted to different settings. At the heart of the morning was a shared commitment to removing barriers and ensuring that children can thrive in the setting that is right for them.”
Tom Leverage, CEO of Reach South Academy Trust, added, “The Springfields Academy has built an exceptional culture around understanding each individual young person and removing the barriers that can prevent them from thriving. Sharing that expertise beyond the school is an important part of its role within the wider education system.
“This event demonstrated the value of bringing colleagues together to see specialist practice first-hand, ask questions and consider how approaches could be adapted to support inclusion in different settings. We are incredibly proud of the expertise within Springfields and its commitment to working collaboratively with schools across the region to improve outcomes for young people.”
For more information, visit The Springfields Academy.
