Why this is leading practice
Busill Jones has been nationally recognised and accreditied for their whole school approach to developing language and communication skills with ALL children, but also providing an environment and ethos that supports children with delayed communication development and moderate through to more complex difficulties. Busill Jones School is also effectively working to develop good practice in other Walsall schools through providing Outreach and collaborating with multi agencies on borough-wide training. Busill Jones School has also been visited by schools, educational pyschologists and Children's services managers from other areas (including Rochdale and Wales) as a model of good practice for establishing inclusive provisions.
Impact to date
With 19% of pupils attending having SEN issues, 25% with communication needs and 17% with a diagnosis of Autism, and many pupils having come from previous schools where they were not happy/understood, it is testament to the efforts of Busill Jones that so many pupils/parents now feel comfortable. The parents praised transition work, consistency in communication, positive reinforcement, friendship groups, the use of ‘buddies,’ personalized learning and the feeling of being understood and part of a team. Some pupils have progressed from not reading or writing, to performing in concerts.
The Local Authority regularly contacts Busill Jones to advise other schools that have their own issues and they have re-newed their Service Level Agreement for further development of the Additionally Resourced Provision. The Outreach programme is being successfully delivered to other Walsall schools and beyond. Ofsted 2008 graded care, guidance and support as ‘outstanding’ There has been increased pupil confidence, improved participation in activities, and improved parent partnerships.
Rationale / Start Point
Since the establisment of an Additionally Resourced Provision for Communication Needs catering for children with Speech Language and Communication Needs (including children on the autism spectrum and children with Specific Language Impairment) Busill Jones has successfully developed a supportive environment and whole school ethos that ensures all children are included in every aspect of school life. They were the first school in the West Midlands to receive ICAN's Primary Talk accreditation at Enhanced level and are currently working towards accreditation at the Specialist Level. Our Additionally Resourced Provision is also successfully operating an outreach service working with other Walsall schools to develop good practise and staff regularly work as part of a multi-agency team to provide training across the borough. Staff have also become trained Mentors and Accreditors to enable them to Accredit schools at the Supportive Level of Primary Talk.
Key Strategies
The behaviour policy is based around positive communication rules e.g. ‘good sitting’, ‘good waiting’ etc. Strategies to promote communication are evident throughout the whole school, for example the use of visual timelines within every classroom and ‘I need help’ cards in the dining room. There is a clearly identified training plan for the whole school. Training is focused on implementing specific strategies e.g. Makaton, Colourful Semantics, Derbyshire Language Levels. There is a revised Admissions and Exit Criteria to allow more pupils to speedily access the provision. Successful development of the Resource Provision has enabled the school to recruit and retain quality staff, including a Speech Therapist. All I.E.P’s are set jointly between parents, teacher, TA’s, SENCO and Speech and Language Therapist, ensuring everyone understands it.
Sustainability and Further Development
Busill Jones are at the forefront in their work on Language and Communication skills and working with Autism, and relish the opportunity to help other establishments, which gives as many pupils in Walsall the best possible chance. They acknowledge they also need advice on subjects such as dyslexia, and feel the sharing of good practice benefits all.
With the retirement of the present head teacher in July, it is hoped that the new head will be as forward thinking and passionate and will continue this good work well into the future.