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From the ashes of disaster... (CONTINUED FROM PAGE 6)


been able to access advice and support from high school staff regarding moderation of coursework, as well as appropriate guidance in the teaching of core skills.


We are extremely proud of what we have achieved at The Meadows in such a short space of time. Yet, because of the endless possibilities of the co-located campus we have created, the work in many ways has only just started. A recent HMI monitoring visit to the The Meadows stated that between the two schools, some truly inclusive work has begun.


It is marvellous how senior staff and governors and especially the pupils at the high school have embraced the whole concept, from the earliest planning stage, to enable the successful model of operation that now exists.


From the moment the initial move was made to co-locate, the high school’s Head Teacher at the time, Judy Samuel, seized the opportunity to create a fully inclusive campus. The design and build of the new school created extensive disruption on the site, and to the high school itself, as facilities were adapted. But every opportunity was taken to ensure that the final product would allow truly inclusive working. This commitment has been continued by the new head, John Spencer.


Included in the planning was the extension of a project already started at the high school, known as Room 21. This has delivered a facility housing a variety of agencies, including learning mentors, Connexions and parent- support workers, funded by the Community and Learning Partnership, to offer support and guidance to children, parents and carers in the Staffordshire Moorlands.


In the summer term, this enabled a fun day to take place for parents and carers of children with special needs and the children themselves, allowing them to gather information about the various local support services available to assist them. This is the key to the whole project – that the campus serves as a community facility to ensure appropriate services and an inclusive model of educational delivery are available for pupils and their parents and carers in the Staffordshire Moorlands.






Chris Williams has spent most of his career in special education, first in a residential children’s home, then setting up and managing a behaviour support unit, followed by two KS3 exclusion units. He has been Head of The Meadows since 2005.





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