| 37


child. It was about having a dialogue on their aspirations for their child, rather than us trying to fi t them into a box.” The school has been through two


Ofsted inspections since it became part of the Achievement for All Schools Programme. On both occasions, inspectors made special mention of the excellent work the school was doing with vulnerable groups. As well as free online advice and


information including self-audits to test readiness for implementation, Achievement for All is off ering a range of training packages for professionals to embed learning into practical contexts. At Brookfi elds School, a primary


community special school for children with severe and complex needs in Cheshire, working closely with parents has transformed the school’s approach to supporting pupils to move to their secondary school. “Transition is often diffi cult for our


pupils and their families,” Sara Ainsworth, headteacher at Brookfi elds explained. “You have children who have been at the school since the age of three. “There is a lot of trust and we know the


children well. Changing to another school at 11 is stressful for all parents, but for our parents even more so. There are also many more professionals involved so there is more information to hand over.” Through the structured conversation


approach – managed and focused parent- led conversations between parents, teachers and often the child – the staff at Brookfi elds were able to identify specifi c concerns. One boy had been successful and happy at Brookfi elds but the parents were very concerned about the most suitable next step provision for him. Sara continues: “We spent time with them to really identify what their concerns were, working through each one in turn. We supported additional visits with them and one to one meetings with the secondary staff . Together we gave them a clearer understanding of how they would be supported in that transition while their child was with us and into the autumn term in his new set ing.” This work over four years with the


Achievement for All Schools Programme has made a positive impression with parents at Brookfi elds. The school carried out a survey last year to assess parent’s views on a range of mat ers. There was strong approval of every aspect, including how the school communicated with parents and how well it worked with other agencies and professionals. EDQ


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40