Jump to main content
Search
shortlist register contact us menu

NTP Case Study: Green Fold Specialist Primary School, Bolton

Date posted : 01 April 2021

Gary Anders and Lisa Walker from Green Fold School share why they chose to access NTP tuition with Teaching Personnel to support their pupils with complex needs.

Context

We are a maintained specialist school in Bolton, Greater Manchester for children with complex needs including Profound and Multiple Learning Disabilities (PMLD), Severe Learning Difficulties (SLD) and Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). All our pupils have an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) and approximately 55 per cent are in receipt of the Pupil Premium. We have 140 children on roll and are located across three buildings in the local area. Our school is part of the Orchards Federation, a group of three schools working closely together for the benefit of all.

COVID-19

As with all schools, one of the challenges has been around attendance. Although we have remained open since the first lockdown in March 2020 for cohorts of children who were educated on-site, our attendance rate across the period has been approximately 40%. A large number of our pupils have remained at home, largely due to their complex needs, even when most schools were open. For example, one pupil who is shielding has not attended school for almost a year.

For a significant proportion of our pupils with autism, when children initially returned to school in greater numbers in September 2020, we immediately noticed the challenges they encountered re-engaging with their learning. The lack of routine from not being in school presented additional hurdles in terms of engagement.

Communication is the core of our curriculum as it is fundamental to accessing all areas of learning. Not being in school has created significant isolation and difficulty in communicating. If children can’t communicate, they are further disadvantaged. Therefore communication has been the focus for both our tutoring and Academic Mentor.

We have a highly skilled team who use various methods of augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) to communicate with our learners – this includes eye gaze technology, sign, PECS and PODD. In addition to tutoring, we have been focusing on further upskilling our staff team in the area of Total Communication. We have practitioners enrolled on the Elklan Communication Support for Complex Needs and the Elklan Nuffield Early Language Intervention in readiness to further support our learners immediately after Easter. This additional level of knowledge and practice will complement the work of our Speech and Language Therapists who have been supporting specific interventions for children at home and on-site. 

Our full multidisciplinary team – including specialist teachers and teaching assistants, speech and language therapists, occupational therapists, physiotherapists and our visual and hearing impairment teacher – all created work packs and recorded sessions for children to access at home as well as completing live lessons with families. We have also invested significantly in updating our online remote learning resources, this includes Board Maker 7, a special education platform that allows children to access learning independently, using iPads or through printed documents and symbols. For children without access to iPads at home, we were able to obtain significant additional devices via the Government Access to Technology initiative.

NTP

Having not previously used tutoring, navigating this process was new to us. We read about the National Tutoring Programme and did some research to see if there was provision for special schools as some programmes exclude or overlook specialist provisions. We saw that Tuition Partners would be announced in November and were eagerly searching the website on the day of launch.

We were delighted to find we were eligible and contacted Teaching Personnel who were absolutely amazing and listened to our needs and quickly found us a tutor with a background in working with pupils with SEND. Amanda, our tutor, joined us this term and is a qualified SEND coordinator and has previously worked in a special needs school, so we are really pleased.

Quality of Tutoring

Our tutor, Amanda, joined us after the February half-term and has been focusing on reading communication. We use a synthetic phonics programme combined with sensory integration to facilitate learning with phonics. Amanda supports children who are learning on-site and uses iPads for one-to-one learning with children at home. To have a qualified SEND professional joining us this term has been wonderful and we’re so grateful for the extra support.

Impact

The impact on emotional wellbeing has been immeasurable and we are currently evaluating the impact of tutoring on pupil progress. It has made such a difference for a child to be able to communicate with another person in their preferred form of communication, this is crucial for them to access effective learning, we are delighted with the impact.

Advice

We would recommend other schools consider accessing this high-quality tutoring. Be very clear on what it is you need. Teaching Personnel has been exceptionally helpful in helping us to appoint the right candidate as a tutor. The feedback from other members of staff and families has been positive, and the increased interaction is evidenced by the smiles on the children’s faces.

Find out how pupils at your school can benefit from NTP tuition from Teaching Personnel

List #1

Related posts

How to create a teacher supply pool this term

Teaser

Educators

Content Type

TP-Posts

Publish date

DD09YY

Summary

In the fast-moving world of education, headteachers and schools face the challenge of ensuring a continuous and reliable supply of qualified teachers. Unforeseen teacher absences due to staff sickness

Teaser

Learn how to build a resilient supply pool of trusted teachers with Teaching Personnel to combat shortages, reduce costs, and enhance education quality.

Read more
How to Survive Your PGCE: Essential Tips for Aspiring Educators

Teaser

Educators

Content Type

TP-Posts

Publish date

DD09YY

Summary

Embarking on the journey to become an educator is both exhilarating and demanding. The Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) is crucial to achieving your teaching ambitions. The road ahead

Teaser

In this comprehensive guide, brought to you by Teaching Personnel, we'll delve into valuable insights and actionable tips to help you navigate this transformative phase of your professional development.

Read more
5 Tips for Managing Your Teaching Workload

Teaser

Educators

Content Type

TP-Posts

Publish date

DD08YY

Summary

Teaching is a rewarding profession that plays a crucial role in shaping our society's future. However, it comes with its challenges. The workload can be demanding, which might sometimes lead to feelin

Teaser

Teaching is a rewarding profession that plays a crucial role in shaping our society's future. However, it comes with its challenges. The workload can be demanding, which might sometimes lead to feelings of stress.

Read more
Teaching Assistant
Practical Behaviour Management Tips for Teaching Assistants

Teaser

Tips and Advice

Content Type

TP-Posts

Publish date

DD07YY

Summary

Being a Teaching Assistant (TA) is a rewarding and challenging role that requires a diverse skill set. One of the responsibilities of a TA is supporting the teacher in managing classroom behaviour eff

Teaser

Being a Teaching Assistant (TA) is a rewarding and challenging role that requires a diverse skill set. One of the responsibilities of a TA is supporting the teacher in managing classroom behaviour effectively. As a TA, you play a crucial role in creating a positive and conducive learning environment.

Read more
QTS
Can I Become a Supply Teacher without Qualified Teacher Status?

Teaser

Educators

Content Type

TP-Posts

Publish date

DD06YY

Summary

Teaching is a noble profession that holds the power to shape young minds and inspire future generations. Many people find great joy and fulfilment in pursuing a career in education. One avenue within

Teaser

Teaching is a noble profession that holds the power to shape young minds and inspire future generations. Many people find great joy and fulfilment in pursuing a career in education. One avenue within the teaching profession is becoming a supply teacher. But can you become a supply teacher without Qualified Teacher Status?

Read more
National Teaching Assistants Day - nominate your classroom champion 

Teaser

Education News

Content Type

TP-Posts

Publish date

DD06YY

Summary

There are around 295,000 teaching assistants (TAs) working in schools across England and Wales. Today, teaching assistants play a crucial role in supporting students and teachers. In 2022, TAs account

Teaser

Daily, TAs dedicate themselves to supporting teachers and enriching education through collaboration and guidance. To mark the great work that teaching assistants do in schools, National Teaching Assistants Day takes place on September 29th 2023. 

Read more
Keeping Children Safe: Practical Steps and Resources for Primary Schools 

Teaser

Primary Education

Content Type

TP-Posts

Publish date

DD06YY

Summary

While it is true that “accidents will happen”, keeping children safe and preventing as many accidents as possible should be a concern of every school. By raising awareness of risk sensitively, schools

Teaser

Primary schools are now embracing Childhood Safety Week, which is dedicated to promoting safety education and awareness.

Read more

by

Scott Owen

by

Scott Owen

Classroom Mental Health
Breaking the Stigma: How Teachers Can Support Children's Mental Health in the Classroom

Teaser

Tips and Advice

Content Type

TP-Posts

Publish date

DD05YY

Summary

In the last three years, the likelihood of young people having mental health problems has increased by 50%. According to a report by The Health Foundation, one in six children aged six to 16 in Englan

Teaser

As teachers, it is essential to listen to students' concerns and show understanding as well as empathy. And there are many ways teachers can support children's mental health in the classroom.

Read more

by

Scott Owen

by

Scott Owen

Using AI to Reduce Teacher's Workload

Teaser

Educators

Content Type

TP-Posts

Publish date

DD05YY

Summary

In 2023, it is impossible to watch the news without an item discussing the threats posed and potential benefits offered to society by Artificial Intelligence (AI).  Most people, by now, will have t

Teaser

The AI genie is out of the bottle. How can schools use this technology to benefit their pupils?

Read more

by

Scott Owen

by

Scott Owen

Flexible Working in Schools
Embracing Flexible Work in Schools

Teaser

Primary Education

Content Type

TP-Posts

Publish date

DD05YY

Summary

There is little doubt that school leaders across the country are facing a recruitment and retention crisis. It is a simple yet frustrating equation; fewer people are entering the workforce than ar

Teaser

There is little doubt that school leaders across the country are facing a recruitment and retention crisis. More flexible work could be the answer

Read more

by

Scott Owen

by

Scott Owen

company logo
Search