Appendix 1: Perth and Kinross Education and Children’s Services Accessibility Strategy Action Plan 2022-2025: Progress Report May 2024
Perth and Kinross Council · 29 May 2024
Back to Learning and Families Committee — 29 May 2024 and its agenda
Text extracted from the council's PDF. Layout and reading order may differ from the original.
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1 Perth and Kinross Council Education and Children’s Services Accessibility Strategy Action Plan 2022-2025 Progress Report May 2024 Appendix 1
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2 Summary Report Duty Progress to date Case Study/Appendix Link Duty 1: Increase the extent to which pupils with disability can participate in the curriculum ✓ All schools have begun implementation of CIRCLE, some have not fully completed the first phase (considering inclusive social and physical environments and associated adaptations for their learners) due to other priorities within the school, or individual circumstances of staff. In a survey of school leaders conducted last term, we found that 85% of schools had achieved or were on track to achieve universal CIRCLE by Summer 2023. ✓ All Secondary schools engaged with the VSE process by June 2023 with a focus on the 4 pillars of Inclusion. The overall report for these is being shared. ✓ iPads have been provided through the COVID recovery allocation and Strike funding to support learning and communication in all Intensive Support Provisions (ISPs), with 5 devices being provided for each class. ✓ Eleven primary schools have been supported to provide enhanced support for new P1 children with significant levels of additional support needs. ✓ In partnership with CALL Scotland and NHS Tayside Speech & Language Therapy, ISP are focusing on key themes to improve accessibility of the curriculum for learners. ✓ The ASN Assessment Framework has been created in preparation for rollout to all schools in August 2024. ✓ To improve decision-making, the Assisted Technology Panel has been restructured and is piloting new referral process with two all-through schools: Breadalbane and St John’s ✓ CLPL calendar for 2024/2025 provided to HTs on HT days 13th & 14th March 2024 with a variety of accessibility sessions. Training included sessions on use of Apple and Microsoft technology to support children and young people with ASN to access learning. ✓ Over the past 2 years PKC have established an ASN PEPAS Group that consists of an Active Schools, Disability Scotland, Fairview School and Central Team representatives. PE teachers attend a twice-yearly development day which has introduced ASN CLPL opportunities for them to attend, this also incorporates training on making PE accessible for all within the mainstream and intensive support settings. PKC PEPAS Group run termly drop-in sessions that are available to all practitioners across PKC schools and under extra-curricular sporting activities four key events are currently being delivered and run each year by PKC. ✓ Effective planning sessions with Disability Scotland Representative has supported the development of adaptations to events schools participate in to ensure accessibility for all. This includes Active Schools supporting a group of young people with additional support needs, some of whom attend Perth College, taking part in our Creative Day of Dance. Appendix 1 - Crieff Primary School – Implementation of CIRCLE: Physical Environment Appendix 2 - Perth Grammar – Implementation of CIRCLE: Physical Environment Appendix 3 – Digital Learning Team CLPL Calendar 2024-25 Appendix 5 - Sensory Services – examples for Accessibility Strategy Appendix 5 - Sensory Services – examples for Accessibility Strategy Case Study 1 - Perth Primary and Secondary School – Supporting Learners with English as an Additional Language Case Study 2 - Oakbank Primary School - Oakbank PS Implementation of CIRCLE across setting
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3 ✓ Three secondary schools actively took part in an Anne Frank workshop offer, this supported 66 pupils to become peer guides for the exhibition which received 1690 visitors from the wider community. ✓ Over 202 and 2023, 4 primary schools received delivery of Nil By Mouth school workshops with over 203 primary pupils engaging in the programme; 2 sessions have also been delivered at St John’s Academy engaging with 120 secondary pupils. ✓ Heartstone Story Circles awareness sessions were delivered to teachers and introduced within 6 primary schools engaging primary 5 pupils through discussion from a storybook context. and P1 enhanced support provision Duty 2: Improve the physical environment of schools to enable better access to education and associated services. ✓ Riverside Primary School opened in term 4 last session with an ISP which has a specially designed outdoor space. ✓ Work has been undertaken to improve access to safe outdoor areas in ELC settings and schools. ✓ A CIRCLE Physical Environment Universal Springboard resource has been developed. Primary schools that have actively been using this resource have reported that it has helped support classroom practice and are keen for other aspects to be incorporated, ie Structures & Routines and Social Environment. The Universal Springboard working group has presented the primary-focused Physical Environment Universal Springboard to a group of secondary Pupil Support Teachers and received support for the development of an equivalent secondary-focused resource to support their schools with the implementation of their universal offer. ✓ All Outreach Teachers are actively using visuals to support learners across the primary schools they are supporting. ✓ An audit of ISP learning environments has been completed to inform planning to improve the quality and consistency of this provision within the overall learning estate. ✓ Planning is underway to support Connections (part-time Intensive-level provision for primary-aged children with social, emotional and behavioural needs) to move to more suitable premises at Perth Grammar School Community Wing. ✓ Equalities TEAM in PKC have supported all secondary schools to embed Place Standard conversations as a starting point to create equality networks or link into school networks already in place. ✓ The Equalities team participate in the Relationship Steering Group to represent groups of children and young people with protective characteristics. ✓ Safe to be Me programme was delivered by The Scottish Ballet 30 pupils from S1 at Perth Academy. ✓ Show Racism the Red Card workshops engaged 367 pupils from 17 primary schools. Case Study 3 - Riverside Primary School Building Planning – Planning for Accessibility in collaboration with Senior Leadership Team and PKC ECS Central Team Duty 3: Improve communication with pupils with ✓ NHS Tayside Speech & Language Team provided training on communication and language for all school staff to access.
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4 disability along with communicating to them information that is provided in writing for pupils who are not disabled, in appropriate alternative formats and taking account of any preferences expressed by them and their parents ✓ Most Early Years settings have a Communication Champion to support all learners to meet communication milestones. ✓ Inclusion teams have delivered 2 Support Staff In-service days offering a wide range of training opportunities; 180 support staff members attended on each day. Feedback was positive with over 90% strongly agreeing or agreeing that the day was valuable and would have a positive impact on their practice in the classroom. ✓ Early Years Inclusion Team links with NHS Tayside and Parent to Parent to ensure that transition planning is robust for children starting nursery and that parents are well informed and have easy access to information. ✓ Strategies and guidance developed have summarised written versions and short video resources to improve the accessibility of key messages. ✓ Two Inclusion Ambassador groups have been supported to establish, one in Strathearn (Crieff High LMG) and one in Perth (Fairview and Perth High LMG). The Inclusion Ambassadors continue to meet regularly, and are developing information on ‘Raising Awareness’, to improve understanding of additional support needs by peers and staff and are informing the ASN Transformation Programme. ✓ ASN Parents Network involving Parent Council representative has met each term, this group has informed the development of written information for parents on CIRCLE and is developing written information for parents on the new ASN Child/Young Person Plan paperwork and process. ✓ Parents have been supported to have increased information to support their child when they are transitioning from nursery to P1 or from P7 to S1. These parent sessions have been delivered by Education in collaboration with Parent2Parent and Perth Autism Support. Progress Report: March 2024 Duty 1: Increase the extent to which pupils with disability can participate in the curriculum. National Improvement Framework Priority – Placing the human rights and needs of every child and young person at the center of education. HGIOS QIs 2.2, 2.3, 3.1, 3.2 Outcome (What the improvement will be for children and young people) Actions (What we will do to achieve this improvement) Progress Children and young people fully engage in learning through an inclusive environment which includes appropriate differentiation, and inclusive 1) School and ELC staff will complete training on the Inclusive Classroom Scale (complete scale, make, implement, & review a plan) October 2023 ✓ All schools have begun implementation of CIRCLE, some have not fully completed the first phase (considering inclusive social and physical environments
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5 attitudes that help them to enjoy learning and build a sense of confidence and resilience. 2) All Secondary schools complete a Validated Self- Evaluation and implement any identified improvement actions and associated adaptations for their learners) due to other priorities within the school, or individual circumstances of particular staff. ✓ The survey conducted last term with school leaders showed us that 85% of responding schools had achieved or were on track to complete CIRCLE at the universal level with all teachers by the end of the summer term 2023. ✓ 15% (5 schools) reported that 100% completion of this target would be carried over to 23-24. ✓ Over 50% of schools had gone beyond this and were on track to have completed implementation at the additional level by June 2023 (considering the individual needs and associated adaptations). ✓ All Secondary schools engaged with the VSE process in session 2022/23 with a focus on the 4 pillars of Inclusion. Appendix 1 - Crieff Primary School – Implementation of CIRCLE: Physical Environment Appendix 2 – Perth Grammar – Implementation of CIRCLE: Physical Environment March 2024 ✓ Further updates have been made as part of the CIRCLE Universal Springboard documentation – the working group have now completed the Social Environment and Structures and Routines focus areas. ✓ A survey has been designed and data will be gathered In May ’24 to provide an updated picture on CIRCLE implementation across schools. This data will be used to identify schools to be offered targeted support to embed the process of self- evaluating and enhancing inclusive environments and considering how to develop the participation of individual learners. Next Steps ✓ Additional sections of the Universal Springboard are to be piloted and shared with PPSTs in supporting schools and guidance to be completed in supporting the roll out of the Universal Springboard to all schools in August 2024. ✓ Development of a Secondary Universal Springboard. ✓ Increase the availability of suitably equipped quiet spaces in schools through use of budget motion funding. Appendix 5 - Sensory Services – examples for Accessibility Strategy
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6 3) Using improvement methodology through technology to improve curricular accessibility and communication environments for non-verbal learners with complex needs in PKC ISPs March 2024 ✓ CALL Scotland and S< in partnership with PKC ISP provisions are starting to focus on key themes to support practitioners in improving accessibility for learners ✓ Inchview ISP has had a session with CALL Scotland and S< to explore how communication can be better supported specifically for their learners; a further session is planned with Tulloch Primary ISP. ✓ Twilight training sessions have been carried out and CALL Scotland staff have been into the ISPs to model the effective use of communication aids for non- verbal learners. ✓ PKC have distributed iPads from COVID recovery and strike funding to all ISPs and all have been equipped with appropriate technology required to support and meet learners needs. Next Steps ✓ In collaboration with CALL Scotland and NHS Tayside Speech and Language Therapy, the Inclusion service will create a toolkit to continue to support and upskill practitioners across all ISPs in supporting communication with non-verbal learners. Children and young people’s learning experiences and achievement is improved through increased staff awareness, knowledge and understanding of needs and the strategies, resources, equipment, and technology that support participation in the curriculum. 3) Develop an Identification and Assessment Framework to support school staff to meet needs of children and young people with additional support needs October 2023 ✓ An ASN Assessment Framework has been finalised and will be shared with all schools in June 2024 alongside the Staged Levels of Intervention Framework and the CYPP Guidance ✓ Over 171 practitioners provided feedback on CLPL Training sessions in 2022-23, with 23% providing feedback on inclusive practice training they had attended. 35% attended due to wanting to gain more knowledge and understanding in inclusive practice and over 30% attended due to it being an area of school improvement relating to the universal offer to meet the needs of all learners with additional support needs in their schools ✓ All PPSTs and Outreach Teachers regularly attended a variety of different CLPL training opportunities in session 2022-23 which has now led to Special Interest working groups being set up to further enhance and extend staff knowledge and understanding within inclusion ✓ 11 PKC Primary schools have worked with the Inclusion service to deliver Enhanced support for children who joined P1 with a significant level of additional 4) Staff will have access to strategies, training, resources, equipment, and technology to meet needs of children and young people
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7 support needs. There has been some positive feedback from schools about this approach. The feedback on what hasn’t worked so well is being used to review the allocation and type of support provided for the new P1 classes where such support is required. March 2024 ✓ Assisted Technology Panel has been split into two groups, Curriculum Accessibility, and Communication – new referral process is currently being piloted with two all-through schools: Breadalbane and St John’s ✓ The curriculum accessibility group meet once every 4-6 weeks to review new referrals to make recommendations of support either at authority level or needing a CALL Scotland referral made – this will be reviewed in April before being rolled out to all schools ✓ Universal Support list created with QR codes signposting to self-guided learning Draft Universal Support Checklist- Jan 2024.pdf ✓ Training of PPSTs planned for 8th May ✓ PKCs P1 Enhanced Support offer has gathered its Year 1 evaluations in preparation for planning for Session 2024-25. Data gathered highlighted the following parent feedback: o 90% felt satisfied with their child’s transition into P1 o 100% felt communication with schools was the most helpful aspect along with 90% gaining a better understanding of what was included in P1 enhanced support o 90% felt that the support provided for their child was effective with parents feeling without this additional support their child would not have managed in a mainstream P1 class setting o Parents felt the challenges were ensuring all staff were aware of care plan/risk assessments in place in supporting their child and lateness in identifying key staff who would be working with their child ✓ A P1 Enhanced Support Working Group has been established consisting of the Early Years and Inclusion Team members to build on this feedback in moving forward with planning for Session 2024-25
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8 ✓ £48k was spent on equipment purchased to support children and young people with additional support needs to access their learning in the school setting. Systems were established to enable better recycling of specialist equipment to improve sustainability and effective use of funding. Case Study 2 – Oakbank Primary School - Contact Oakbank PS to gather good practice information on the P1 enhanced support provision and their successes from this Appendix 5 - Sensory Services – examples for Accessibility Strategy Next Steps ✓ Special Interest working groups led by Primary Pupil Support Teachers and Outreach Teachers will support Inclusive Practice improvement workstreams. Children and young people will be more independent in their learning and access to the curriculum, enabling improved attainment 5) Through training all teachers and support staff will develop their awareness of learning tools on Office 365, which increases access to the curriculum. October 2023 ✓ School practitioners have engaged in CALL Scotland free webinars over the course of the year. These are readily available for all PKC practitioners and are sign posted to via the Digital Coordinators. ✓ The Digital Coordinators have an EDMS site sign posting or supporting access to a variety of inclusive practice digital training for all PKC practitioners. ✓ A CLPL calendar of available digital training for the 2023/24 year was published and given to all HTs in March 2023. ✓ The Digital Team have also recorded a Microsoft & Windows Accessibility Webinar which can be accessed by practitioners at any time in our dedicated EDMS team. March 2024 ✓ 6th March 2024- Apple Accessibility Training- recording can be found here ECS Universal Supports Apple - 6 March 2024-20240306_160026- Meeting Recording.mp4 ✓ 21st February 2024- Microsoft Accessibility Training- recording can be found here Universal Supports- Using Microsoft to Support Learners Needs- 20240221_160000-Meeting Recording.mp4
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9 ✓ The Digital Team have a YouTube channel and self-directed professional development site here, which has a designated section on the support we provide for accessibility - Welcome! – Perth and Kinross Digital CLPL Site (glowscotland.org.uk) Next Steps ✓ CLPL calendar for 2024/2025 provided to HTs on HT days 13th & 14th March 2024 with a variety of accessibility sessions (see Appendix 3). Appendix 3 – Digital Learning Team CLPL Calendar 2024-25 All children and young people with a disability will have access to physical education curriculum and extra-curricular sporting activities 6) Further broaden the range of physical activity opportunities available. October 2023 ✓ Over the past 2 years PKC have established an ASN PEPAS Group that consists of an Active Schools, Disability Scotland, Fairview School and Central Team representatives. This is a support network to look at and review accessibility for all within the physical education curriculum and extra-curricular sporting activities ✓ PE teachers attend a twice-yearly development day which has introduced ASN CLPL opportunities for them to attend, this also incorporates training on making PE accessible for all within the mainstream and intensive support settings ✓ PKC PEPAS Group run termly drop-in sessions that are available to all practitioners across PKC schools. This supports practitioners in discussing and seeking advice on how to adapt PE activities to meet all learners needs as well as discussing how to support young people with more complex needs ✓ This offer is not just held to termly sessions, regular comms goes out to schools for practitioners to get in touch with the PKC PEPAS Group if they have any queries out with the termly drop-in sessions which the group support with ✓ Under extra-curricular sporting activities, four key events are currently being delivered and run each year by PKC: o Cross-country o Athletics o St Andrews Day of Dance o Creative Day of Dance
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10 ✓ Effective planning sessions with Disability Scotland Representative has supported the development of adaptations to events and looking at alternative measures to ensure accessibility for all March 2024 ✓ Planning for this year’s Creative Day of Dance at the Concert Hall considered the sensory and physical needs of young people attending. An additional space has been provided that is a quieter space and provides the option for young people to access if they require this to meet their needs with events being co-coordinated to happen within this additional space too ✓ The Cross-Country event is to include an additional race for ASN learners as well as adaptations being made to the course to meet all learners needs whilst ensuring that the competitiveness nature of the sporting event has not been lost ✓ In partnership with Active Schools, they have led on a few projects aimed at improving access to extra-curricular activities and some curricular activities - specifically in Fariview School. Providing the following: o UHI Perth Fitness students delivered a 12-week block of curriculum fitness sessions o UHI Perth Coaching students delivering 3-week blocks of extra-curricular sessions at SHIP @ Fairview after-school club o Active Schools Modern Apprentice delivering 6-week block of extra- curricular sessions at SHIP @ Fairview after-school club o Tayside Judo offered curriculum Judo sessions to pupils at Fairview o Curriculum fitness/weight-loss programme with targeted pupils working with LAL colleagues in the Wellbeing Team ✓ As a wider Active School Team – they have shared and promote SDS/PKDS events with all school contacts and young people ✓ In collaboration with Scottish Disability Sport funding has been secured to provide an Inclusive PE workshop for class teachers and PE specialists working with pupils with disabilities in PE and school sport in a mainstream environment Next Steps
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11 ✓ Increase the profile of the ASN PEPAS drop-in sessions which provide advice and guidance to enable PE delivered in mainstream and specialist settings to be more inclusive. ✓ Raise awareness with schools of the increased inclusivity of sports events and review the barriers to children and young people attending events. School curriculum will include a focus on equality and diversity in range of subject areas 7) Schools will participate in the national review of Personal and Social Education and implement subsequent recommendations. Options to include development of other subject areas will be explored. October 2023 ✓ Anne Frank Workshops have been implemented across PKC schools for the past 30 years for pupils to learn from the uniquely inspiring life and work of Anne Frank and be empowered to become voices for equality in schools. Three secondary schools took part in this workshop and a total of 66 pupils engaged in being a peer guide for the exhibition which had approximately 1700 visitors. ✓ The Anne Frank Trust also worked with 11 of our primary schools and reached 483 pupils across PKC. ✓ Nil By Mouth school workshops focus on raising awareness of the issues surrounding sectarianism within our society and has been delivering the Pause B4 U programme which helps children better understand the impact of online bullying and discrimination. In 2022-23 4 primary schools received delivery of these workshops with over 203 primary pupils engaging in the programme. 2 sessions have also been delivered at St John’s Academy engaging with 120 secondary pupils. ✓ Heartstone Story Circles awareness sessions were delivered to teachers and introduced within 6 primary schools engaging primary 5 pupils through discussion from a storybook context. The impact of this was that it raised awareness amongst the children, supporting them to be confident that they can deal with an incident of hate/intolerance if they come across it. ✓ PKC Education management team provided a response to the national consultation on the delivery of RSHP curriculum. Awareness of the consultation was also raised with Parent Council chairs. Case Study 1 - Perth Primary and Secondary School – Supporting Learners with English as an Additional Language March 2024 ✓ Between October 2023 and March 2024, the Anne Frank Trust Workshops involved work with 3 primary and 4 secondary schools reaching a total of 1782 young people. Workshops covered Antisemitism, Anti-black racism, Gender
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12 equality and homophobia, History today and talks by Holocaust Survivor Dr Martin Stern MBE. ✓ Between October 2023 and March 2024 2 primary schools have received Nil by Mouth workshops with 144 young people attending. A further 2 primary schools received copies of the ‘Neeps and Tatties’ book for work between St Andrews Day and Burns Night. Next Steps ✓ Work with Champions Boards to develop awareness raising resource in relation to experiences of living in care to share with their school communities. ✓ Promote awareness of needs of armed forces families with school staff. ✓ Work with the Inclusion Ambassadors groups to improve understanding of additional support needs within peer group. Children and young people with a disability have access to efficient and inclusive school transport provision 8) Develop guidance to support implementation of the Home/School Transport Policy to ensure provision of a service which meets needs of pupils with a disability October 2023 ✓ Currently being developed March 2024 ✓ This activity has been delayed due to transformation programmes Next Steps ✓ Develop guidance for schools and information for parents with regards to enacting the policy in place regarding home/school transportation. Work with children, young people, parents and carers to explore options to increase independent travel Duty 2: Improve the physical environment of schools to enable better access to education and associated services. National Improvement Framework Priority – Placing the human rights and needs of every child and young person at the centre of education HGIOS QIs 1.5, 3.1 Outcome (What the improvement will be for children and young people) Actions (What we will do to achieve this improvement) Year 1 Progress 1) Riverside Primary School will be designed and constructed to October 2023
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13 Children and young people with disabilities will benefit from well- planned learning spaces meet the needs of all its learners. ✓ All stakeholders had an active voice in the design of their new school building at Riverside Primary School to ensure it met the needs of all its learners. ✓ New school opened in term 4 last session with an ISP. Feedback indicates the design is better for meeting a range of learner needs. School has an ISP with specially designed outdoor space. Case Study 3 - Riverside Primary School Building Planning – Planning for Accessibility in collaboration with Senior Leadership Team and PKC ECS Central Team March 2024 ✓ Learning from Riverside PS design will inform planning for any new schools. ✓ Over £260k was spent on improving learning spaces for children and young people with additional support needs in 2023/34, this included £154k on fencing to improve safe access to outdoor spaces in 14 ELC settings and schools. Next Steps ✓ Support the planning towards the opening of Perth High School. ✓ Support any further planning for any new schools. ✓ Work with the Property service to inform the Learning Estate Strategy ✓ Develop the ASN Transformation workstream to inform decision-making on the location and profile of Intensive Support Provisions to improve locality access and range of ASN able to be supported. 2) The ASN Transformation Programme will include a workstream to ensure the School Estate Strategy plans effectively for current and projected additional support needs, including disability. Children and young people with ASD, sensory and/or communication processing needs are supported through appropriate images, signage, and visual references. 3) Guidance will be developed to support ELC settings and schools to effectively use images, signage, and visual references to appropriately support children and young people. October 2023 ✓ All Outreach Teachers are actively using visuals to support learners across PKC primary schools they are supporting ✓ A few primary schools across PKC have introduced visual timetables within their settings as part of ongoing universal support for all learners ✓ Inclusion Teams, ie PPSTs/Outreach Teachers are further building their confidence and understanding of the importance of the effective use of visuals at universal and additional stages of support to develop increased use across PKC schools ✓ Majority of primary schools across PKC are becoming more familiar with the use of the visual supports section within the Physical Environment Universal Springboard. This includes PPSTs supporting school SLT and practitioner teams to look at their physical environments across the school setting and implementing visual supports and aids to meet the learning needs of all. Key
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14 aspects focus on visuals in use; consistent format; visual cues; cultural diversity; labelling; visual timetable and visual clutter. ✓ Almost all schools that have actively been using the universal springboard has reported to PPSTs that it has been well received and keen for other aspects to be implemented, ie Structures & Routines and Social Environment March 2024 ✓ Universal Springboard working group has delivered the Physical Environment Springboard to PKC secondary PSTs with positive feedback and acknowledgement for something similar to be produced to support secondary schools with the implementation of their universal offer ✓ All Headteachers received a presentation on understanding the ASN profile of your school and building a universal support offer to meet the predominant needs identified in the profile. ✓ Universal Springboard Working Group have now completed the documentation and visual prompts for both the Social Environment and Structures & Routines areas from CIRCLE and is currently out for consultation with the wider Inclusion Team and PKC HTs/QIOs Next Steps ✓ More Primary schools will be supported to embed use of the Physical Environment Universal Springboard and a similar Secondary resource will be developed. ✓ All school will be supported to increase their use of visuals to aid communication through the use of Boardmaker following the agreement of a 5-year license that will extend to all schools. Pupils from equality-protected groups will have a positive school experience and will feel safe and respected in school and when online 4) Schools will be provided with information on action days to improve equality and encouraged to support activity to raise awareness in their school or ELC setting, i.e. • Show Racism the Red Card • Autism Acceptance Month • Pride October 2023 ✓ Equalities TEAM in PKC have now contacted all secondary schools to embed Place Standard conversations as a starting point to create equality networks or link into school networks already in place. This is to ensure that the voices of all pupils are heard and that everyone feels they can contribute to the life and work of the school. These conversations have helped to identify and determine what each school network would like to work on or what area the Equalities Team can help with, ie leading on activities with the school on key dates in the calendar, help with raising awareness, and sharing lived experiences.
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15 ✓ 3 Secondary Schools requested the Equalities team be an active part of their conversations, 2 of the schools had the team take part and identify next steps in moving this forward with 181 young peoples’ voices being heard ✓ Equalities team were represented on the working group at Crieff High School to draft the schools revised Anti-bullying policy ✓ Next steps are to make contact with a further 8 high schools to set up and hold Place Standard conversations with pupil groups ✓ The Equalities team is also now represented on the Relationship Steering Group to support with concerns being highlighted around pupil social and emotional learning ✓ In session 2022-23, 39 schools, 1147 children and young people, participated in Show Racism the Red Card workshops ✓ The Scottish Ballet worked with Perth Academy to deliver the Safe to be Me programme for 30 pupils from S1. March 2024 ✓ Work by the Equalities team with 3 further secondary schools has been delayed due to staff sickness ✓ 17 primary schools have participated Show Racism the Red Card partnership within 367 pupils attending educational workshops this year; in total 13,708 children and young people in schools have received some form of anti-racism education in PKC over the past 15 years Next Steps ✓ In collaboration with children and young people from equality-protected groups Education staff will develop resources to support awareness raising of prejudiced-based bullying following the launch of the Anti-bullying Strategy for PKC ELC settings and schools. 5) Anti-bullying Strategy will be reviewed October 2023 ✓ This has been updated following a series of engagement sessions with children, young people, parents and school staff. Strategy and operational guidance will be launched for a final consultation in term 2. March 2024 ✓ The final draft Strategy and operational guidance have been circulated to all schools and a presentation shared with Parent Council Chairs.
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16 Next Steps ✓ PKC Anti-bullying Strategy will be launched. This promotes prevention of bullying through the development of respectful relationships within school communities and provides a clear framework to address bullying, including prejudiced based bullying should incidents occur. Duty 3: Improve communication with pupils with disability along with communicating to them information that is provided in writing for pupils who are not disabled, in appropriate alternative formats and taking account of any preferences expressed by them and their parents National Improvement Framework Priority – Placing the human rights and needs of every child and young person at the centre of education HGIOS Qis 3.1, 3.3 Outcome (What the improvement will be for children and young people) Actions (What we will do to achieve this improvement) Year 1 Progress All children/young people will feel included in communication about their learning and life of the school/ELC setting 1) Staff training and guidance materials will improve staff awareness, knowledge and skills in best practice and tools to facilitate communication and understanding of children and young people with a disability, i.e.: • Makaton signing • Communication passports • Visual timetables • Talking mats • Symbolised environment • Augmentative and Alternative Communication • signage October 2023 ✓ NHS Tayside Speech and Language Therapy team have provided a variety of CLPL Training opportunities for all PKC practitioners to access. Overall ratings of how informative these were on average has been 98%. ✓ Most Early Years settings have a Communication Champion to support how their setting is meeting the communication needs of all learners ✓ A recent survey of PSAs in Early Years settings highlighted the following: o 22 PSAs across PKC Early Years Settings had been trained in a signing communication system o 21 PSA were actively using Makaton within their settings o 1 PSA was actively using British Sign Language – Level 2 o 14 PSAs were actively using a communication aid with learners March 2024 ✓ Inclusion team have delivered 2 successful Support Staff In-service days offering a wide range of development training opportunities, with over 180 support staff members attending each day. November’s day focused on ‘Knowing our Learners’ and offered six training workshops, with January’s day focusing on ‘Knowing yourself in supporting our Learners’ and offered fourteen training workshops. Feedback was positive with 0ver 90% strongly
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17 agreeing or agreeing that the day was valuable and would have a positive impact on their practice. Next Steps ✓ All In-service days will continue to have a training offer to support inclusive practice, with a particular focus on improving relationships and behaviour and effective assessment and planning to meet the needs of children and young people with additional support needs. ✓ Two members of staff will attend a Train the Trainer CLPL for Talking Mats so that they can deliver training for ELC settings and school, including key Inclusion staff such as PPSTs and Outreach Teachers, who can then cascade and use with in the schools they support. All children beginning ELC will transition in successfully 2) Continue to develop and embed the pathway supporting children with complex additional support needs/disability to access ELC. October 2023 ✓ TRIC have developed 4 pathways to support understanding of roles and responsibilities to ensure clear planning for children with complex needs ✓ 0-3 PPG continues to meet 4 x year to discuss children with complex needs ✓ 0-3 ECP links with Health and Parent to Parent to ensure that transition planning is robust for children starting nursery March 2024 ✓ Pathways have been distributed. Next Steps ✓ Further develop paperwork at transition and move from care coordinator - ELC have been agreed ✓ Implement the revised Child’s Plan paperwork in ELC settings to provide consistency in information across ELC settings and schools ✓ Work with Early Years to ensure clear pathway for ELC staff supporting children with ASN's All communications are accessible for children and young people with ASN/ disability 3) Complete an audit of printed and electronic information (leaflets, template letters, website) that is available to all children and young people ✓ Exclusion letters have been revised to increase accessibility. An easy read summary of the policy is also available. March 2024
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18 across ECS to inform improvement actions to improve accessibility. ✓ Anti-bullying Strategy is supported by a summarised version to provide easily read information on the key messages. In addition to this written information a short key information video is available. ✓ Attendance Guidance is in final draft form and will include revised letters to increase their accessibility. ✓ A group of parents from the ASN Parent Network are supporting the development of guidance for parents on CIRCLE and the Child/Young Person’s Plan Next Steps ✓ The revised Child/Young Person’s Plan paperwork will be launched, this supports clearer understanding of the needs of children and young people with additional support needs and the supports that should be provided. ✓ The revised paperwork will be available in accessible formats. Children and young people with ASN/disability and their parents inform development of inclusion policy and relevant actions. 4) Establish a Perth and Kinross Children and Young People Inclusion Ambassadors network and enable them to support engagement of other children and young people with ASN in policy and service developments. October 2023 ✓ We now have 2 Inclusion Ambassador pilot groups. Strathearn which is currently Crieff LMG. We hope to include Auchterarder LMG this session. The Perth Group is Fairview and Perth High LMG. We hope to extend this to include Perth Academy. ✓ Both groups have had very successful first meetings and their second is in late November. ✓ The groups are very much led by the young people and both groups interestingly brought up the following topics to take forward. ✓ Classroom Environment (hoping to work with EPS as they are producing a child friendly CIRCLE environmental checklist) ✓ Adults that work in schools’ understanding of children and young persons’ additional support need (suggestions included being involved in interviewing new staff) ✓ Peer relationships and understanding of their additional support need. (projects such as ‘LEANS’ were briefly discussed) March 2024
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19 ✓ The Inclusion Ambassadors continue to meet regularly, providing invaluable feedback and ideas to inform the ASN Transformation Programme. ✓ We are actively working to expand the Inclusion Ambassadors Groups to ensure wider representation from all PKC schools. ✓ Our new ASN Transformation Programme Manager, Jaclyn Meikle, has been introduced to the children and young people, and will be working closely with the group moving forward. ✓ This term, the ambassadors are focusing on ‘Raising Awareness’. Discussions are currently underway to organise an awareness event/day/week for all pupils and staff within. ✓ The Crieff LMG ambassadors shared their views on priorities for improvement with the Service Manager Inclusion and Additional Support and the Convenor for the Learning and Families Committee, at their sessions in December 2023 and March 2024. Next Steps ✓ Volunteers from the existing Inclusion Ambassador groups will assist the ASN Transformation Programme during upcoming ISP environment audits. Their input will provide an essential pupil perspective during the review of these learning environments, helping us identify areas for improvement. ✓ The ambassadors will work with an Inclusion QIO to review and provide feedback on the revised Child Plan paperwork before it’s rolled out across PKC schools. ✓ Members of the group have been capturing aspects of their ‘lived experiences’ through various mediums such as drawings and essays. This work will be shared via a ‘Padlet’ to increase awareness of additional support needs by staff and peer. 5) Establish a Parents Forum for parents of children and young people with ASN. October 2023 ✓ Initial meeting with reps from Parent Councils to collect views of Parents as Part of the Parent Engagement Strategy ✓ Linked with Chair of PIE strategy to ensure that actions moving forward link with the actions from strategy ✓ The project started in February 2023 when a group of interested teachers/ PSAs and senior learners were invited to meet with a representative with
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20 Enquire and Children in Scotland to discuss the formation of a group of inclusion ambassadors. ✓ Through these discussions it was decided that the best approach would be to have a few pilot groups within the authority and build upon it from there. ✓ Crieff and Auchterarder LMGs joined together and Perth High LMG and Fairview joined together. We had hoped Pitlochry and Breadalbane would also have a pilot group however this did not work out, mainly due to staff availability. ✓ From there the two pilot groups worked together and in April shared a presentation with CYP and information with schools and parents to encourage CYP to apply for an inclusion ambassador position. By June we had formed two groups and October was the first Crieff meeting at Strathearn art space. A further is planned for the first Perth meeting. The aim is to meet again in November. March 2024 ✓ Group have met 4 times and looked at parent’s thoughts re: o visibility of ASN in schools o Understanding CIRCLE o Understanding new CYP Planning ✓ There have been parent sessions offered at key points of transition in collaboration with Parent2Parent and Perth Autism Support o Starting Nursery o Nursery - P1 o P7- Secondary ✓ These sessions have focused on answering parent questions and providing information about transition/assessment and planning and parent rights ✓ All sessions have been well attended and evaluated Next Steps The ASN Parent Network will ✓ support a review of the Additional Support Needs section of the School Handbook. ✓ Collaborate on the development of information for parents on the new ASN Child’s Young Person’s Plan paperwork and process. ✓ Support aspects of the ASN Transformation Programme.
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21 Appendix 1 Crieff Primary School - Circle Implementation At Crieff Primary, Janet Copland the Principal teacher had worked with staff on making the school communication friendly for all prior to the introduction of CIRCLE. Through the introduction of CIRCLE, all staff have worked hard to ensure their classrooms are inclusive for all pupils. They have focused on physical environment, social environment, and routines of the class. Staff carry out circle participation scales for specific children, to ensure all needs are met. To ensure a consistent approach across the school every classroom has, quiet areas, self-regulation areas and fix it folders. Visuals, using the Boardmaker symbols are displayed on each classroom wall including, self-regulation soundbites and visual timetables. Emotion works is also embedded at every stage of the school to ensure consistency for all pupils.
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24 Appendix 2 Perth Grammar ISP – CIRCLE Implementation: Use of Visual Aids as part of Universal Offer
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25 Appendix 3 PKC Digital Learning Team CLPL Calendar
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31 Appendix 4 Kinross High School Marketplace Event – Parental Engagement Event to inform parents of allied agency supports. Supporting Dyslexic Learners
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32 Appendix 5 Sensory Services – examples for Accessibility Strategy Children and young people fully engage in learning through an inclusive environment which includes appropriate differentiation, and inclusive attitudes that help them to enjoy learning and build a sense of confidence and resilience. A pupil at D Primary School benefits from a school team who have worked with the Hearing Support Service to understand the nature of the pupil’s deafness and the impact it has on his ability to access the curriculum. The pupil wears two hearing aids. In his early years the Teacher of the Deaf (ToD) installed a soundfield system in the classroom which, via a mic worn by the teacher, elevated the speaker’s voice above background noise. More recently John has begun using a Radio Aid which links a mic directly to his hearing aids. This overcomes noise and distance. These adaptations enable the pupil to hear speech. His condition also impacts on processing and understanding. To augment his understanding a PSA fluent in Makaton signs much of his day. This not only enables the pupil to understand and join in with the learning, it helps remove the frustration felt from not understanding. Collaboration between the school team and the service has removed barriers and deepened knowledge of deaf awareness strategies such as getting a child’s attention before speaking and not standing with a window or light behind you as this obscures the face and the opportunity to watch lips and read facial clues. Children and young people’s learning experiences and achievement is improved through increased staff awareness, knowledge and understanding of needs and the strategies, resources, equipment, and technology that support participation in the curriculum. A pupil at Primary has a dual impairment. The Qualified Teacher of the Deaf (QToD)successfully trialled a Radio Aid to enable him to hear the teacher’s voice above background noise and at a distance. The Qualified Teacher for Visual Impairment (QTVI) The pupil also has a Kodak SL25 smart lens (camera) which wirelessly links to a large iPad. The smart lens enables him to see more clearly things at a distance such as the board, the body language of the teacher, wall displays etc. The Radio Aid and the smart lens offer the pupil the freedom to sit anywhere in the class, rather than having to sit near the front to see and hear the teacher. He also has a task lamp so when the lights are dimmed (to help relaxation), he is still able to read. At transition points new staff are trained on how to use this equipment. There is close and effective liaison with the school Pupil Support Teacher who proactively contacts the service to address any technical difficulties. Regular conversations with the pupil have evidenced that the equipment enables access to the curriculum and moreover has a positive impact on the pupil’s feeling of being included in class lessons. These conversations between pupil and QToD/QTVI have also help increase the pupil’s self-advocacy skills as he understands and articulates the classroom challenges and the support he requires.
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33 Case Study 1 Perth Primary and Secondary School – Supporting Learners with English as an Additional Language The EAL service has supported both a Primary school and Secondary school in Perth city in the transition of a refugee family into the authority. The family were originally from Ukrainian and moved to Perth from another local authority, where they had spent several months following moving to Scotland as refugees. The children ranged in age from 8 to 17, they were care-experienced and had experienced significant trauma, both during and before the war in their home country. They also had a range of additional support needs. However, limited information about past experiences and the children’s needs had been shared by the family. The children left behind a close group of friends, familiar teachers and support network that they had built up in their initial months in Scotland when they moved to Perth. The transition to Perth was carefully planned with a range of services, including housing, health, social work and education. Meetings with previous schools were organised, providing clear information about initial assessments and progress made in school and support strategies which had been helpful. Before the move to Perth, a member of the EAL Service travelled to meet the family and start to build a relationship. School staff from the Perth schools and the previous local authority met on Teams to share relevant information. Teachers from the primary and secondary schools in the other local authority also visited the Perth schools to support the transition when the children and young people started their new schools. Uniform and welcome packs were provided to the family for all the children. In school, the children and young people have been supported by pupil support assistants who speak their first language. Bilingual support in class allows the pupils to participate with their peers. Pupils can be supported to take part in group work with their English-speaking classmates, where they are beginning to learn the English that they need to access the curriculum. The pupil support assistants encourage friendships with other children and young people, to build a supportive community. A Pupil Support Teacher with EAL expertise was appointed to work with the primary school to support the children, to continue the assessment process which had been started in their previous school, to provide specialist EAL support and to advise class teachers of appropriate strategies. There is now a much clearer plan for these pupils. A trusting relationship is building with the family, and they are now providing more information with the school about the children, which informs decisions and plans, leading to better outcomes. The children attend a weekly homework club at school run by the bilingual PSA and a bilingual community learning assistant. They are encouraged to attend events organised in the community to meet other children from their country. The young people in high school have benefited from EAL support, and for senior pupils, access to ESOL classes in school. The bilingual community learning assistant runs a weekly lunchtime drop- in session where the young people can ask for help and advice with school-related issues. This was a challenging transition process for everyone involved, but the EAL team has provided additional supported to the schools to reduce language and culture barriers, improving inclusion of the children and young people in the school community and ensuring the children and young people are attending well, happy in school and making progress in learning, and learning English.
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34 Case Study 2 Oakbank Primary School – Implementation of CIRCLE across setting and P1 Enhanced Support Provision Oakbank Primary School has successfully implemented the use of CIRCLE across their whole school setting. Supported by the Senior Leadership Team, staff from Nursery to Primary 7 are familiar with and access both Up, Up and Away and CIRCLE resources to support the embedding of universal supports to make learning environments accessible and inclusive for all children. Within the nursery setting ECPs identify an area they wish to focus on within the Up, Up and Away document that will be supportive to the continued development of the inclusive environment in meeting learners needs. ECPs carry out observations and identify what next steps will be in partnership with parents and other staff members. The utilisation of the parent postcards has been found to be helpful in providing a good communication tool in partnership with parents and supporting the journey of identifying any barriers and supports needed in the future. Nursery staff have found the format and layout very user friendly and a useful tool in bridging this communication gap. It has also helped to facilitate open conversations with parents around any barriers their child may be facing and finding supports and strategies to meet the individual needs in accessing nursery. Within the school setting CIRCLE and Up, Up and Away are used in supporting transition from Nursery to Primary 1 for identified learners along with the looking at and adapting the P1 learning environment to make it as accessible as they can to meet upcoming learners needs. Across the whole school an Environmental Audit is completed at the beginning of every year and this year Oakbank Primary School has teamed up with Inchview Primary School as part of their school’s improvement plans to collaborate together to carry out follow up environmental observations from their environmental audit to share good practice and provide a different external perspective. The impact of the embedding of Up, Up and Away and CIRCLE has provided practitioners with an opportunity to reflect on their learning environments with a fellow peer through valuable professional dialogue sessions and set themselves targets from this to support moving forward. Senior Leaders direct staff to the Circle Participation Scale initially when concerns above universal offer are being raised to look at any further adjustments or adaptations needing to be made. They have also found it has provided a bit more autonomy for their staff especially when making those early observations, identifying a barrier and need and seeking supports and strategies to meet that need. Oakbank Primary School have also been part of PKC’s P1 Enhanced Support Provision this session around two identified learners currently within their Primary 1 stage. The P1 Enhanced Support Provision is a model designed to support identified learners who had previously been to the transition panel to look for alternative provision, ie Intensive Support Provision Placement but was not granted. The schools DHT has led the Early Years Team and has highlighted the following successes and impact as well as the challenges: Key Successes & Impact: School enhanced transition Successes: ✓ Regular meetings between nursery and P1 staff ✓ Regularly organised visits for identified children to classroom spaces as part of enhanced transition planning, ie additional visits during summer holidays (nursery 45 week opening) and visits during in-service day
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35 ✓ Class teachers utilised RCCT to visit nursery, spend time in same space as identified children and begin initial interactions ✓ Class teachers released from class to attend child plan meetings and build awareness of all transition documentation, ie All About Me, How to help Me, Transition Passport etc ✓ Medical Training organized and attended by all P1 staff members to support identified child ✓ ECP from nursery setting identified to support transition into P1 Impact: ✓ P1 staff team well-informed of needs and supports for identified children ✓ Information shared in variety of formats to enable P1 staff team to gain sound knowledge and understanding ✓ Children had time to become familiar with the new environment and surroundings in a supported way ✓ Children had time to become familiar with new faces and begin to develop initial relationships with key staff members, where possible ✓ Families could reinforce and support transition at home and during summer holidays, using documentation provided ✓ ECP provided familiar face for the children and supported P1 staff team with behaviours, strategies, etc ✓ ECP played vital role in settling the children into their new environment and routines which provided security for parents reducing anxiety a little Environment Successes: ✓ Fence built to create safe and secure space, directly accessible from P1 classrooms ✓ School changing room modified by janitor into quiet space in P1 area ✓ Fob inserted on P1 corridor ✓ Open Plan P1 class area ✓ Access to nearby toilet area for identified child to be changed Impact: ✓ Identified children are able to engage in outdoor break and lunch and access outdoor play as part of their learning in a safe and secure environment ✓ Increased possibility of free flow play between indoor and outdoor space allowing children from both classes to access and share the activities set up in the break-out and access a safe outdoor area and access outdoor play as part of their learning directly from their classroom ✓ Identified safe space for identified children to regulate and escape the busy and noisy P1 environment (Quiet room only accessed by 2 children, allowing lots of flexibility and can be set up specifically to meet their needs) ✓ Identified children can explore, investigate and utilize resources, activities and play in both P1 classes ✓ Children are all becoming more familiar with one another, enhancing relationships and friendships with P1 staffing team having strong positive relationships with all children across P1 ✓ Individual toilet is near P1 area which is large enough to allow identified child to be changed by supporting adult safely Team/Staffing
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36 Success: ✓ School allocation of ECP from nursery to support transition and highly skilled PSA joined the P1 team, with personality and characteristics ideally matched to our identified children and staff team and led to Collaborative approach of all members of P1 team ✓ Additional meetings with PPST, different members of support team and partner professionals, etc enhanced the collaborative process in supporting and meeting learners needs ✓ One PSA identified for two children in different classes ✓ Support from Inclusion Teacher: o time taken at the start of term to clarify roles, responsibilities and expectations; fitted in really well as part of the team, from the start; demonstrates the same desire to do the best for the children; contributions valued by members of the P1 team; recognizes the strengths of the team and individuals within it ✓ Commitment from DHT: o dedicated to do best for children and P1 team; clarification of roles, responsibilities and expectations of each member of P1 support package; communicating with various partner professionals; support to build collaborative team in P1; continuous discussions and dialogue with class teachers; regular check-ins with PSA and ECP; meetings with Outreach Teacher to clarify roles and responsibilities and plan effectively in order to best support team and children; hands on support during breaks and lunches; dedicated time to support P1 team and children; communication with parents and recent review of transition and term 1; continual problem solving with team ✓ Access to expertise support and advice from a range of partner professionals Impact: ✓ ECP has played a vital role in the positive transition and progress for the children and families in providing huge support for class teacher and staff working in P1, provided familiar face and approach for children as they transitioned into P1 and provided element of security and reassurance for parents and brought essential prior knowledge and understanding of the children to the team as well as knowledge of playbased pedagogy. ✓ PSA became part of the P1 team and had an immediate positive response from identified children which supported their responsiveness to their needs and developed a strong, positive relationships with identified children, especially with one in particular supporting children settling in well to P1 environment and routines ✓ Initial learning routines were established and implemented where appropriate and possible and thus progress of identified children was made possible ✓ Inclusion Teacher support really helped to ensure all P1 team members had a shared understanding and they fitted into the team really well showing commitment to doing the best for the children and team. This played a key role in the support by sharing expertise, ideas and strategies, signposting when necessary and making a really positive impact to the supports in place. Genuine partnership/collaborative working building positive and supportive relationships as a team was formed. ✓ DHT support meant a really successful and supportive team around the children leading to Staff members were well-informed where possible and were fully part of decision making, problem solving, etc. All members of the team were made to feel welcome and highly valued and ensured roles and responsibilities were clear and understood and if not able to discuss, share and resolve
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37 ✓ Parents were kept informed and part of the children’s educational journey Highlighted Challenges were as follows: • Staff allocation timings meant that the full Team Around the Child was not in place until after the summer holidays which meant that key training and enhanced transition opportunities were missed • Staff training was delivered on the August inset days meaning new staff were not part of school development days and enhanced transition for learners • Staff numbers in being able to support learners during unstructured parts of the day, ie break and lunchtime • Environmental factors lead to different barriers in being able to effectively support the identified P1 learners, ie only one classroom being used as part of transition which has led to one learner always reverting back to that classroom; limited learning opportunities due to restricted space for free-flow play • Budget constraints meant that some planned adaptations and resourcing were not able to be in place, ie sensory room
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38 Case Study 3 Riverside Primary School Building Planning – Planning for Accessibility in collaboration with Senior Leadership Team and PKC ECS Central Team Planning Department During Session 2022-23 development was near completion of a new primary school merging North Muirton and Balhousie Primary Schools. As part of the standard process for ECS projects extensive consultation is undertaken with all appropriate stakeholders, including but not limited to, the ECS senior leadership team, ECS central teams, and school SLT and, throughout the scoping and design phases. Feedback is incorporated where agreed by all relevant parties. As the project progressed these detailed designs were reviewed with relevant stakeholders for input to ensure they were fit for purpose and any necessary amendments made. Any required changes are made to the design when agreed. For example, at the initial consultations during scoping changes made could be to the schedule of accommodation based on provision type and anticipated pupil numbers. At later stages it will relate to areas including landscaping and furniture and fittings to ensure they are suitable. At the scoping stage of a project there is liaison with the central ECS team regarding the requirements for the project, depending on the level of provision. It was decided that Riverside would have an ISP so the design reflected the standard requirements for that type of provision e.g. separate entrance, secure zone, quiet rooms, snoozelen. The provision of snack prep areas and sinks within each of the rooms is an example of one change that was made during the later stages of the project to support the operational staffing needs of the provision which would not always allow staff to take pupils to other areas of the school for this purpose. Collaboration is a core part of the scoping and design process for any ECS project to ensure that a fit for purpose facility is provided for end users. During the lifetime of a project, which is over a number of years, numerous factors can influence or impact the requirements for the project e.g. SFT/Government requirements, staff changes within senior roles which can result in changing requirements and the evolving landscape of what a provision needs to offer to meets its pupils needs. Ongoing collaboration and consultation is critical to ensure any necessary changes are made. School/Central Team The Central Team Leads, schools Headteacher and Business Change Teacher were involved from the start of the planning stage back in June 2020, this was at the stage of architect drawings and provided the opportunity for views to be shared on the pre-planning of the school from this point onwards. One aspect that was taken on board was the inclusion of enclosed learning spaces, due to the high level of sensory difficulties the school were aware of around their
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39 learners that would be accessing the new school as they felt open plan would not be the best fit in their meeting learners needs. This took several discussions and compromise resulting in 6 classes downstairs and 8 upstairs being enclosed rooms with the P1 area being semi-open plan and a further 4 classes open plan which are not currently being used but will support meeting learners needs as the school continues their inclusive practice journey. Learning from Covid the school team shared that having smaller spaces to allow smaller groups in nursery would benefit and this led to more secure small spaces within the nursery environment also being enclosed. This has supported the high level of ASN learners currently within the nursery. This also supported the transitioning of learners from going from and open plan school to a closed plan school at Balhousie PS and avoiding having to transition back to an open plan school, due to the level of challenge this would cause. In discussions around the school grounds, the ISP playground was changed to have their own enclosed area and the school team had influence over the resources that were made available, there was also a further change made to have the fencing screened off to ensure supporting learners’ dignity for those with sensory needs. The main playground, whilst still not currently fully accessible for use was designed to support sensory needs, i.e. for movement breaks facilitation as well as providing experiences for learners they have not experienced before, i.e. trim trail, outside stage and quiet areas. Throughout the process there was regular meetings with architects and the wider planning team where ideas were discussed, and school team felt they were receptive to changes being made to meet learners needs. School Team worked with Rachel Sims around visual hygiene and creation of natural pallet across the school to ensure low stimulus environment and research was completed around alternative/flexible seating environments to allow not a chair per child but different seating for children. Fobbed doors were introduced when school was closer to completion and walk throughs were completed with the school and planning teams to look at the school from the learner’s lens to ensure that the space would meet their learning needs. Further additional fobs were installed to ensure full health and safety aspects were changed and included as part of the completed walk throughs. Similarly, another thing that was identified was the suggestion that the GP room, Nurture room and ISP rooms had worktops that were height adjustable which was installed. It was felt that the collaboration between the school and planning team worked well and was a positive process. The school team felt they were able to discuss the why behind their change requests, which they backed with robust needs analysis of their learners and research and if original request was not possible the planning team would come in with an alternative where feasible.
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40 Case Study 4 Habilitation Service Perth and Kinross contracts out its Habilitation Service to Guide Dogs for the Blind. With close liaison with the VI Teachers the qualified Habilitation Specialist supports children and young people with a visual impairment to develop personal mobility, navigation and independent living skills in school and in their local community. At whatever age the training is started, the overriding goal is to maximise the child or young person’s independence, opening the way in the future, to further study, employment and an independent life. A secondary pupil significant with very reduced near and distance vision has ongoing habilitation support to enable to do things such as going to the shops during school lunchtime. This is an everyday activity for his seeing peers. Habilitation focused on the skills, strategies and confidence in finding safe routes, catching correct buses, using cash and cards, and finding and paying for items in the shops. The pupil learned new strategies to increase his independence, such as using a phone to take photos and enlarging them to be able to read bus numbers and road names, to use accessibility features such as speech and o look at online train timetables, to use maps, as well as gaining the confidence and the knowledge to locate and use the intercom system at the station help point to ask for help. The pupil has shared with his QTVI that he feels his life has been transformed with Habilitation. With her knowledge of the pupil’s interests the QTVI worked collaboratively with the Habilitation Specialist to enable the pupil to pursue his lifelong love of trains. The Habilitation Specialist supported the pupil with travel to, and orientation around, the train station. This year he got the bus by himself and went train spotting!