At Piper’s Vale we want to make sure every child has a chance for a good education, whatever their circumstances. In England, it is estimated that 14.6% of all pupils have a Special Educational Need (SEN). Many of these children and young people, particularly those with complex SEN needs, too often end up outside mainstream education, despite parents/carers and the children themselves having a strong preference for effective inclusion. We have a genuine commitment to inclusion for all pupils to give them every opportunity to meet their potential.

You may know that last autumn we opened a specialist SEN unit here at Piper’s Vale in conjunction with Suffolk County Council. We have designed it to support our pupils in Reception and Key Stage 1 who have autism and/or challenges with sensory processing. It gives them an environment which is beneficial to their particular needs, and also lets the children learn in smaller groups, working with specialist staff, which brings its own benefits.

However, this doesn’t mean they miss out on the value that being in a mainstream school provides. We make sure children are able to move fluidly between the specialist unit and the general school so they can still enjoy the benefits that being in mainstream education brings, and they spend about 40-50% of their time there.

As we are part of the Paradigm Trust we have access to more SEN resources than we would if we were operating on our own. This gives us great flexibility when it comes to providing specialist support to ensure the best possible outcome for each child. For example, our fellow Paradigm Trust school, Murrayfield Primary Academy in Nacton Road, has also recently opened a specialist unit for Special Educational Needs. The unit is for children in lower and upper Key Stage 2 who need additional support for autism and challenges with sensory processing. Piper’s Vale pupils are able to access this unit, and we can also move staff seamlessly between settings to provide the best outcome for our children.

If you would like to find out more about SEN provision at Piper’s Vale, please contact Louise Lidstone on 01473 320413 to discuss it.