Why did you register for the Autism Specialist Award?

We joined the programme to help us ensure the support we give to our autistic students is the best we can provide. We wanted the programme to support us in identifying any gaps or areas for further development.

How did the programme support you with reflecting and developing your service?

The framework was excellent in really supporting us to break down the different areas of support we offer and how that could be improved. It allowed us to focus on specific areas and work together as a whole school to ensure the support was consistent.

We received a visit from our consultant, which was really useful, as it allowed us to consider where we were at and focus on where we needed to develop further before the accreditation process began. Our consultant was excellent in evaluating our progress up to that point and the next steps we should take. It was very useful in being able to present our audits and action plan.

What areas of practice did you develop and what impact has this had on autistic people and their families?

There have been many changes made, but the most beneficial thing was working together as a team to evaluate our practice and identify areas for development together. This gave the whole teaching and wider staff teams the opportunity to share good practice and for us to ensure consistency across the school. Specific examples of this were revisiting the use of visual support and communication methodologies.

Whole staff training was completed, ensuring everyone was aware of the theories and research behind the strategies and approach, as well as understanding the graduated approaches that we use.

We also delivered a half-term parent course, supporting their understanding of autism and how best to support their child at home. The content of this was decided by our parents and carers to ensure their needs were best addressed. The success of this course means we will now run it again with different parents and carers.

How has gaining the award benefited your service?

We were very pleased to achieve the kitemark. It validated what we knew about our provision. We are keen to further develop and aim to achieve the Advanced kitemark next. We have shared our achievements with our families and the wider community.

The award will allow our parents and carers to feel confident that their child’s needs are being met and that we, as a school, are always looking for ways to make that better and further develop our knowledge and practice.