Inclusivity is key at Newcastle school

Schools sometimes struggle to provide adequate provision for children with special educational needs (SEN), but one Newcastle primary is leading the way with a new state-of the-art sensory room, and a programme dedicated to promoting inclusivity.

​Spearheaded by Head of School Ciara Yeoman and SEN and Inclusion Lead Dawn Guy, the ‘Engage Provision’ at St Joseph’s Catholic Primary School is designed to meet the needs of every pupil.

“SEN was a massive priority when I joined the school,” said Mrs Yeoman, who is on secondment from St Michael’s Catholic Primary, also in Newcastle.

“In a nutshell, Engage is about the creation of a purposeful environment where children of all levels of ability can thrive. It’s bespoke, it’s planned, and it’s purposeful, with staff who have been very carefully selected.

“We didn’t want to suggest it was only for SEN, so we’ve taken a tree theme, with Seedlings, Saplings, and the Canopy.”

While Seedlings is for Key Stage 1, and Saplings for Key Stage 2, the Canopy is a sensory room for use by all children from Nursery to Year 6 at the school, which is part of the Bishop Bewick Catholic Education Trust.

“Seedlings and Saplings look like regular classrooms, and are accessed by different children depending on their needs,” said Mrs Guy. “It might be Speech and Language, English and Maths, Social and Emotional. Children come in and out daily – this is what makes it quite different to most other schools.”

Located in a former computer room, the Canopy takes pride of place in the programme.

“The Canopy protects everything that’s underneath it, so that’s where we protect the children,” continued Mrs Guy. “It enables children to meet physical and emotional needs, and we are continually triaging and adapting. 

“It’s been designed to meet all educational needs – it could be soothing and calm or might be used for children who need help with developing hand-eye coordination or balance. We’ve really planned the room to be versatile.

“For children with ADHD, there will be calming activities to prepare them to re-access learning. If a child is lethargic, it could be something to increase alertness, or, if a child is hyper-vigilant, it might be something to realign their focus.”

Mrs Yeoman and Mrs Guy drew inspiration from other schools considered to excel in SEN provision, including St Michael’s.

“We’ve got the classrooms available for this provision, so what we can offer is on a far greater scale than most other schools,” explained Mrs Yeoman.

“The Canopy used to be a computer suite, so it’s not your typical ‘cupboard’. We have a purpose-built TV, storage cupboards for all the equipment, and mood lighting. 

“Its position in relation to the rest of the school is also important. It’s at the end of a corridor, to make it a contained unit. When the children walk down the corridor, they know they are accessing a safe space.”

St Joseph's has been supported by BBCET and the local authority in designing and implementing the Engage Provision, with occupational therapists, educational therapists and other experts all involved in the process.

“We’ve consulted professionals from a range of different disciplines, from the local authority, and from the Trust,” added Mrs Yeoman.

“Everything is always evolving. We’re very much at the forefront of developing in this area. We’re already becoming known for our SEN provision, and it’s exciting to see where it can go next.”