The difference we make

Safe spaces at break and lunch: reduced anxiety, better relationships

Organising students into COVID-19 ‘bubbles’ meant that autistic students had to go outside at break times meaning they couldn’t access their usual safe space. SCF funding created a separate indoor safe space for each year group. The additional funding meant that students were supported to socialise in the safe space resulting in new relationships with peers and staff. The autistic students feel more connected both with peers and staff, and have been able to communicate more openly. There’s been a knock-on effect on academic achievements and their interactions in lesson time. There has also been positive feedback from parents who report students are calmer when coming home and seem happier about being back at school.

Expanding and structuring the use of sensory room provision helped make more of an impact. The existing space was modified into an intervention space for managing students’ anxiety, and two sensory calming pods - fully stocked with a range of materials that students use to self-regulate. Each pod has mood lighting, rocking chairs, cushions, special lighting, weighted blankets, stress cushions and lots of individual materials for specific students. The sensory pods are timetabled for autistic students throughout the day to allow them a safe space to go and regulate - in turn helping them to return to lessons. Within each hour of the day 20 minutes are kept free in one pod in case there is an unexpected need for a quiet space following dysregulation. The pods have formed an essential part of the school routine for many students, allowing regular rest breaks to prevent sensory overload.

The impact?

• A drastic reduction in the number of behaviour incidents for students using the pods, with the internal seclusion rate decreasing by over 65%.
• Emotional outbursts have become almost non-existent, which has a dramatic impact on the learning environment and the well-being of all students who feel more safe.
• Because students using the pods when overwhelmed are able to regulate more effectively, this has resulted in less learning time being lost. Previously a member of staff could be up to 2 hours with a student, now they can be regulated and back to learning within 30 minutes.
• The wider impact of this is increased capacity for providing support for more students, and so it is not just the autistic students who have benefitted.

Harry

Harry, aged 13 has autism and is in Year 8 of his mainstream school.

Harry struggles with sensory overload and finds unpredictability challenging - so the busy, noisy environment of school was a difficult place for him. He would withdraw, spending a lot of time by himself, often walking out of lessons.

With SCF funding, Harry’s school consulted with students, and created a sensory room: a space that can be used flexibly by autistic students in and out of lessons, to help them regulate emotions and calm any anxieties. Time in the sensory room is scheduled. Harry uses the sensory room for some core lessons, at transition times, and for timetabled regulation sessions when Harry can spend time with his ear defenders on, developing strategies to manage.

After just two weeks both staff and parents saw a massive change. Having ‘regulation’ timetabled has made school more predictable. Harry knows he has a space where he can be quiet, control his anxiety, readjust and return to his lessons.

Harry no longer wakes up early worried about going to school. The pastoral team in school have noticed how much calmer he is. He is staying in more lessons.

Two students who were not able to access school due to COVID-realated anxiety and feelings of isolation, exacerbated by COVID. Additional teaching assistant time support has meant that the students have been able to attend part-time each day, and to gradually build up time in school.

One of these pupils was Year 11. Through SCF funding, he had a room away from others, a flexible timetable and teaching assistants who were able to get his work ready and support him. In five of his GCSEs, grades improved. Another year 10 student was a school-refuser because of her anxiety. With SCF-funded additional support she has been into school nearly every day for at least one hour and has started to go out at break with peers - a huge step forward from not being able to cross the threshold.

Promoting inclusion through accessible resources

Students’ sensory needs meant they frequently disengaged with classroom learning. SCF funded the purchase of an easily accessible resource box (a treasure chest) full of learning tools such as wobble cushions, chair bands, timers and writing slopes. Staff could see how much autistic students benefited from accessing these resources to aid learning - it has led to staff having much more awareness of students’ sensory needs. As a result, teachers have become more flexible and responsive in the way they teach, leading to increased well-being of autistic students.

The school also bought new equipment to meet the needs of the most sensory-seeking autistic students. Before school, students select equipment to help with sensory integration. It is now common in the school to see students whizzing around on scooter boards, doing exercises involving peanut balls or stretching inside tubes. The focus has been on encouraging students to take responsibility for choosing the right exercise for them and so preparing themselves for the day ahead.

The school sees SCF funding as having had a vast impact on the whole school community with increased awareness of sensory needs from both staff and students.

SCF funding has given two teaching assistants a temporary promotion. Through this, they improved their skills, built relationships and showed they were ready for more responsibility when helping autistic students. This has led to them being offered this promotion for a further 12 months. The school are confident that this will help inclusion across the school.