Spotlight On… Educational Progress & Neurodiversity
The term ‘neurodiversity’ covers a range of conditions which can affect up to 40% of school-age children. Neurodiverse children are more likely to struggle with traditional education which is why Head of Educational Progress at Taunton School, Kate Walters, has made it her mission to ensure every one of the School’s 1,200 students has access to any support they may need.
‘Educational Progress’ is a positive stance which Taunton School has adopted to promote inclusivity and individualism for neurodivergent students who, without being labelled as in other educational establishments as having special educational needs (SEN), thrive as personalities in their own right.
Early Diagnosis
Every student at Taunton School undergoes an initial ‘Cognitive Abilities Test’ soon after they join the School where signs of neurodiversity are identified which allow individual learning strategies to be implemented and further testing to be considered. The learning strategies challenge the ingenuity, creativity, enjoyment of learning, and imagination of both staff and students.
Classifications of neurodiversity include, but are not limited to: Speech, Language and Communication Need (SLCN), Social, Emotional and Mental Health (SEMH), Cognition & Learning (C&L), Specific Learning Difficulty (SpLD) for example Dyslexia or Dyspraxia, or Sensory/Physical (ASC). Indeed, some neuro-diverse students are classified under more than one condition which makes their learning journey even more challenging.
The approach taken by Taunton School provides differentiated individual learning programmes at an early stage in the educational journey and aids students to find their own path; their exceptional route to engineering, drama, music, sport, academia and the world of work.
Diverse Learning Environments
The Educational Progress team believes diverse learning environments can help neurodivergent students which is why they decided to set up regular trips to a local Lego Café as part of their person-centred approach to education. These trips aid social skills, numeracy, financial planning, budget control and praxis.
The team would love to see these students progress enough to be able to take other students on similar trips to extend their learning, friendships, and resilience.
A Successful Community Approach to Education
Integral to the success of neurodivergent students at Taunton School is the co-operation of and communication with the whole community and school offering: house staff, tutors, pastoral staff, therapy dogs, mental health teams, 150+ co-curricular activities, vast academic pathways, and the dedicated teaching staff all contribute to outcomes that parents perhaps never thought would happen. Through this wraparound approach, the Educational Progress team can ensure the continued success and happiness of every student in all aspects of school life.
Find out more about our vast co-curricular offering.
An Outstanding Team with an Exceptional Approach to Inclusion
The Educational Progress team, motivated by the engagement, enjoyment and ultimate success of their students, believe strongly that the inclusion of neurodiverse students in mainstream education combined with holistic support, that includes the team co-teaching especially across English, Maths and Science (all core subjects), is vital to student success. This approach has the added advantage of a positive learning experience for non-neurodivergent students including an increased celebration of diversity throughout the whole community and is just part of the approach to wellbeing at Taunton School.
The Outcome
One parent whose son achieved outstanding GCSE results over the summer, when he could barely read and write at the start of his journey, says that she cannot thank Taunton School enough for what they have done. Not only can he now enter the School’s A-Level pathway with confidence, but he is also excelling at rugby and athletics too. Stories like his highlight the transformative impact of a dedicated Educational Progress team.
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