What an amazing day. Friday I was in Manor primary school for special educational needs in my own constituency, writes Sarah Teather
The school caters for children with severe learning disabilities. Around half of the youngsters have autism, many have complex medical needs as well as a learning disability. I have to say, I found the day truly inspirational.
There were many emotional moments last week, but none as great as watching the group of 10-year-olds in assembly. As part of a process of helping the children to think about their relationships with others, they talked about who they cared for. One by one, they stood up with a microphone and told us first about their family and then called up one of their friends from their class to tell them why they were special.
It was nice to feel more involved in the class too. I played with the reception class, sang songs in assembly, had lunch with a group of seven-year-olds and listened to the older children reading. The children obviously make a great deal of progress in their time at the school.
Lunch was fantastic. The school have a fairly new chef. Friday's lunch was healthy, colourful and tasty. And there was plenty of variety too. Manor school is as racially and religiously diverse as every other school in Brent and food needs to cater for this as well as individual taste and any medical requirements.
The headteacher very generously allowed me to sit in on part of her meeting with the local authority school improvement link adviser. It was interesting to hear about the particular management pressures on senior staff in a special school. Teachers receive very little training in working with children with special educational needs during their teacher training and so they, as well as the many other support workers, need to be trained in the school, and the training requirements are always ongoing.
Lessons were highly structured, particularly for children with autism. The school uses a timeline with pictures on a Velcro board to tell the youngsters what activity they are doing and what they will be doing next. The older children had their own work areas, own equipment and their own chair, carefully labelled. But despite a careful structure, the lessons were lively, happy and fun for the children.
The range of children's needs is considerable. The school employs a number of specialist speech and language therapists. Some children have little or no language at all and they are encouraged to use PECS (Picture Exchange Communications System). All teachers use a mixture of speech and signing to aid communication, as visual communication seems to be more effective.
Some children have behavioural difficulties and can be aggressive. One-to-one support is vital for these children to ensure the safety of staff and other students. A few need an entirely individualised programme of support and learning.
Friday was a very memorable day, and the end of a very memorable week. I have learned much about the dedication of staff. I have had a few preconceptions demolished, and there have been a few surprises. Many of the real lessons I suspect will come with time, as I reflect on the week and speak to teachers, students and parents about education over the next year or so. A worthwhile week. It has been a real privilege to be able to do this.
Sarah Teather is the Liberal Democrats' education spokesperson. She spent a week as a classroom assistant
