Wiltshire school first to achieve Autism Inclusion Award

A secondary school is blazing a trail by being the first in Wiltshire to achieve the National Autistic Society’s Autism Inclusion Award.

The Trafalgar School at Downton has achieved recognition following a wide range of work, including raising autism awareness among staff, embedding neuro-affirmative practices throughout the school, recognising and valuing different ways of thinking and learning, and creating a more inclusive and comfortable environment for autistic pupils.

Wiltshire Council’s Specialist SEN Service (SSENS) supported the school by providing training and hosting termly network meetings for Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Co-ordinators (SENDCos) and other key staff to share good practice.

SSENS also worked alongside a National Autistic Society (NAS) colleague to share ideas and guidance on gathering evidence to meet the Autism Education Trust standards (now the Neuroinclusive Education Network standards), alongside ongoing advice and support through meetings and email correspondence as required.

The school gained the award following a number of actions, including the submission of evidence against the Neuroinclusive Education Network standards, online assessment with the National Autistic Society, including interviews with staff and pupils and positive feedback from pupil and parent/carer questionnaires.

Headteacher, Jy Taylor commented: “The Trafalgar School, alongside Magna Learning Partnership (MLP), our trust, is dedicated to serving the children of our community to the very best of our abilities. The recognition we have received as a result of this process demonstrates our commitment to ensuring our children, from whatever background or circumstance, can thrive and achieve at Trafalgar. The framework of standards and the assessment process itself was both rigorous and robust, and my thanks go to all of our staff, including our exceptional non-teaching colleagues, for their dedication to our students, day-in day-out.”

Cllr Jon Hubbard, Cabinet Member for Education and Skills, said: “Congratulations to The Trafalgar School on achieving this award in recognition of its hard work and commitment to good practice. The school is leading the way in supporting young people with neurodiverse needs, creating an inclusive environment where pupils are given the tools and confidence to thrive and enjoy their education. Wiltshire Council was proud to support this important work and would encourage more schools to take part in the future.”

Lisa Myers, Head of National Autistic Society: Learn, said: “We are delighted that The Trafalgar School has achieved the Autism Inclusion Award. The team should be exceptionally proud of their achievement and commitment towards improving support for autistic people.”

The Autism Accreditation Programme is the UK’s only autism-specific quality assurance programme of support and development for all those providing services to autistic people.

Achieving accreditation proves that an organisation is committed to understanding autism and setting the standard for autism practice. It is a way for organisations to show they offer excellent support to autistic children and adults.

For more information about the Autism Inclusion Award, visit the National Autistic Society website.