nasen Awards 2022 Winners

Sponsored by Nursery World

SEND to Learn provide outstanding inclusive Nursery education for all children. They cater for children with complex medical needs and learning disabilities alongside children who are following a more expected developmental pathway. They provide individualised care and education which allows all their children to progress and experience activities.

Sponsored by Texthelp

Upton-by-Chester High School are mainstream school with a cohort of 11-18 learners, with approx. 1790 on roll. 11% of learners are on the SEN register. Under the leadership of Lee Cummins (Headteacher & former SENCo), they have designed a Supportive Education dept. that is truly inspiring and fully inclusive. Significant investment has allowed the creation of a sensory garden, sensory room, and a small animal farm.

Sponsored by Christie & Co

Moonhall School is an outstanding specialist school for children with dyslexia. The school work tirelessly to regain pupil confidence; celebrate those things they are good at and support with the things they find tough. The equilibrium between academic aspirations and pastoral nurture are refined by their excellent staff and in their individualised plans for their pupils. The school have removed academic lessons on a Friday afternoon, and focus on activities, which means they are bursting with happiness, excitement, and engagement, from both pupils and staff!

Sponsored by senploy

Ashley Webber is a student at Phoenix Park Academy and has an EHCP with a primary need of SEMH. Since joining Phoenix Park, Ashley has completely changed his attitude to learning and his behaviour in the community. He has completed all work as part of his reparation order and is no longer engaging in anti-social behaviour in the community.

Ashley has shown an incredible determination to improve his SEMH skills, for example he will actively ask for additional work at home now to show how he is willing to try work independently or improve his resilience. Staff are so impressed with this progress made by Ashley that discussions are now being had regarding a reintegration to mainstream.

Unfortunately Ashley was unable to attend the award ceremony so nasen will send him his award in the post.

Sponsored by Seashell Trust

Joshua has been at Castledon – a setting that supports young people with learning difficulties and complex needs – for a number of years. Sensory processing difficulties and learning needs never impede his determination to achieve, and a love of the outdoors and ability to interact with visitors allowed him to quickly find his niche at Wat Tyler Country Park. Since joining a trial to see whether community placements and outdoor learning were beneficial to learners with SEN, Josh has dedicated three years, and over 600 hours to the country park, and has contributed to many significant environmental conservation projects, including the largest treeplanting programme in Basildon Borough this century, coppicing forest land, and maintaining natural habitats and bird hydes.

Unfortunately Joshua was unable to attend the award ceremony so nasen will send them their award in the post.

Sponsored by Axcis

Pat has dedicated 24 years to supporting students with SEND across a range of primary and secondary settings, including most recently at  Minsthorpe Community College. Pat has the unique ability to build a relationship of trust with students who are ‘closed books’ to other adults.

Pat listens. Pat encourages. Pat empathises. Pat challenges. Pat cares. The most vulnerable students recognise this and respond to her in a way that they struggle to do with other adults.

Sponsored by Scanning Pens

The schools within the Skylark Partnership AV1 Project provide education for children and young people with medical and mental health difficulties, including those in hospitals. Their AV1 robot project supports children to engage in education whilst unwell, remain connected to their school, and to smoothly transition back when they are well enough to return.

AV1 is ‘warm technology’. As such, it doesn’t aim to replace teachers but to promote a sense of belonging and reduce the isolation that a child or young person may experience when recovering or receiving treatment for life-threatening or life-limiting conditions.

Sponsored by concero 

SENDcast was created in response to the expectations for SENCOs and teachers to have extensive knowledge of an ever-increasing range of areas and changes within SEN. A free podcast is released each week during term time, and with over 100 episodes now available, it’s no surprise that the  variety of topics covered is vast. Episode titles range from My Mummy is Autistic to Bullies, Victims and Bystanders, and even Student Icebergs.

Sponsored by Rockerbox News

Philippa has dedicated her entire career to improving outcomes for children with SEND. She started professional life as a teacher and inspector, and has since spent over three decades at the Council for Disabled Children, where she is recognised as a powerful and prolific advocate for the children at the heart of her work.

A tireless campaigner for change when it is needed, Philippa set up the Special Educational Consortium (SEC) to create a national campaign and lobbying voice for the disabled children’s sector. Under her guidance and leadership, SEC brought about a number of important changes to the Children and Families Act in 2014.