For years, Keenan found school a challenging place to thrive, but his story is now taking a very different and positive turn.
The nine-year-old is autistic and has Tourette’s syndrome. He joined Riverside School in November last year and according to his mother, Jessica, he is flourishing. In fact, he enjoys it so much that he is “skipping to school with excitement”.
With investment from ourselves, an increasing number of mainstream schools in the county are supporting children and young people with additional needs like Keenan, enabling them to stay close to home and within their own communities.
The Targeted Mainstream Provision (TMP) programme focuses on tailored education for children who require extra support. Children accessing the Targeted Mainstream Provision all have an education, health and care plan (EHCP) and receive a personalised curriculum while remaining amongst their friends and learn close to their homes.
The support Keenan now receives has transformed daily life for him and his family, bringing stability and relief they had not experienced before. He has access to the sensory room and outdoor play according to his needs and he can join the class when he feels ready, meeting his school friends for lunch and participating in lessons such as physical education and other group activities.
Mother-of-two Jessica, who lives in Selby, said: “The teachers at Riverside go above and beyond making sure Keenan and his classmates with additional needs learn in an inclusive environment.
“They work in small groups so that their voices and views are heard, respected and valued. Keenan is thriving socially and academically. He has made friends. His reading is coming along nicely and he’s getting confident with numbers. He is a completely different child to what he was last year. Keenan works on trust and the bonds he develops with people, and he already trusts his teachers completely.
“He skips into the classroom every morning and is full of enthusiasm which is a huge relief for me.”
Latest data reveals the number of children and young people identified with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) and education, health and care plans in North Yorkshire has increased by more than 110 per cent since 2016. The number continues to rise, with more than 6,400 pupils now supported through an education, health and care plan.
The Government is planning major reforms to the special educational needs and disabilities system, aiming to address delays, poor outcomes, and unsustainable costs, with a new Schools White Paper expected soon.
Executive member children and families, Cllr Janet Sanderson, said: “All our children and young people are entitled to a high-quality education that is local to them. We want them to receive the very best support at the right time.
“We also want to reassure parents and carers and give them the confidence that their local school will meet their children’s needs so they can achieve their full potential and attend school alongside their friends and brothers or sisters.”
Similar views were shared by the authority’s executive member for education, learning and skills, Cllr Annabel Wilkinson. She said “It is encouraging to see Keenan flourishing and making progress with the individual support he is receiving at school.”
“We want all our schools to give every child the opportunity to grow, succeed and follow their ambitions, close to home, in an environment that supports and celebrates them.
“Investing in our children and young people and ensuring they have the correct support while in school is a priority for us but the rise in special educational needs and disabilities provision has reached a record high and increasing costs are understandably concerning.”
The Targeted Mainstream Provision provides a dedicated space for pupils’ learning and wellbeing, supporting up to eight children at any one time. Specialist staff deliver a curriculum tailored to the needs of each child and pupils are fully included into everyday school life.
Each school is given funds for set up costs, along with key training, monitoring and the opportunity to work with others to share best practice. In all Targeted Mainstream Provisions, children and young people will be offered bespoke timetables to allow access to the mainstream curriculum, as well as additional support and therapies, such as occupational therapy, speech and language therapy and educational psychology support. There are currently 17 Targeted Mainstream Provisions open across North Yorkshire with more planned settings underway.
Riverside Primary and Brayton Church of England Primary School are part of Yorkshire Learning Trust. They are the latest schools to join a growing network of locations across North Yorkshire that support pupils with social, emotional and mental health needs, as well as those with communication and interaction challenges.
Yorkshire Learning Trust Targeted Mainstream Provision Lead, Jess Wright, said: “We have found the Targeted Mainstream Provision model to be very successful and being in the right setting has enabled children to make exceptional progress in all aspects of learning and life skills.
“We have two Targeted Mainstream Provisions or 'Beacons' as they are known in school, one at Riverside School in Tadcaster and one at Brayton Primary School. Each Targeted Mainstream Provision has capacity for eight children.
“We have developed a nurturing and engaging learning environment and the Targeted Mainstream Provision model provides a bespoke education with an individualised timetable for each child.
“We have dedicated classrooms that are well-equipped to respond to the pupils’ varying needs and sensory rooms if they wanted to spend some time there.
“We have knowledgeable and nurturing teachers who support all children within the Targeted Mainstream Provisions to achieve their very best and the feedback we’ve received from parents and carers so far has been overwhelmingly positive.”
Jessica added: “Keenan is now learning at his own pace, making progress and developing confidence he previously didn’t have.
“To the parents who are trying to secure a place in specialist schools for their children far from home, the Targeted Mainstream Provision model may offer a reassuring alternative. Many families may find that within this inclusive school environment, trained teachers quickly begin to remove the barriers that once made learning so difficult.”