Staff at a specialist school in Witham receive weekly training to ensure every child's unique needs are met. Woodend Farm School, which opened in 2023, supports pupils with a range of additional needs, offering learning experiences tailored to each child to help them reach their full potential.
The school caters for 21 children aged six to 11, many of whom were previously out of education due to a lack of appropriate SEND facilities. It primarily supports children with autism, ADHD, speech and language challenges, and pathological demand avoidance (PDA) profile, where children physically cannot manage everyday tasks or demands, even if they want to.
Following a complete overhaul of the curriculum to a thematic approach that sparks curiosity and motivates pupils to take part in disguised learning activities, extra training around the new teaching methods has been vital. The trauma-responsive approach also includes training from the in-house speech and language therapist and occupational therapist, as well as weekly safeguarding training. Anyone needing further guidance receives support from the pastoral and safeguarding teams.
Extensive CPD Programme
Gemma Quantrill, executive headteacher, said: "We offer all staff an extensive CPD training programme at Woodend Farm School. Staff have training here every single week, on top of CPD training days throughout the year."
"Just because you have training once does not mean that it lasts, so we are constantly bringing it back to the forefront. Training should not always be about learning something new; it should be about renewing and doing things even better."
"We do this to ensure we are giving our staff the resources to be the very best they can be for the children we have here. It is essential that our training is focused on the specific needs of our children."
Wellbeing and Culture
Mrs Quantrill emphasised the importance of training from a wellbeing perspective. "This is even more important from a wellbeing point of view at a school like ours. It is really important that our staff know how to deal with any information shared with them, how to communicate effectively with parents, and how to come from a non-judgemental position."
"We have never walked in another person's shoes, so our job is to be there from a supportive point of view for our families. We work really hard here to deliver a culture of belonging."
"Our values were created from what our staff said mattered to them. They are what we live and breathe every day."
Staff wellbeing is a top priority. "Staff feel listened to, and their wellbeing is a top part of that. Staff are aware that they can say they are struggling, and support will be put into place."
"We are all human. Wellbeing can be a tick-box exercise in schools, with cakes in the staffroom, but at Woodend Farm School, wellbeing is ingrained in the culture."
Expansion to Secondary School
With the school expanding through the opening of a secondary school in Great Baddow in September, additional training has been introduced. Mrs Quantrill said: "The secondary school will bring its own unique challenges. There is so much work needed around online safety now."
"Our young people are exposed to so much. With our cohort of young people being so vulnerable, we must ensure they are not exposed to exploitation online."
"We have to make sure our curriculum and training meets those needs. Our children are so unique and bring with them such specific safeguarding needs."
"Safeguarding is the foundation of what we do. In our recent Ofsted report, inspectors said our safeguarding practices were 'tenacious'. That is down to the extensive training we put on."
Written by Kelly Clark
Location: Witham in Essex
