Why the school chose the award

The SEND Inclusion Award provides schools with a framework to strengthen inclusive practice, personalise provision and improve outcomes for learners with additional learning needs.

The Haven undertook the award to further develop its learner-centred approach, strengthen strategic oversight of provision and ensure every learner receives personalised, meaningful and effective support tailored to their individual needs.

Key achievements

1. Strong leadership and inclusive practice

• Leaders maintain exceptionally high aspirations for all learners.
• The school development plan places inclusion and learner outcomes at the centre of strategic planning.
• Monitoring, evaluation and self-review processes ensure provision remains reflective, responsive and effective.
• Autism-specific policies and systems support consistency across the school.

2. Highly personalised learner support

• All learners have Individual Development Plans regularly reviewed with staff, parents and external agencies.
• Provision is adapted quickly in response to emerging learner needs.
• Strong relationships between staff and learners underpin engagement, emotional wellbeing and progress.
• Learners are actively involved in shaping their targets, provision and learning experiences.

3. Specialist teaching and assessment

• Teaching approaches are carefully adapted to meet a wide range of learner needs and abilities.
• ICT and specialist autism strategies are used effectively to remove barriers to learning.
• Collaborative working between teachers and teaching assistants ensures a consistent approach across the school.
• Robust assessment and tracking systems enable staff to monitor small steps of progress and respond quickly to learner needs.

4. Learner voice and independence

• One-to-one tutorials provide safe opportunities for reflection, discussion and feedback.
• Learners contribute to personalised target systems and reward approaches.
• Learner voice directly influences curriculum experiences and provision.
• The school promotes independence, self-awareness and preparation for meaningful adult life.

5. Strong partnerships with families and staff development

• Parents benefit from regular communication through Class Dojo, meetings, newsletters and surveys.
• Families praised the school’s supportive and collaborative approach.
• A responsive CPD programme ensures staff training aligns with learner needs and professional development priorities.
• Coaching, mentoring and reflective practice help staff continuously strengthen specialist provision.

Impact at The Haven

• Learners feel safe, valued and understood within a highly supportive environment.
• Personalised provision has strengthened learner confidence, wellbeing and independence.
• Assessment systems ensure barriers to learning are identified quickly and support remains responsive.
• Parents report high levels of satisfaction and feel informed, involved and supported.
• Staff demonstrate strong expertise in autism practice and work collaboratively to deliver consistent, high-quality provision.
• The school’s inclusive ethos helps learners develop important life skills and prepare for adulthood successfully.

In their words

“The feedback affirms our strong commitment to highly personalised, learner-centred provision rooted in inclusive practice. As a small, specialist school, we place great emphasis on knowing our learners well, building trusting relationships and adapting provision responsively to ensure every learner feels safe, valued and supported to succeed.”

David Liddle, Headteacher, The Haven

Looking ahead

The Haven plans to build on this success by:

• Continuing to develop an ambitious and inclusive curriculum.
• Strengthening accessible and meaningful learner voice opportunities.
• Expanding staff training, wellbeing support and professional learning.
• Further enhancing preparation for adulthood and independence.
• Continuing to evolve provision in response to learner needs and outcomes.

Interested in achieving the same impact?

The SEND Inclusion Award helps schools strengthen inclusive practice, personalise learner support and improve outcomes for pupils with additional learning needs. It provides a framework to develop learner-centred provision, staff expertise and strong partnerships with families.

👉 Find out more about the award and how your school can begin its inclusion journey today.