The Springfields Academy Shares Lessons From its ‘Transformative’ Approach to Inclusion with Schools Across the South West

Springfields is a special school for autistic young people aged four to 19, currently supporting 284 pupils, all of whom have an Education, Health and Care Plan.

The event, held on Thursday 15th October, was delivered as part of the South West RISE programme and focused on inclusion, with a particular emphasis on how specialist approaches could inform mainstream provision.

During the morning, visitors took part in a series of learning walks, discussions with senior leaders and a tour of the school's adapted provisions. The programme explored both literacy and communication, alongside the school's approach to personal development and its wider culture of inclusion.

Sam Cottrell, Headteacher at The Springfields Academy, opened the event by providing an insight into the school’s context, followed by opportunities for visitors to observe practice and discuss the approaches they saw with members of the senior leadership team. Sam and Nicola Whitcombe, Regional Director for Reach South, were joined by Jo Stoaling, the school’s RISE advisor, as part of their ongoing work together.

The school showcased how inclusion is embedded across every aspect of life at Springfields, with staff, families and external partners working together to identify and remove barriers so that every pupil can thrive.

Visitors explored the school's personalised pathways and therapy-first approach, as well as its multi-layered inclusive provision, with a focus on sharing approaches that could support mainstream schools and the development of specialist inclusion bases.

The event also provided an opportunity to see practice that has received national recognition. Springfields was recently named one of just eight Beacon schools in the country by the National Autistic Society, recognising its work supporting autistic pupils and sharing its expertise with other schools and organisations. The school has also achieved Advanced status in the National Autistic Society's Autism Specialist Award for the second time.

This recognition followed a recent Ofsted inspection, in which inspectors awarded the school the highest possible 'Exceptional' judgement in three areas and described the school's impact on autistic pupils and young people with additional needs as "truly transformative."

Nicola Whitcombe, Regional Director for Reach South Academy Trust, said:

"We are incredibly proud of the inclusive practice that takes place every day at Springfields and the positive impact it has on our pupils and their families. This discovery morning was an opportunity to open our doors and share that practice with colleagues across the region. 

“We know that specialist schools have a wealth of expertise that can support the wider education system, and we wanted to create an opportunity to share what works and explore how approaches can be adapted to different settings. At the heart of the morning was a shared commitment to removing barriers and ensuring that children can thrive in the setting that is right for them.”

Tom Leverage, CEO of Reach South Academy Trust, said:

"The Springfields Academy has built an exceptional culture around understanding each individual young person and removing the barriers that can prevent them from thriving. Sharing that expertise beyond the school is an important part of its role within the wider education system.

"This event demonstrated the value of bringing colleagues together to see specialist practice first-hand, ask questions and consider how approaches could be adapted to support inclusion in different settings. We are incredibly proud of the expertise within Springfields and its commitment to working collaboratively with schools across the region to improve outcomes for young people."