Raising standards for children with special needs

Parent Mohammed Akram Hussain and Westwood teacher Beth Ashworth (centre) and St Hilda’s teacher Niriam Begum with pupils (from the left) Umayr Hussain, Jakir Abdul, Yunus Ahmed and Rashedul Hoque

CHILDREN from two primary schools have been swopping the classroom for the great outdoors.

Activities such as den-building and knot-tying have been on the timetable for the five-year-olds and their parents from Westwood and St Hilda’s.

Their Forest School is part of the the Government-funded Achievement For All (AFA) project to raise the achievements of children with special education needs and disabilities.

Oldham was one of 10 local authorities chosen to pilot the two-year scheme. It also aims to get parents more involved in their children’s education and tackle other issues such as bullying, behaviour and attendance.

Now nine primary schools working together on the project have been nominated for a Pride in Oldham award.

Westwood head teacher Nicola Brogan said: “You can see the impact of (AFA) on my school, it is amazing. To have the money to do what we want to do is fantastic.

“One of the things about us is that our parents do not use any extra provision, such as children’s centres or extracurricular activities. We wanted to show them that even with a patch of land you can interact with your children and learn with them.”

The other schools nominated are Beever, Christ Church Denshaw, Greenfield, Mayfield, SS Aiden and Oswald’s, St Anne’s Greenacres, Springbrook.

Their projects range from drama to go-karting and maintenance.

Mrs Brogan was delighted with the nomination but added: “A lot of us would probably say we do not deserve it because it is what we do, it is part of our bread and butter.

“But I am really proud that people are acknowledging the good practice that is going on in Oldham and the way we communicate with our families.”