Aurora Fairway School is an independent, co–educational specialist day school, based in St Ives, Cambridgeshire. Students attending are aged from 11-16, with a range of complex learning needs including Speech, Language and Communication difficulties, Autism and Social, Emotional and Mental Health (SEMH) needs. Currently, there are 42 students on roll, supported by four different county councils.
The school, which opened in September 2022, is part of the Aurora group that comprises 18 special schools across the UK. Whilst able to operate autonomously to a large degree, flexibly responding to the regional needs of Local Authorities, students and families, the school benefits from the support and expertise of the group, which is significant.
Inclusion is evident in all aspects of the school’s work and there are good links with the community. Since opening this brand new school, the Headteacher has worked effectively with Local Authorities, the Governing board, parents and staff to ensure that the facilities meet the needs of students and that everyone has similar aspirations for children at the school. Inclusivity is at the heart of everything the school does. The school believes that everyone can learn, achieve and has the potential to be successful. Positive relationships are the key to success and are underpinned by mutual trust, respect and caring for one another.
The school has high expectations in everything they do. The learning programmes are created to ensure students are motivated to attend school and that they feel secure. Frequently, individual timetables are adapted to accommodate the attitude, emotional need and mental wellbeing of the individual pupil. The Governors are highly experienced and their understanding of the key issues relating to SEND and school design also impact on outcomes for children.
Staff and Governors have worked collegiately with the Headteacher to create the inclusive ethos within the school. One governor spoke of “the resilience of staff” and how “they were part of a family”.
The school’s first Ofsted report (November 2023) comments that students, “can be themselves here”, and noted how, “all pupils are immediately made to feel welcome and valued” within the school. Inspectors particularly noted the strong sense of respect and trust between pupils and staff and how students really, “appreciate the attention to detail given to their individual needs and interests”. It is particularly commendable to see so many students who had previously been disaffected from education willingly engaging with classroom staff. As many students told Ofsted, “This school is their first positive experience of education”.
Aurora Fairway School’s therapy team is a very important part of the school team. On-site support guarantees expedient and highly tailored support for students and also open communication with staff and parents. The team is fully integrated into school life so they are able to provide valuable input into multi-disciplinary team meetings and internal reviews.
The school uses the key values of caring, trusted, ambitious, innovative and collaborative to provide the framework for its inclusive policy and practice. These values thread through staff training and are reiterated throughout the visual displays, policy documentation and improvement plans.
The respectful behaviour, enthusiasm for learning and positive attitude of pupils, is highly commendable. This emanates from a thoroughly embedded and cohesive programme that looks for individual talent and good in everyone. As was also noted by Ofsted, students, “are extremely polite, courteous, and welcoming to visitors”. This culture, which has been quickly created and embedded since the school opening, was much in evidence during the IQM assessment.
Students enter the school at any point during Key Stage (KS) 3 or KS4. Often, their prior experience of school life has been difficult and irregular, sometimes involving several changes of school placement. Some have not been in education at all for a significant period. Students are aided to readjust emotionally to the school environment, to feel safe and more able to confidently manage learning experiences before reengaging rigorously in academic pursuits.
Given the students’ varied prior educational experiences, they each require a highly personalised support plan that includes therapeutic and specialist academic interventions, to guide their academic as well as emotional progress. This enables them to catch up in a secure and positive way, whilst at the same time being included in whole class and school activities and events. Very importantly, the school ensures parents and carers are fully appraised of, and included in, their child’s specific plan so that they can all work together to support students and everyone can celebrate the achievements and progress made. Email, texting, newsletters, reports to parents as well as one-to-one conversation on a daily basis, keep parents and carers regularly informed about their child’s education, welfare and needs.
The positive and enthusiastic manner in which students participated in personal interventions, sometimes outside of the main classroom, is a testament to the work the school has done to ensure students are secure and understanding about the programme they are following. The broad range of opportunities is really appreciated by students who enthusiastically endorse the school’s work. As Ofsted also noted, students feel that they, “can pursue their talents and interests whatever they may be”.
The genuine enthusiasm that emanates from the staff team whose passion for their part in the learning and progress of the students at the school is apparent. They are dedicated and positive about the futures of their students and would like to further promote and share the school’s expertise amongst the Aurora Group schools.
Everyone is committed and wanting to do the best they can for the Aurora Fairway students.
They provide an outstanding, caring environment for students where the combination of heartfelt care and high expectations has a huge impact on their wellbeing and achievement.
