THE LINK SCHOOL SATELLITE SITE:FLAGSHIP PROVISION

we haveidentified thebestway to support local children with PDA and their families Prior to opening, ourteamdeveloped connections with key people and organisations. For instance, we arepartofOrchard Hill Collegeand AcademyTrust (OHC&AT), home to14special schoolsand eightCollege Centresacross London and the south east This has providedanenormous levelofskills and expertiseand has helpedkickstartthe initialconversationaround lack of provision –as have ourclosetieswithSuttonlocalauthority there is no bell;whenchildrenare hungry, theyeat.Nor are studentsrequiredtosit at desks, andtimetablesand routines areset by the childrenthemselves.Alternatively,we deliveraflexible,three-curriculum pathway; informal, semi-formal andformal, to allow activities to centrearound thechild’s interests, and to buildonkey learningsteps as their anxieties decrease andthey begintotrust adultsenough to acceptdirection from others.

TheLinkSchoolsupportsstudents aged between four and 19 withspeech, language andcommunication needs. We have welcomed the introductionofour satellitesite, co-located at Wallington Primary Academy in Sutton,partofthe Cirrus PrimaryAcademy Trust, thefirst of itskind in the country.

Throughbuilding collaborationsand undertaking extensive practitioner research,

Our bespoke curriculum is providedwithin anurture-basedenvironment for25children fromYear2toYear11. An additional six childrenare enrolledinour outreach service, which is an assessment period thatbuilds relationshipswithparents andchildren in their own homesbefore they join.

Aday in theschool lifeofa studentwith PDA is notakin to the traditionalschool day as mostpeopleknow it.Schooluniformisnot compulsory; students wear clothingoftheir own choice. Lunchtime is notscheduled and nc www.nasen.org.uk

Already,our team has seenanenormous impact, not onlyonchildren, but also on families. It is transformational. Families often faceimmensechallenges because of thelackofunderstanding among the professionals theyturntofor help.

Many parents also feel anxiousabout approaching aPDA diagnosis with their child,concernedthatitmay exacerbate anxieties and poor mental health.

Although initially there maybechallenges, in the long term,earlyintervention,anopenand honestapproach, and developinga thorough understanding of thecondition pays dividends