A SCHOOL for children with complex needs has won high praise from the UK’s leading charity for autistic people.

Assessors from the National Autistic Society inspected Beaumont Hill Academy, part of the Education Village Academy Trust, Darlington, examining every aspect of the school’s provision.

Assessors observed lessons, talked to senior leaders, teachers, governors, parents and pupils in a comprehensive review of school life before awarding the academy Autism Accreditation.

The accolade came in the wake of the specialist academy also being hailed Good by Ofsted after staff worked for around two years to turn around the school's reputation.

More than 100 pupils of the 300-strong roll have been diagnosed with autism. Assessors highlighted the academy’s various strengths including:

• Staff’s positive relationships with their pupils

• Pupils being seen to respond well to staff intervention and being engaged and relaxed

• Staff being flexible in their approach to make themselves understood throughout lessons and adapt verbal language and visual supports where necessary

• Staff promoting peer to peer cooperation, feedback and celebration.

Assessors stated: “Vocational support has a well-established team and framework that has resulted in many pupils moving on to positive futures after Beaumont Hill.

“The schools approach to e-safety and ongoing plans to provide a programme of digital leaders will have an ongoing impact not only within school but at home for the pupils as the digital age continues.”

They highlighted that pupils were supported to understand and recognise their emotions through the use of different strategies. Parents also remarked on the success of self-regulation strategies for pupils.

The report had high praise for staff, stating: “This is definitely a team who have had a lot of high pressured priorities to work on over the previous years, however, their enthusiasm and commitment to the pupils was clear to see.

“Their drive to continue to move the provision forward was evident with the number of initiatives that are being explored due to the ongoing analysis of pupils’ needs.”

Beaumont Hill Academy principal Caroline Green said: “We do have a high proportion of children with autism and to receive such praise from The National Autistic Society vindicates all the hard work and commitment staff show on a daily basis to ensure we provide the very best learning environment we can for our pupils.”