Stockland Green School ADHD policies set the standard

A pioneering approach to supporting students with ADHD has earned Stockland Green School a prestigious new status – and now other schools are set to follow their lead.

Staff at Stockland Green, which is part of the respected Arthur Terry Learning Partnership, have been awarded the status of “ADHD Friendly School” by the ADHD Foundation – and now they’re pioneering the way forward for schools across the country.

The school has been working with the Foundation, providing workshops for neurodivergent students and their families, along with projects that have embedded friendly, support within the school on a daily basis.

As part of their application for the status, the school then had to create and submit a ‘pledge’ to the national charity, outlining their approach to supporting neurodivergent students.

Trustees at the charity responded to the application by saying: “We wish every school was like Stockland Green!”

The ADHD Foundation is the UK’s leading neurodiversity charity, offering a service for people who live with ADHD, Autism, Dyslexia, DCD, Dyscalculia, OCD, Tourette’s Syndrome and more.

But it was also the extra things that are part of life at Stockland Green that caught the Trustees’ eye.

Zoe McCallion-Bowen, Strategic Lead for Social, Emotional and Mental Health Difficulties (SEMH) at Stockland Green, said: “What stood out to the Foundation is that we had many everyday practices which we didn’t include in our pledge, which the charity’s board has now decided to add to the pledge for future schools taking it!

The Welcome Window has been such a success at Stockland Green in the past few years that most schools within the Arthur Terry Learning Partnership, have introduced the programme based on their model.

And there are many other excellent practices in place at Stockland Green to ensure all children, regardless of their needs, feel a sense of belonging and empowerment to learn.

Miss McCallion-Bowen explained: “We’re a smaller school but we have an amazing support base. We have our specialised SMH support, called PRIDE Support after the school’s key values of Pride, Responsibility, Integrity, Determination and Empathy. Students who are emotionally dysregulated for any reason can come and receive help there.

“We also always have quiet spaces available, and staff ready to listen.”

Headteacher Rebecca Goode said: “If a child is struggling in lessons, they can always come to us and work in a designated workspace where they can calm down and regulate.

Providing these support avenues is especially important at Stockland Green, as the school has a higher proportion of children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) than other local schools.

Special Needs Coordinator Leah Gatford said: “At Stockland Green, every member of staff is on board with giving our children the provision they need.

“Our support centres around a relational approach – it’s about knowing our students. Staff work hard to get to know their cohort and be a trusted adult for all children, including those with special educational needs.

“They identify what reasonable adjustments can be made to help students engage in lessons and feel more comfortable.”

Now, with Stockland Green’s practices not only inspiring other ATLP schools but being formally included in the ADHD Foundation’s pledge, it is possible that the school might inspire national changes.

Mrs Goode said: “It’s about preparing these young people for future education and the world of work. ADHD is a lifelong neurodiverse condition and we don’t want it to limit them.

“We want all our students to leave Stockland Green with a sense of self-worth, confidence and the coping strategies they need for the future.”