Teachers View - Icknield School

Icknield is a school for pupils with either severe or profound and multiple learning difficulties. Many also have physical difficulties. The school is on two sites, the main campus for 2-16 year olds and another set in a bungalow in the community for 16-19`s to learn life skills. Andover is a small market town with light industry in the Test Valley, which is renowned for its waterways. The town and local businesses are very supportive of the school and its pupils.

Anton Lakes is an area of natural beauty which needs constant maintenance to preserve the environment. This provided us with the centre-piece of our conservation work. We hoped that the area would be more accessible to all schools and the local community and that our students would benefit from the activity.

pots We planned for students to take part in group discussions, map making and planning the work. They would have weekly meetings with staff and their work would be directed by the borough Countryside Officer. Media coverage of the project, as requested by the Barclays New Futures award which funded it, would help to advertise the amenity which was little used.

We conducted a risk assessment, talked to the Countryside Officer and started work. Using the Barclays funding we bought gardening equipment for the maintenance tasks and outdoor clothing. Rotas, job roles and equipment were distributed. Work included lake clearance (of rubbish and weed), tree and hedge pruning, repairing fences and wooden foot bridges, checking on life-belts, clearing litter and planting as required.

Ultimately, the students made vital contributions to the conservation area. They began to assume a degree of responsibility - which span off into other areas of their school work. Leaders began to emerge as did task efficient groups. Students will occasionally refer to their work on the project as a template for similar activities elsewhere.

The value of the project is such that it is now embedded into our curriculum. Students take turns to work, and increasing demands are made on the more experienced of them. We are well known for this work, having received excellent press coverage every year. The Barclays funding allowed us to venture into the community and begin to develop a sense of personal worth in students who have hitherto lived on the fringes of society.

One of the main outcomes is our intention to develop our own facilities for work experience so that community based work can take place. Our students need as much contact with non-SLD people as possible if they are to live relatively normal lives.

Each year the students produce surveys of the wildlife and human usage, including vandalism. Photo evidence supports student summaries of their work. At frequent intervals we discuss what has been done, how it could be improved, how roles have been fulfilled and what recording is being done. We intend to embark on more environmental projects, linked to OCR graded work, and designed to improve core and basic skills.

There has been a noticeable impact on students' other work eg it is more focussed and accurate in its presentation. They know how to present information in a variety of ways. They have been greatly interested in learning species of trees, butterflies, shrubs and other wildlife.

We have also noticed an increased sense of responsibility. They articulate the view that "conservation is important " or we will lose our heritage. At their academic level the style is very black and white but nevertheless they are now far more sensitive to this topic. Students mature quite markedly over the three years they are with us and we feel that this project helps to accelerate progress.

Staff have really enjoyed being involved and have learned more about conservation. Students coming up from the main school know something of the project and are keen to get involved . We suspect that, initially it is the prospect of doing something practical and escaping from the classroom!

joinery Our partners, especially in the council, have learned a great deal about an SLD school and how we can contribute to their work schedules. They appreciate our interest and help, more so because it is over the long term - a reliable stream of assistance to them.

Press coverage has been very positive throughout. Local people regularly talk with our students whilst they are working. They seem surprised that students of this type can actually do anything at all. It is refreshing to see how perceptions can and do change. The students have few, if any, inhibitions about talking to others about what they are doing. They would talk to the Queen in the same unaffected manner!

The aims of the school curriculum include `playing an active role as world citizens, workers and consumers`. This project has enabled students to contribute to the local community and improve the environment. It has helped to deliver the curriculum in an interesting way and highlight how much young people with special needs have to offer to the community.

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