Resource Provision Testimonials
Testimonial 1
When it came to thinking about high school for my son Mikey, it seemed absolutely overwhelming and I felt like the only option for him would be a specialist provision. This would inevitably have taken him further away from home, his community and the wonderful peers he has grown to love (and they adore him!) Thinking about his future, this would be a huge loss to him, if he couldn’t go to our local high school.
Our starting point for looking at high school was naturally our local school, where his older brother attends, The Barlow. We first came in to see The Barlow for Mikey, in his Year 4. Mrs Seddon, the SENDCo, took some time with us one morning to show us around what school would look like, for Mikey. She introduced us to The Hive, and I got to meet staff and children and get a glimpse at some teaching. There was no rush and she answered all the questions I had, big and small. The Resource Provision was still a hope at the time but I knew we had to give The Barlow a go for our boy, after this initial meeting. Mrs Seddon and the staff we met, gave me so much confidence that they really knew what they were doing.
Open night, came around in Year 5 and I approached Mrs Seddon, about Mikey coming in to see, like his class mates were. Adjustments were made no problem and we were met at reception by a student, half an hour before the open night began, to start our tour. We were the first to arrive and the last to leave that night! Mikey loved it, despite it getting busier and busier as the evening went on. The staff who took time to listen to him and let him process everything, so beautifully. As a Mum, my highlight was discovering our tour guide was a SEND student, confident enough to share with me just how much she thrives at The Barlow and how much she thought Mike could too.
After this visit, I asked Mrs Seddon could I see some of the classes Mikey would learn in. This was a really defining moment in decision making, as seeing the quality of the work the children were able to produce with such tailored support (and love) was exactly where he shines. I could see there was no limit on his potential when he came to The Barlow.
Getting our place in the Resource Provision was a dream come true. Mike said to me that he didn’t know what we were worried about, “I was always going to The Barlow Mum!” We really were making the right decision for him. All the time leading up to making our decision and getting the place, The Barlow has become part of Mikey’s life. We visited the school twice at the start of Year 6 and it was part of the conversation and transitional process, all year long. We felt part of the school, long before we actually started!
Mrs Greatbatch, welcomed us in to the provision one afternoon after school not long after Mike got his place. The time she let him have, the chance to explore unrestricted, time to think, was just lovely. At the end of the visit, he sat on the couch and opened up his snack box, he felt so at home. Staff took the time to meet me privately for transition information. I’ve felt like staff are keen to reassure me, they can meet Mikey’s needs and support his learning.
The SEND Transition Day, was wonderful. Seeing other SEND families, gave me so much confidence and made me see that Mike and I have a wonderful peer group around us, as he enters such an important stage of his life. It was great to see such a presence from the senior leadership team and some Year 10 students at the family afternoon tea that day, it shows how important SEND students and their well-being are, to everyone at The Barlow.
We have been so excited to embark on the next stage of this journey with The Barlow and feel really lucky that we get to work with such a dedicated and experienced team. We just can’t believe how lucky we are!
Testimonial 2
My son had been off school for coming up six months before he was given a place at The Barlow. He was traumatised by severe bullying at his mainstream high school and we had both just about given up hope of finding a school that would suit him and be able to meet his needs.
The support offered by The Barlow RP team has been absolutely fantastic. He had a phased return to school, has adjustments to his uniform, attendance rules and timetable and he is happy coming into school each day. He is extremely enthusiastic about the new therapy dog, Ambrose and has enjoyed the cookery sessions that he has had the opportunity to take part in.
The input from specialist therapists such as speech and language, occupational therapy and educational psychology has helped with sleep and social interaction. There have been offers of sessions for parents and many emails from Mrs Greatbatch about additional information and resources.
Without this unit, it's staff and support, I think my son would have never made back to school.
Testimonial 3
The Barlow High SEND team, along with access to the Resource Provision (RP), have been central to my son's successful transition to secondary school. His previous experience of schools has not always been positive; as a bright, neurodivergent child, he has often been under pressure to conform to norms that do not make sense to him and to expectations that he is simply unable to meet. From the very beginning, the SEND team took the time to really understand him, and the feedback that we receive, shows that they see him for the rounded person that he really is, rather than as a set of conditions to be managed. Feedback from the SEND team has been regular and often very positive – a refreshing and welcome change, as any parent of a neurodivergent child will appreciate! The team takes the time to keep us in the loop about our son's progress and their commitment to working through any issues as they arise, rather than waiting for small concerns to become deeper-rooted problems.
The SEND team has also been instrumental in helping our son to develop better self-regulation skills, something that has been very noticeable to us at home as well as at school. By offering carefully tailored adjustments, such as a pass that allows him to move through the corridors before the busiest periods and a card that he can display on his desk if he is experiencing sensory overload, he is empowered to feel safe and well supported at school. This has significantly reduced his feelings of overwhelm and effectively helped to reduce misunderstandings, de-escalating situations that might previously have led to problematic behaviours. At the same time, regular structured interventions in the RP, such as Minecraft Club, Social Thinking and Lego-based Therapy, have noticeably helped to support and develop his social skills, giving him greater insight into how to build and maintain stronger peer relationships.
The SEND team has also been instrumental in helping our son to develop better self-regulation skills, something that has been very noticeable to us at home as well as at school. By offering carefully tailored adjustments, such as a pass that allows him to move through the corridors before the busiest periods and a card that he can display on his desk if he is experiencing sensory overload, he is empowered to feel safe and well supported at school. This has significantly reduced his feelings of overwhelm and effectively helped to reduce misunderstandings, de-escalating situations that might previously have led to problematic behaviours. At the same time, regular structured interventions in the RP, such as Minecraft Club, Social Thinking and Lego-based Therapy, have noticeably helped to support and develop his social skills, giving him greater insight into how to build and maintain stronger peer relationships.
It is very clear that the RP has become a safe space for our son to retreat to when things feel too much, however it is also a place of understanding, where he can be himself unconditionally, while interacting with friends who instinctively "get him". This sense of freedom and acceptance has had such a positive impact on our son who, for the first time in his school career, is starting to live up to both his academic and social potential. It has been a joy – and a huge relief – to see him thrive at The Barlow High School this year. The invaluable work that the RP and wider SEND support team does has been integral to this progress.
We are incredibly grateful to the team for all their hard work and tireless support. They truly go above and beyond for their students – please know that it is both noticed and hugely appreciated.