Don’t just take our word for it!
Following a presentation to other schools in the borough about Inclusive Food Education & SEND-Friendly Dining Environments
- Date & time: 3 June, 9:00am–12:00pm
This Borough-wide CPD focused on inclusive approaches to food education and mealtimes, with a particular emphasis on supporting cautious eaters and children with SEND.
The session included Miss Apresto presenting about our experiences with sensory food education training of embedding the approach in practice.
‘I meant to say – major thanks to Miss Apresto for speaking yesterday, it was so helpful to have a teacher’s perspective as part of the session! Se used some great examples with the ARP such as exploring carrots in different forms and different ways children were gaining confidence with new foods through TastEd, as well as developing abilities to be descriptive in their writing e.g. one child said how an orange ‘tastes like the sun’.
It’s also really great to hear that you are exploring bringing TastEd lessons into Y3 and Y6-I’m really glad there has been a positive impact from the programme. Moving forward I would love to demonstrate the impact and promote the approach with more schools in the borough.
Thanks for your energy and dedication to make this project happen, great to see it come together!
Lily McSweeney | Food Education Network Coordinator
Following our sustainability work with Learning Through Landscapes, their project leads said…
A belated thank you for hosting our visit to your school – and your fox! What a delight. As were your pupils.
Mary Jackson, Head of Education and Communities, Learning through Landscapes (LtL)
And…
‘Thank you for taking part as a Pathfinder school in the CS180 programme and making us welcome on the day of our visit. This email is a follow-up to the visit: our Schools Co-ordinator, Lesley, will be doing the formal evaluation with you at some point, and we did pass your initial oral feedback on as well.
There were many great discussions with further ideas and plans shared to support your progression. It was lovely to see the enthusiasm and passion from all involved and the children were very well behaved, engaged and very articulate about climate change and nature throughout the audit process. We also enjoyed seeing the fox family throughout the day of course!’
Diane Miller and Cindy Grant
Training & Development Officers Learning through Landscapes (LtL) – the UK’s leading outdoor learning and play charity
Following a visit to the Houses of Parliament for some of our pupil voice representatives where they debated “Is technology (like AI and social media) always helpful for children?” our CEO Cathie Paine MBE said…
‘Marcel and Klaujida are smashing it out of the park here and doing you proud… they are the strongest speakers here!’
Following our latest Inclusion Quality Mark Flagship Review, the Assessor said of us…
Dorothy Barley Junior Academy demonstrates in inclusive, aspirational environment where every child is supported to thrive. During my visit, it was clear that the school’s vision, “Our children deserve the best” is not simply stated but actively lived. This commitment was evident in the relationships, routines and learning experiences observed across the school community, reflecting a culture where pupils’ academic.social, and emotional development are equally prioritised. Pupils’ attitudes to learning are a strength. They spoke with genuine enthusiasm about their lessons and articulated their confidence that support is always available to them,one pupil explained, “I enjoy maths, our teachers help us when we don’t understand.” Pupils also described how they look out for one another. One child spoke proudly about the buddy system, explaining that, “buddies are there to play so new kids don’t feel lonely and help them settle in here.” They were equally able to express what they found difficult, with one pupil sharing, “sometimes waking up in the morning is hard but when I see my friends it is ok.” The Assessor was impressed by the humour and excitement with which pupils recalled wider experiences, from writing competitions judged by the school council to the colour run for Holi. One pupil told the Assessor, “it was fun, we ran a lap and the adults threw coloured powder at us.” The pupil’s ability to articulate routines, assessment, and adaptations, alongside their reflections on friendship,belonging and pride, painted a picture of a school where children feel known, supported, and happy to learn. Dorothy Barley Junior Academy is proud of its Flagship status, and the Assessor is reassured from the visit day that the school continues to be committed to inclusion and to serving its community. The school’s vision is clearly lived out in practice. Across classrooms and during whole-school assembly, pupils demonstrated a confident understanding of what inclusion looks like and spoke thoughtfully about their roles and responsibilities within the school community. Thank you to everyone at Dorothy Barley for such a welcoming, informative, and enjoyable visit. It is clear from the review process that the school remains committed to inclusive education and to ensuring every child is valued’.