First charity-sponsored SEN academy opens

The partnership between the Royal National Institute of Blind People’s (RNIB) Pears Centre for Specialist Learning and Three Spires School, both in Coventry, is believed to be the first of its kind in the UK.

Senior staff at RNIB Pears Centre took over management of the school at the beginning of the month, creating the RNIB Three Spires Academy.

The RNIB Specialist Learning Trust sponsors the academy, which has 81 students with moderate learning difficulties aged three to 11.

RNIB officers created the trust with RNIB Pears Centre staff after Ofsted rated both divisions of the site – a school and a children’s home – outstanding.

Andy Moran, executive head teacher of RNIB Pears Centre, explained: “We’ve developed education management approaches and policy within the school and we felt we could be doing more, more widely in the education system.

“The Department for Education is very keen to look for sponsors to help schools, particularly failing schools and schools in special measures, and we felt we had something to offer because of our track record with the school, but also because we are a nationally recognised charity.”

Moran and his management team are now working with staff at the academy to help it earn a “much more favourable judgment” at its next inspection.

He said: “It seems to be going very well. The transition has been very smooth and I am very proud of that. The change will take place over a period of time to avoid uncertainty. We need to be consistent to ensure the students’ needs are being met.”

As part of the support it provides, RNIB Pears Centre will run a screening programme for all academy students after research by RNIB Scotland found that people with learning difficulties often have undiagnosed sight loss.

The new partnership has also created links with other schools in the area.

Moran said: “A number have approached us to say they would be interested in working with us.

“We are developing our outreach service where specialists go into schools to diagnose sight problems, talk about adjustments in their environment and support their learning.”