Our mission is to provide every child with the best possible start in life by creating a safe, inclusive, and supportive environment that champions excellence in inclusion and SEND support. We are dedicated to fostering a lifelong love of learning, empowering children to discover their full potential, and equipping them with the skills and values to make a positive impact on our world.

The SEND Unit classes 7 and 8 at Washacre Primary Academy are specialist provisions. Class 8 is for pupils who have moderate learning difficulties (MLD) with a complex need (such as Autism), and Class 7 is for pupils who have severe and complex learning difficulties.  These are pupils who have struggled in a mainstream classroom and would be eligible for a place at a specialist provision such as Ladywood Primary School. The pupils come from across Bolton and are brought in by transport each day. The provision opened in September 2022 with 10 pupil places, when the Local Authority identified a need for additional places for pupils with MLD and a complex need.  A second Provision was opened in September 2023 with an additional 8 places.  

There are currently 22 pupils in our Send Unit across 2 classes. The children are educated in smaller classes with a high adult to child ratio using specific strategies that will support and develop and meet their sensory needs, communication and language needs, develop independent skills and provide an integrated approach within the mainstream classes where appropriate.

All our staff are experienced practitioners who have worked previously with SEND children. They receive support from a variety of external agencies including Woodbridge SEND team, Educational Psychologists, Speech and Language therapists, Occupational Therapists and the Paediatric Learning Disabilities Team.

The Local Authority SEND (Special Educational Needs) team are responsible for allocating places to our SEND Unit. All the pupils have an Education Health and Care Plan. Unfortunately, children who attend Washacre Primary Academy do not have priority over other children in the Bolton borough in gaining a place in the provision. All places are allocated by the SEND Panel.

Often, the children who have been offered a place in Class 7 or Class 8 have had a difficult educational journey and our first priority is to ensure they feel understood and valued, regardless of their challenges or learning differences. We strongly believe that the children who are in the mainstream classes benefit enormously from understanding and accepting the needs of others as well as embracing and celebrating individual differences.

Washacre Primary Academy is an inclusive school and one of the benefits of Class 7 and Class 8 are being attached to a mainstream school, is the option to integrate these children with their chronological year group and mainstream peers. Where this is appropriate, careful planning and support from staff from their class, will ensure they are able to access their new environment successfully. 

If parents would like further information about how to access our SEND Unit, in the first instance they should speak to the SENCo in their child’s school, who should be able to provide further details about the entry criteria and processes. Unfortunately, we are unable to provide visits for those parents who would like their child to attend class 7 and class 8 unless they have already been offered a place as this can be unsettling for the children.

Vicki Lowe is the Leader of SEND Unit and can provide further information by email should you require it. lowev@washacreacademy.org