East Park School

From the BBC:

“The Glasgow school where qualifications are life-changing”

(Nathan learning how to look after plants in the school garden)

Just a week after school pupils across the country were opening their exam results, pupils at a school in Glasgow were celebrating their own achievements. The young people at East Park School in Maryhill worked just as hard for their qualifications and had their year's efforts marked at their weekly assembly. East Park supports children with autism and complex learning disabilities and its pupils come from all over Scotland.

 Like other schools, they work towards Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) qualifications. Instead of opening National 5 and Higher results, the older children were given certificates for passing their Nat 1s. And this year Scottish specialist independent schools have achieved record exam success Nathan is 16 and has been at East Park since first year. He has celebrated Nat 1 success in making a healthy snack and also taking part in swimming.

(Nathan has also taken part in music lessons)

David Lowther, a teacher at the school, said these tasks and activities were huge achievements. He added: "Our young people come here and they face so many challenges throughout education and in life in general. "But they are naturally intuitive. They are curious, creative and adventurous and they rise to so many challenges on a daily basis. "It's our job to make sure they get the attainment, the qualifications and the achievements they deserve and for them to leave here with the evidence that shows what they can do is so important to their families." Nathan has a complex range of diagnoses and needs which mean his behaviour makes it difficult to reach him. Staff use a "chunking" technique where they concentrate learning into small segments of five minutes.

(Chloe also achieved units in navigating the community - including putting her shopping through a supermarket self checkout)

Chloe has also worked hard. She learned to cook and prepare her own meal and went into the community to try out her numeracy. Mr Lowther said: "Chloe did well last year, successfully completing five National 1 units in life skills, taking on a leisure activity going shopping in the community and improving her numeracy skills. "It's important to challenge our young people and show them what they are capable of. "It will probably never be Nat 5 for the young people who attend East Park but they still deserve to be challenged and given the appropriate qualifications."

(All the children at East Park had their achievements recognised at a special assembly)

Making sure the young people are given awards shines a light on the work schools like East Park do. Although it is an independent school, councils pay for places for children who need its services. East Park's head of education Catriona Campbell said: "It's really emotional working here. "You get really attached to the young people and staff - it is just a really magical place to be. "And seeing the children make progress and that being heartily celebrated by staff that love them and know them is wonderful."

(Nathan's certificate celebrates his achievements for the year)

Nat 1s are a big deal at East Park. Ms Campbell said they were about recognising practical skills that will make a difference to the young people's quality of life. "It is not realistic for most of our children to be thinking about employment. "We would aspire to that in some cases and we will support that but for most it is about making sure they enjoy their life in adulthood and they have their own personal aspirations, ambitions and hobbies to fulfil their lives."

(One of the younger children at East Park - Josh - prepares his own snack)

Lorraine Davidson is the chief executive of the Scottish Council of Independent Schools. She stressed it was important to recognise all levels of achievement. "It is natural that people focus on pupils who have achieved at a very high level," Ms Davidson said. "But is there any higher level than this? Children who have come up against challenges the rest of us couldn't begin to imagine. "Those Nat 1, 2 and 3 successes are life changing, transforming lives for them and their families."

^  This sounds like such a great program that needs to be expanded across the world. ^

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-glasgow-west-66539215