We are an all through EYFS to Year 6 Communication and Interaction Unit with 35 places.

Profile of Children Attending The Willows

The Willows is a specialist setting designed to support a carefully identified group of primary-aged children from Reception to Year 6. The provision will consist of two distinct classes, each tailored to meet the specific needs of its learners.

Class One will cater for children with complex communication and interaction needs, often alongside co-existing challenges such as cognition and learning difficulties and sensory processing differences. These children are likely to be predominantly non-verbal and working significantly outside of age-related expectations. They will benefit from a highly structured, continuous provision-style approach that supports communication, independence, and engagement through a personalised and sensory-informed curriculum.

Class Two will support children who experience difficulty thriving within the structure and expectations of a mainstream classroom. These children will also have needs within the Communication and Interaction area but will typically present with more verbal communication skills. They will be able to access subject-specific learning aligned with the National Curriculum, though not necessarily within their chronological year group. This class will offer a more flexible and nurturing environment that allows for academic progress alongside communication and interaction development.

It is important to note that The Willows is not a suitable setting for children whose primary area of need is significant Social, Emotional and Mental Health (SEMH) difficulties. The provision is specifically designed to support children whose needs are rooted in communication and interaction, and who require a specialist, structured, and supportive environment to thrive.

What is our specialist unit like?

The communication and interaction unit caters for children who experience difficulty with communicating; this may range from speech and language disorders to children with a diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder. This is staffed by 2 teachers, 2 HLTAs and 8 teaching assistants. The unit is very child-centred with an in-depth review of the child’s capabilities undertaken followed by a structured learning programme. The Willows sits in extensive grounds, with direct access to the natural woodland, where Forest School and pond-dipping take place. There will be direct external access into the unit, via a dedicated entrance with access to drop-off and pick-up parking spaces.

What would a day in our school be like?

Pupils attending The Willows will be joining our existing one-form entry primary school and we look forward to welcoming them to be a part of Stanton Primary. Our ethos is wholly inclusive, which means that children will engage and participate in our mainstream school life, depending on their individual needs. This will include wearing the Stanton Primary school uniform.

The school day and a full school curriculum are adapted to the needs of the children, to include: opportunities to take part in our loose parts play, Forest school and gardening, alongside more traditional curriculum subjects. Children may also take part in assemblies, including our singing assemblies and celebration assemblies. Wherever possible, children integrate into the mainstream school for breaktimes and lunchtimes, as well as joining us for key whole-school events.

There is a mix of continuous provision and small group/individual teaching, dependent on individual needs. Teaching focuses on adult-led, child-led and child-initiated learning and children have