Please see the links on the right hand side of the page for useful information for parents.

 

Parent Survey Feedback Summary 2023

Thank you to everyone who completed our survey, we had our highest ever number of completed forms. We really do value your opinions and as you can see from the summary below, we try to listen and implement what we can in response to your comments.

Areas of Strength

Parents feel that they can approach a member of staff to discuss any worries or concerns and know how to contact school to report an absence or any additional information.

97% of parents would recommend Priory Woods School to other parents and feel that the staff go above and beyond to ensure pupils achieve their own goals.

Parents feel that the education their children are accessing at Priory Woods School is individualised, appropriately resourced, nurturing and fun!

Areas for Improvement

Trips out and residential visits

We are currently fundraising for an additional school bus, this will mean we will have five buses in total for more opportunities throughout the year to take pupils on day trips. We have heavily invested this year in training more staff members to be able to drive the buses, so we will have more staff across school available to drive.  

There are three residential visits across an academic year. The residential centres are carefully selected to ensure a range of our pupils’ needs are met. Pupils will be offered the opportunity to attend a residential from Key Stage 2 through to Post 16.

Communication

Teachers’ use Dojo on a weekly basis to share photographs and videos of the activities the pupils have taken part in. They will use this to share messages and information with regard to special events in school and class information. Teachers also telephone parents or invite them into school in order to improve communication. Parents are invited to Annual Reviews which is another opportunity to discuss any concerns or share important information. Arbor is another communication service we use, and all parents have been invited to sign up to this.

Being Part of School and Sharing Opportunities.

In response to parents needing more notice to attend events, a calendar will be available on the website, and sent out on Dojo, with dates for each upcoming term. Here are some of the events we have carried out this year which we have had a positive response to and will be replicated for the next academic year:

• Lower School – Parents are invited into school for different opportunities across the year, these include Stay and Play sessions, coffee mornings and parent meetings.
• Upper school – Parents have attended different sessions, such as cooking and Forest School lessons, to work alongside their child. We have invited parents to different assemblies. This is something we wish to continue next year.
• Post 16 - Parents have attended different sessions, such as sensory dance and enterprise lessons, to work alongside their child.
• Post 16 café is open Monday and Tuesday in term time which is another great opportunity to see the life skills and work experience our pupils are involved in.
• Creative exhibitions and sharing opportunities.
• Meet and Greet – an opportunity for parents to meet each half term to chat, have a coffee and build relationships.
• We have Christmas, Easter and Summer fairs each year which is another opportunity for parents to come into school.

In response to parents wanting more opportunities to share their child’s progress we will be sending out, each term, the current targets the pupils are working on and a summary of their progress. Parents will be invited into school at the beginning of the year and at the end of the year for a parents evening. Midway through the year, parents will be invited to meet with the class teacher and see some of the work the pupils have been involved in.

A high percentage of parents were interested in finding out how to support their child’s additional needs through sensory therapies, behaviour and communication. We currently offer a range of support including; Family Thrive, Speech and Language therapy and Occupational health. We are currently training staff to deliver more sessions around supporting parents, and we will share this information with you in the near future.

76% of parents would like to find out about courses and support from external sources, e.g. Parents 4 Change, benefit support, Davison Trust support. Priory Woods School have a Family Liaison Officer, Paula Smith, who is available Monday to Friday to support families and discuss any matters. Paula has organised Citizens Advice support who come into school every Thursday morning for the foreseeable future to offer welfare benefit advice. They can also assist with fuel, food and water crisis/poverty and signpost and refer to other agencies. Please do not hesitate to contact school if any of the above applies to you.

Outside Area

In response to parents’ feedback with regard to our outdoor areas; developing our outdoor areas and outdoor play for our pupils is a priority and one that has been a focus this academic year. We have invested in new outdoor equipment; we have new swings and seating on the main bike track, we have added in a water play ‘river’ area and bridge, which has been hugely popular with the pupils, and we have timetabled PALO (Play and Learning Outdoor) sessions each week. We are currently planning for canopies so that pupils can be outside in all weathers and updating the sensory garden to meet the needs of our learners.

Breakfast Club

We currently offer breakfast for our pupils within registration and value the importance of pupils having access to the first meal of the day to support them in their learning and wellbeing. An early morning breakfast club has now been taken to the management team to see if this is something we can facilitate two mornings a week. More information will be provided.

 

Additional information.

Below is a link to the Family Information Service Directory website which is a great place to obtain accurate, high quality, accessible and impartial information, along with advice and guidance on services and activities in your local area for children, young people and families.  

http://fis.middlesbrough.gov.uk/kb5/middlesbrough/fsd/home.page.