29/03/2022 - Permalink

News from our partners: ‘What’s Your Story?’ competition launch in World Autism Acceptance Week

Related topics: Children's services / Partner organisations

News from our partners Shropshire Parent and Carer Council

“What’s Your Story?” is a creative writing and art competiton for young people aged 7 – 16
years old, who are either diagnosed or awaiting assessment as autistic, in Shropshire or
Telford & Wrekin.

We are looking for stories, poems or pictures from autistic young peoples haring their experience of school life. Successful stories will be part of a booklet created for schools to support staff and students to understand more about the experiences of autistic young people in school.

"What's your story?" - National Parent and Carer Council competition leaflet

“What’s your story?” – National Parent and Carer Council competition

This competition is part of the North Midlands Autism in Schools pilot, and is being
supported by Ignition CIC. All entries should be emailed to hannah@i-gnition.co.uk by Sunday 1 May 2022. The winning entry will receive a £50 book token.

Further information

The ‘Autism in Schools’ project is a cross system project funded by NHS England, to improve outcomes for autistic pupils in mainstream schools. Shropshire Parent & Carer Council, Shropshire Council and Shropshire Telford and Wrekin Clinical Commissioning Group are working together as part of the North Midlands Autism in Schools pilot.

Four Shropshire schools, all of which are part of The Marches Multi-Academy Trust, are participating in the pilot: these are Shrewsbury Academy, The Grange Primary School in Shrewsbury, Oakmeadow Primary School in Bayston Hill, and The Marches School in Oswestry.

The pilot offers support for development of the school workforce and leadership to ensure
that mainstream schools offer environments in which autistic students can thrive,
supporting good mental health and promoting inclusion for this group of young people.

There are four key elements to the pilot:-

  • A Learning and Development Programme which seeks to develop a positive school environment for autistic pupils through reasonable adjustments and understanding.
  • Developing school-based parent carer participation building on and supported by the Parent Carer Forums in each council area.
  • Building a new relationship between Child Adolescent Mental Health Service and
    schools which is focused on developing autism-friendly environments and practice.
  • Hearing from children and young people with Autism and developing self-awareness and resilience.

The pilot will run in the Shropshire schools until the end of this school year.

Pilot newsletters:

http://www.paccshropshire.org.uk/north-midlands-autism-in-schools-pilot-newsletter
http://www.paccshropshire.org.uk/north-midlands-autism-in-schools-pilot-feb-2022-newsletter