24 May 2012
Epilepsy Action is pleased to announce after much consideration the following winners of this years Edwards will be awarded to:
- Crossdale Drive Primary School, Nottingham
- East Norfolk Sixth Form College, Great Yarmouth
- Hermitage Academy, Helensburgh
- Lady Lumley’s School, Pickering
- Lent Rise Combined School, Burnham
- Lisnagelvin Nursery School, Londonderry
- Oakfield High School and College, Wigan
- Oakfield Junior School, Fetcham
- The Kimberley School, Nottingham
- Saltaire Primary School, Shipley
More information about this year's winners, and why they have been successful.
For more information please contact Leanne Creighton on 0113 2108800 or email lcreighton@epilepsy.org.uk
‘Recognising good practice for epilepsy in education’
Our Edwards awards programme rewards those with evidence of good practice in supporting pupils/students with epilepsy. We hope to encourage nurseries, schools, colleges and universities to place pupils/students at the centre of learning and to ensure they are supported to reach their full potential.
We give examples below of the sorts of measures establishments can implement to improve the learning environment for children or adults with epilepsy. We want to hear from you if you can demonstrate that you have done one or more of these, or something similar.
For early years settings
- Epilepsy awareness session conducted
Training for epilepsy has been built into the nursery’s action plan and members of staff are trained - Epilepsy policy in place
The education establishment has written and implemented an epilepsy policy - Children with epilepsy have an individual healthcare plan (IHP)
Nursery/school has developed an IHP form and process for completing and developing IHPs - Children with epilepsy have an individual education plan (IEP) where appropriate
Nursery/school has template forms and structure in place (including responsibility of staff member) - Knowledge and awareness of Managing medicines in schools and early year settings, Equality Act 2010 and SEND 2001/2005, Education Act 1996
For schools
- Epilepsy awareness training has been conducted
Training for epilepsy is built into the school’s action plan and members of staff are trained in epilepsy awareness, including first aid and implications to education - Epilepsy policy in place
Education establishment has written and implemented an epilepsy policy - Children with epilepsy have an individual healthcare plan (IHP)
School has developed an IHP form and process for completing and developing IHPs. - Children with epilepsy have an individual education plan (IEP) where appropriate
School has template forms and structure in place (including responsibility of staff member) - Action plan for whole school approach and involvement
- Local authorities involvement – offering of training
Collaborative working between the LA and school - Knowledge and awareness of Managing medicines in schools and early year settings, Equality Act 2010 and SEND 2001/2005, Education Act 1996
- Working with school nurse/ community nursing team
School nurse/community nurse/epilepsy specialist nurse delivers training on epilepsy and administering medication if needed - Fully inclusive for school trips
- Identified a member of staff responsible for epilepsy awareness in school
- A member of staff trained to administer emergency medication
For colleges and universities
- Identified support processes for students with epilepsy
- Publicising support for students with epilepsy
- Consideration to epilepsy in university policies
- Working to empower and include students to participate fully in university life
In 2011 we awarded eight Edwards. In 2010 we awarded 13 Edwards. These winners have been used to showcase good practice in our new booklet, Routes to Success
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Updated March 2012To be reviewed March 2014
Comments: read the 2 comments or add yours
Comments
We are extremely proud that Matthew's school, Crossdale Drive Primary School, was awarded an Edward this year, 2012. We are so pleased to see that Epilepsy Action understood how much the school had done to help Matthew receive the most from his primary education. All the staff, including the teachers, teaching assistants, office staff, midday meals supervisors, kitchen staff and headteacher have really excelled themselves, but we would like to extend our thanks to them for giving us such a special gift - the feeling that someone cares about our son enough to put themselves out, day after day. We hope this goes just a little way to show our gratitude and debt we feel to them all.
Bravo! Well done!
At last! A clear demonstration that education CAN cope with epilepsy!
I am a nurse with personal and professional experience - I am a mother of a young adult with epilepsy and complex needs (who lives in residential care) - and have been involved in training health and social care staff, and was an independent parental supporter in the early days of Parent Partnership, helping families of children with special educational needs access the support they needed. This model of good practice should be embedded in teacher and classroom assistant training, as it should in preparing staff providing health and social care. It takes such a long time to change a culture, but it sounds as if the corner has at last been turned! Best wishes SMK