MP visits Derbyshire school to witness support on offer for pupils with special needs and disabilities

Tibshelf Infant and Nursery School headteacher Zoe Andrews with Bolsover MP Mark Fletcher, County Councillor James Barron and Year 1 and 2 pupils with their eco bricks in the outdoor area

An MP has visited a Derbyshire school to learn how it is supporting children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).

Tibshelf Infant and Nursery School welcomed Mark Fletcher on Friday, October 8, after being praised by a parent of a SEND pupil who had contacted the Bolsover MP to help recognise the great work being done by staff.

Mr Fletcher was also joined by county councillor James Barron, of the Tibshelf Division, as they toured the school and saw first hand some of the facilities and support structures in place for children with SEND.

This included the outdoor and garden areas, which are accessible for all children to play and learn, and the foodbank which was initially set up by headteacher Zoe Andrews during Covid and continues to run to support the community.

Bolsover MP Mark Fletcher and County Councillor James Barron visit Tibshelf Infant and Nursery school in recognition of the work done to support children with Special Educational Needs & Disabilities

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Posting on Facebook after the visit, Mr Fletcher said: “Cllr James Barron and I had the absolute pleasure of a tour around Tibshelf Infant and Nursery School this morning - they have created some wonderful outside spaces for the children to play and learn. Thank you to Mrs Andrews and the children for showing us around.

Mrs Andrews said SEND children have always had a “really high profile” at Tibshelf Infant and Nursery School.

She added: “After the London Olympics, we set up a whole schools sports activity day and so annually we now have an event called ‘our whole school sports activity day’ where we have paralympians and disabled athletes who come in to teach the children.

"Over the day the children have access to learning, sports such as blind football and wheelchair basketball. We just make sure that we’re supporting charities too, for example the sepsis charity.

"We also have a child who is blind in school at the moment so throughout the year we collect stamps to support RNIB (Royal National Institute of Blind People) and all the time we’re looking at making sure that every child’s self-esteem is raised and really we’re looking at ability over disability.

"It was really nice to know that a parent took the trouble to write to Bolsover MP Mark Fletcher. They know what we did for their daughter and, although all school’s do their best, they felt we went over and above.”

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