A SECONDARY school in Wiltshire has become the first in the county to achieve a prestigious national award recognising its commitment to supporting autistic pupils.

The Trafalgar School in Downton has been awarded the National Autistic Society’s Autism Inclusion Award after a rigorous assessment process examining how well it supports neurodiverse students.

The achievement marks a major milestone for the school, which has spent recent years embedding autism awareness and neuro-affirmative practices throughout everyday school life.

Inspectors looked at evidence ranging from staff training and classroom practices to feedback from pupils and parents. Staff and students were also interviewed as part of the assessment.

(Picture: Wiltshire Council)

The school worked closely with Wiltshire Council’s Specialist SEN Service (SSENS), which provided training, guidance and networking opportunities to help schools develop inclusive approaches for children with special educational needs and disabilities.

Headteacher Jy Taylor said the award reflected the school’s determination to ensure every pupil has the opportunity to succeed.

“The Trafalgar School, alongside Magna Learning Partnership (MLP), our trust, is dedicated to serving the children of our community to the very best of our abilities. The recognition we have received as a result of this process demonstrates our commitment to ensuring our children, from whatever background or circumstance, can thrive and achieve at Trafalgar.

(Picture: Wiltshire Council)

“The framework of standards and the assessment process itself was both rigorous and robust and my thanks go to all of our staff, including our exceptional non-teaching colleagues, for their dedication to our students, day-in day-out.”

Cabinet member for education and skills Cllr Jon Hubbard praised the school for setting an example for others to follow.

“Congratulations to The Trafalgar School on achieving this award in recognition of its hard work and commitment to good practice,” he said.

“The school is leading the way in supporting young people with neurodiverse needs, creating an inclusive environment where pupils are given the tools and confidence to thrive and enjoy their education.”

(Picture: Wiltshire Council)

Head of National Autistic Society: Learn Lisa Myers added: “We are delighted that The Trafalgar School has achieved the Autism Inclusion Award. The team should be exceptionally proud of their achievement and commitment towards improving support for autistic people.”

The award is the UK’s only autism-specific quality assurance programme and recognises organisations delivering outstanding support for autistic people.