Aspen 1 (Whitfield School), Dover. Primary. Profound, Severe or Complex Needs; Severe Communication & Interaction Difficulties (with  Autism). 

Aspen 2 (Christ Church Academy), Dover. Secondary. Profound, Severe or Complex Needs; Severe Communication & Interaction Difficulties (with  Autism). 

Bower Grove School, Maidstone. Behaviour & Learning Needs; Behaviour, Emotional & Social Development Needs (Primary); Severe Communication & Interaction Difficulties (with  Autism).

Broomhill Bank School, Tunbridge Wells. Severe Communication & Interaction Difficulties.   OFSTED September 2010 - Outstanding: "Broomhill Bank has been a Foundation Special School since November 2007, and underwent redesignation in September 2008 from a day and residential all girls special school for learners with moderate learning difficulties (MLD), to a coeducational school for pupils aged 5 to 19 with communication and interaction difficulties (C and I). The school will cease to have residential provision by 2012. All learners have statements of special educational needs. The statements of the remaining MLD cohorts on roll indicate more complex learning and communication needs than the designation would suggest, including autism, language disorders and medical needs. Under the new designation, the primary cohort is currently served on an outreach basis via the school Inclusion and Outreach Project (IOP) team. As part of Extended Schools provision mainstream pupils with C and I are able to access an after-school social club, which operates on site. Pupils come from a wide range of social and economic backgrounds".

Dorton House School. OFSTED Nov 2010 - Satisfactory: "Dorton House is a small school owned by the Royal London Society for the Blind (RLSB). It offers a residential facility and so admits pupils from a wide geographical area. Approximately a quarter of the pupils are boarders. All pupils have a statement of special educational needs relating to sight loss. Increasingly students are joining with additional and more complex needs, and these now form the large majority. The majority of pupils are from White British heritage and where they are verbal, pupils speak English as their first language. There are a small number of looked after children, and there is a predominance of boys in the school. Many appointments in the last year include the learning manager, who leads the school in conjunction with the new chief executive and director of services, and a new chair of the board of education (the school's governing body). There were no Key Stage 1 pupils on roll at the time of the inspection".

Five Acre Wood School, Maidstone. Profound, Severe or Complex Needs; Severe Communication & Interaction Difficulties (with  Autism).

Foreland School, The, Broadstairs. Profound, Severe or Complex Needs; Severe Communication & Interaction Difficulties (with  Autism). OFSTED 2010 - a good school: "The school provides for pupils with severe learning difficulties and profound and multiple learning difficulties. There are also pupils with autistic spectrum disorders and speech, language and communication needs. In addition, the local authority has designated places for complex learning difficulties, a category not recognised by the Department for Education in official statistics returns".

Furness School, Hextable. Secondary. Residential and Day. Behaviour, Emotional & Social Difficulties. OFSTED 2010 - satisfactory: "Furness School is a special school for students with behavioural, social and emotional difficulties which admits both boarding and day students, all of whom have a statement of special educational needs. There are a greater number of boys than girls attending the school and most of the students are of White British heritage. All of the students are known to be eligible for free school meals".

Goldwyn Community Special School, Ashford.  Secondary. Behaviour, Emotional & Social Development Needs. OFSTED 2011 - Good "The overwhelming majority of students live in Kent, although a few travel from adjoining local authorities. All students have a statement of special educational needs for behavioural, social and emotional difficulties, although in many cases they have additional needs, such as autism or mental health issues. The large majority of students are boys. Approximately a third of the students are known to be eligible for free school meals. A few are looked-after children. A very large majority of the students have a White British heritage".

Grange Park School, Wrotham.  Secondary. Severe Communication & Interaction Needs and Learning Difficulties; Autistic Spectrum Disorder and severe cognitive impairment.

Harbour School, Dover. Behaviour & Learning Needs; Behaviour, Emotional & Social Development Needs (Primary) 

Highview & Foxwood School, Folkestone and Hythe (Residential and Day). Profound, Severe or Complex Needs; Severe Communication & Interaction Difficulties (with  Autism). OFSTED Jun 2011, Good. Excerpt from Report: Information about the school - Highview is a specialist cognition and learning school of average size for pupils with complex learning needs. Most pupils have autistic spectrum disorders, moderate learning difficulties or speech, language and communication needs. All pupils have a statement of special educational needs. Since the previous inspection, the school has been re-designated from being a school for pupils with moderate learning difficulties to one for those with complex learning needs to reflect the changing pupil profile. In addition, it has also become part of a hard federation with another special school, which mainly educates pupils with profound and severe learning difficulties. Two thirds of the pupils are in Key Stage 3 and 4. The school's headteacher is now the executive headteacher of the federation and a new post of head of education has been established as part of a staffing restructure. Main Findings -Highview is a good school which is improving rapidly under the forward-thinking leadership of the headteacher. Pupils make consistently good progress in all areas of their learning and personal development. The impact of the school's outstanding care, guidance and support is particularly recognised by parents and carers. Teaching supports pupils' good progress effectively through well-structured learning experiences. In some lessons, extremely enthusiastic teaching, coupled with a very clear focus on intended learning, leads to highly engaged pupils who make very good progress. However, this good practice is not consistent throughout the school. The school's senior leadership team has taken concerted and effective action since the previous inspection to secure improvement in the quality of teaching. The school's specialism and the development of outstanding partnerships with other local schools and organisations, including through the federation, have contributed strongly to teachers' professional development. Consequently, expectations of what pupils can achieve have been raised. Self-evaluation is comprehensive and accurate. Senior leaders and the governing body have a thorough understanding of the school's strengths and areas for development. Middle leaders contribute to subject evaluation and development but monitoring activities are not extensive. Pupils feel exceptionally safe at Highview. Their exemplary behaviour, both in lessons and at breaktimes, contributes strongly to the peaceful learning environment around the school. The school has mostly effective systems for securing improvement for pupils identified with low levels of attendance, particularly those whose circumstances make them vulnerable.

Ifield School, The, Gravesend. Profound, Severe or Complex Needs; Severe Communication & Interaction Difficulties (with  Autism). OFSTED Jun 2011, Outstanding; Excerpt from Report: Information about the school Ifield is a much larger than average special school that is designated to admit pupils with severe, profound and complex needs. All pupils have a statement of special educational needs, almost three quarters for autism or severe learning difficulties. Approximately three quarters of pupils are boys. All post-16 students are based at North West Kent College, taught by Ifield staff. The school runs the SMILE centre (Supporting Multi-Professional Inclusive Learning and Education), providing outreach support, staff training and specialist resources for 38 schools in the Gravesham area. It also owns and manages the school woodland, for which it has received a National Forestry Commission award. This six acre site provides an outdoor classroom for many learning activities. Since the previous inspection, Ifield has acquired an International School Award from theBritish Council. Key findings Ifield is an outstanding school. It is ambitious and outward looking, constantly seeking out innovative practices and additional opportunities to improve the quality and depth of education that it offers. Very reflective, perceptive and highly skilled leaders provide a clear sense of purpose and direction. Staff and the governing body provide a closely unified team approach to school improvement. Teaching is good overall. In general, lessons are exceptionally well planned and focused on individuals’ learning needs. Pupils’ achievements are outstanding. The good progress that they make in lessons is supplemented exceptionally well by the very high quality learning that takes place throughout the whole school day and beyond. Excellent use is made of the spacious and inspiring accommodation to enrich pupils’ learning and personal development. The school takes exceptional care of its pupils. Very secure safeguarding arrangements support their safety and well-being. Pupils’ behaviour is excellent. They mature into respectful, courteous, confident and rounded young people. They are outstanding ambassadors for the school. Outstanding partnerships have been forged with schools and other agencies. The school makes excellent use of its specialist status and the SMILE centre to support the learning of Ifield pupils and those in local and partner schools. Excellent links with parents and carers encourage them to be fully involved in supporting their children’s education. The relentless pursuit of removing barriers to learning ensures that all pupils have the same opportunity to benefit from what the school offers. Learning and personal development are promoted exceptionally well because support and guidance are finely tuned to every pupil’s needs, learning style and communication requirements.

Laleham Gap School, Margate. Residential and Day. Higher functioning severe Communication & Interaction Needs; Severe Communication & Interaction Needs and learning difficulties (secondary)

Meadowfield School, Sittingbourne. Profound, Severe or Complex Needs; Severe Communication & Interaction Difficulties (with  Autism). OFSTED 2011 - a good school. Excerpt from Report: Information about the school -Meadowfield School serves the Swale area of Kent and provides for learners with a range of disabilities related to profound, severe and complex needs. Its specialism is to provide for learners who have communication and interaction difficulties related to autism and severe cognitive impairment. The school has provision for younger children in the Early Years Foundation Stage and a 16 to 19 sixth form unit that caters for students who are above compulsory school age. There are more boys than girls. Around one in three learners are known to be eligible for free school meals and all have a statement of special educational needs. The proportion of learners who come from minority ethnic backgrounds reflects the community that the school serves and is below the national average. Few learners speak English as an additional language. A relatively high proportion of learners are looked after by the local authority. The headteacher joined the school at the start of this academic year and, at the time of the inspection, had only been leading the school for a few weeks. Key findings: Meadowfield is a good school where learners are looked after very well and kept safe. The positive relationships between staff and learners contribute to learners feeling extremely safe and making good progress. Learners behave well and enjoy school. Their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is promoted well and most learners attend as regularly as they are able to. Teaching is generally good and sometimes outstanding. Skilful use of assessment information ensures that tasks and activities are pitched at the right level for learners. In the best lessons teachers and teaching assistants work closely together as an effective team. The high quality curriculum is extremely responsive to the needs and aspirations of individual learners and it is reviewed regularly. A broad range of good enrichment activities makes a strong contribution to learners’ progress and enjoyment. Learners are cared for extremely well. Well-organised care and support ensure that all learners are treated equally and are able to participate fully in lessons. Senior leaders have an ambitious vision for the school. Leadership and management at most levels are good and the senior team is supported well by the staff and the governing body. Very productive links with parents, carers and other agencies support learners extremely well in both their learning and in their personal development.  The school is at the heart of its community and leaders and managers have been successful in creating a cohesive school community where individuals or groups are not subjected to discrimination. Learners’ contribution to the community is outstanding. All aspects of the Early Years Foundation Stage are good and children are well cared for and enabled to make good progress in their learning and development. Students in the 16 to 19 unit make satisfactory progress and provision is developing to meet the changing needs of sixth form students. Leaders and managers in the sixth form have not been consistently effective in communicating their vision for the sixth form. 

Meadows School, Tunbridge Wells, OFSTED 2010 - satisfactory: "The school is owned by the Barnardo's Children's Charity. It is a school for day and residential students with significant behavioural, emotional and social difficulties. Many students also have additional difficulties including autistic spectrum disorders and social and communication difficulties. All students have statements of special educational needs. Since the previous inspection, the school has opened post-16 provision off site. Most students are in Years 10 and 11 and are from White British backgrounds. About a quarter of the students are girls and this proportion is rising".

Milestone School, New Ash Green. Profound, Severe or Complex Needs; Severe Communication & Interaction Difficulties (with  Autism). The school is in progress to become an Academy, in Federation with Leigh Academy in Dartford. . OFSTED 2011: Outstanding. Excerpts: Information about the school - Milestone is a large school when compared with other special schools, but is smaller than most mainstream schools that teach the same age groups. Numbers attending the school have risen considerably since the school’s previous inspection. All pupils have statements for special educational needs or attend for assessment. Broadly, 20% of all pupils have complex medical conditions, which require specialist on-site nursing care. Broadly, 19% have profound and multiple learning difficulties. The large majority of pupils use signing to communicate and a high proportion have a diagnosis of autism. Most pupils come from a 20 mile radius although some come from other local authorities. The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals is higher than average. The school provides outreach support for autism and behaviour difficulties for pupils at other schools. The school has an Early Years Foundation Stage, which is made up of a Nursery and Reception class. There is also a sixth form, which includes a further education centre. Further education was not part of this inspection. Main findings - Milestone is an outstanding school that provides exemplary education, care and value for money. The school has gone from strength to strength owing to highly effective leadership. Links with parents and carers and others play a highly significant part in the pupils’ development. The impact of outstanding teaching and an exciting and relevant curriculum leads to the pupils achieving exceptionally well, whatever their need, as they move through the school. The Early Years Foundation Stage is good and the sixth form is outstanding. The school’s specialist accreditation for ‘Cognition and Learning’ is greatly deserved due to the impact on the pupils’ development and because of the impressive outreach support for other schools. Almost all parents and carers agree that their children enjoy school. Inspectors confirm that pupils in each department are very safe; safeguarding procedures are exemplary. Adults go out of their way to ensure that the outstanding promotion of equal opportunities is at the core of the school’s work. The pupils are so well supported and praised that they learn how to behave outstandingly well. They very quickly overcome any daily difficulties that occur so that they can get on with the business of learning and having fun. They show immense respect and are kind and helpful to each other. Almost everyone makes significant improvement in their ability to concentrate. The pupils’ involvement in the school and their interaction in the wider community, nationally and globally are substantial and highly valued. This underpins the outstanding community cohesion. In addition to basic communication and academic skills, opportunities to adopt healthy and safe lifestyles are very impressive. Everyone values the range of exercise, very good food and varied ways that enable exploration of emotions. The excellent work of the chef, therapy and nursing staff as well as the arts and physical education staff contributes immensely to the notable outcomes. The superb vision of the headteacher, when linked with the outstanding work of the governing body, and dedicated teamwork of staff, has resulted in the pursuit of excellence. There is determination to lift the long-term economic well-being of the pupils to be outstanding in the future. A sizeable group of pupils has to have time off due to their complex illness, sleeping difficulties or hospital treatment. This is why rates of attendance are low overall. When they are well, their attendance quickly improves. The attendance of all other groups is exceptionally high. So far, the school is doing very well in almost all areas, but correctly wants to make sure that the pupils have the best possible understanding of transferable skills, for example in using shape, space and measurement, where there is room for further improvement. Highly sophisticated and accurate analysis of pupils’ progress is used unflinchingly to set and achieve targets against the most stretching of benchmarks. 

Oakley School, Tunbridge Wells. Profound, Severe or Complex Needs; Severe Communication & Interaction Difficulties (with  Autism).

 Orchard School, The, Canterbury. Behaviour & Learning Needs: Behaviour, Emotional and Social Development Needs (Primary.

Portal House School, Dover. Behaviour, Emotional & Social Difficulties (Secondary). OFSTED 2012 - A good school. Excerpt from Report. Information about the school. Portal House School provides for pupils and students with statements of special educational needs for social, emotional and behaviour difficulties. Several have additional needs over and above their emotional and behavioural difficulties, receiving support from the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service and other medical services. Most have been suspended or excluded from mainstream schools and some have been out of school for up to two years prior to entry. Almost all students are from White British backgrounds. The majority comes from a mix of urban and rural areas within the East Kent area. Some spend over two hours travelling to and from the school each day. Thirteen students are looked after by their local authorities and the proportion known to be eligible for free school meals is well above the national average. Although the school is designated as a mixed provision, no girls have ever been referred. Main findingsThe school provides a good quality education for its students. It is effective in meeting its core aim of improving students’ level of educational attainment, within a safe, caring and healthy school environment. This is reflected in the improving numbers achieving A* to C grade passes at GCSE over the past two years, including in English and mathematics. The school has significant strengths which underpin students’ well-being and learning. The outstanding partnerships between the school and other professionals from outside agencies, including the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service and other psychiatric and medical services enhance greatly the outstanding quality of care, guidance and support. Students’ knowledge and understanding of how others live is developed well as a result of the European dimension of the curriculum and the numerous exchanges and joint residential visits with schools in Belgium and France, as well as links with schools beyond Europe. This breadth and a good range of enrichment activities, both within the school day and beyond, rekindles students’ interest in learning and contributes particularly well to their excellent spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. All staff ensure each student is looked after in a safe, healthy and caring environment. As a result, the large majority of students say that the school is a safe place to learn. Their responses to the pre-inspection questionnaire show that all have positive views about the care, guidance and support they receive. In addition, the school works highly effectively in forging close links with parents and carers from around the county. School data show students achieve well in relation to their starting points, including in the key skills of literacy, numeracy and information and communication technology, as well as making good progress in their organisational skills and independence. The school’s focus on improving literacy skills has developed students’ interest and confidence in choosing to read books of their own choice at the start of the day. Teaching is good. Information and communication technology is used effectively across the school to support teaching and enliven learning. Individual subject targets are set and students are informed of the levels they are working at. The good curriculum, with a focus on academic subjects, underpins the school’s focus on preparing students for the next stage of their education. The headteacher and her reorganised, and acting, senior leadership team have a clear sense of direction and purpose for the school. At the forefront of this is their focus on continuing improvement, including raising attainment, improving behaviour and improving the quality of teaching and learning. The staff support the school’s ethos and have the best interests of students at heart, ensuring students are safe.

Ridge View School, Tonbridge. Profound, Severe or Complex Needs; Severe Communication & Interaction Difficulties (with  Autism). OFSTED 2011. A Good School. Excerpt from Report: Information about the school - Ridge View School provides for pupils with profound, multiple, and severe learning difficulties and autistic spectrum disorders. Over a half has autistic spectrum disorders as a primary need. In addition, many have a range of complex needs including sensory impairment, hearing impairment, physical impairment and delayed cognitive development. All except for six children in the Oakridge Assessment nursery have a statement of special educational needs and a high proportion use alternative or augmentative methods of communication. Apart from attending Ridge View, nursery children enter a variety of other special schools, specialist mainstream schools and mainstream provisions. Almost all pupils are White British. Boys outnumber girls by two to one. Main findings - The school provides a good quality of education for its pupils. It meets its core aim of developing the individual, ensuring pupils stay safe and healthy and are taught how to make choices and influence decisions about them and their lives while at school and into their futures. The school has significant strengths which underpin pupils’ well-being and learning. Outstanding care, guidance and support for pupils enables them to make excellent progress in aspects of their personal development and prepares them well for the next stage of their lives after the sixth form. Excellent partnerships and multi-agency work across the school are also highly effective in contributing to pupils’ education. Staff help each pupil, including the most vulnerable and those identified as having complex needs, in very specific ways and ensure all are looked after in a safe, healthy and caring environment. The school works highly effectively in forging close links with parents and carers. Consequently, the very large majority are appreciative of almost all aspects of the school’s work. The Early Years Foundation Stage gives children a good start. Pupils go on to achieve well up to the end of the sixth form. School data show pupils’ academic progress across the school is improving steadily over time in relation to their starting points. Progress is good in lessons because staff know their pupils well and effective planning ensures the needs of pupils are catered for. Teaching is good and there is some outstanding practice. The school’s good curriculum and its focus on providing personalised learning pathways prepare pupils well for the next stage of their education.The headteacher and her senior management team have a clear sense of direction and purpose for the school. At the forefront of this is their focus on continuing improvement, including raising the quality of teaching and learning even further. Staff support the school’s ethos and have the best interests of pupils at heart, ensuring pupils are safe. Curriculum content and a broad range of enrichment activities support the school’s good promotion of community cohesion, particularly within the school itself and the local community. 

Rowhill School, Longfield. Behaviour & Learning Needs; Behaviour, Emotional & Social Development Needs (Primary)

St Anthony's School, Margate. Behaviour & Learning Needs; Behaviour, Emotional & Social Development Needs (Primary). OFSTED 2011. A good school: Information about the school -St Anthony’s, originally a school for pupils with moderate learning difficulties, is now catering for pupils who have both behavioural and learning difficulties. In the last two years, pupils with more complex difficulties, such as being on the autistic spectrum, have also been admitted. Within the primary department, there is provision for up to 12 pupils with behavioural, emotional and social difficulties. Currently there are six such pupils. The number of pupils admitted who are in the care of the local authority is well above the national average and the proportion of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals is above average. Boys outnumber girls by a ratio of four to one. Main findings:  St Anthony’s is a good school. All groups of pupils benefit positively from the good quality of provision available, which addresses their differing needs well. Through good self-evaluation processes the headteacher and his senior team are successfully moving the school forward at a good pace and have a clear vision for its further development. Pupils achieve well, often because they enjoy learning, in the classroom and when engaged in the many additional activities on offer, such as the college placements undertaken by Year 11 pupils. Pupils’ progress is good overall, although previously it was no better than satisfactory in mathematics in the secondary department because of weaknesses in its teaching and the use of assessment. Records show that behavioural incidents occur but behaviour in lessons is usually good and impacts positively on pupils’ learning. Excellent relationships with parents and carers are very effective in supporting pupils and their families to engage with the school. Attendance is consistently above average, with only a very few poor attendees lowering the school’s overall attendance figures. Staff have very positive relationships with pupils and this helps create good learning environments in classrooms. Teachers consistently prepare a good range of resources and activities that will interest pupils. Lesson starter activities are well thought out, with the aim of settling pupils and engaging them in learning. Occasionally, teachers do not fully consider what the thorough assessment systems tell them about pupils’ different abilities. This means that at times, all pupils engage in the same activity rather than tasks more specific to their differing abilities. The curriculum has been successfully reviewed to meet the changing needs of the pupil population. This is particularly so in the primary department where recent changes have led to improved behaviour and engagement in learning. The effective care and support provided for pupils is enhanced by the positive links the school has developed with outside agencies. These partnerships are ensuring that pupils, including those in the care of the local authority, feel safe in school and are making excellent progress in improving both their physical and emotional health. Pupils make their own very positive contributions to the school community, for example through their anti-bullying council which considers incidents and recommends actions. The senior team has successfully managed a cultural change within the staff team to develop increased understanding and awareness of the skills required to work effectively with the increased number of pupils with behavioural difficulties. Good behaviour monitoring systems are in place. The effectiveness of the governing body has been clearly increased since the previous inspection. Evidence shows much has been achieved in the transformation of the school to meet the needs of its changing pupil population. This bodes well for the future.

Stone Bay School, Broadstairs. Secondary. Combination of Autistic Spectrum Disorder and severe cognitive impairment; Severe Communication & Interaction Needs and Learning Difficulties

Valence School, Westerham. Residential and Day. Physical, Sensory and Medical Needs.

 Wyvern School, Ashford. Profound, Severe or Complex Needs; Severe Communication & Interaction Needs and Learning Difficulties (with  Autism). Some excerpts from a Special Inspection by OFSTED Jun 2011: The inspection was carried out by two of Her Majesty’s Inspectors in response to complaints made to Ofsted which raised serious concerns. These were deemed to be qualifying complaints that warranted further consideration under Ofsted’s powers to investigate complaints about schools. As a result of the investigation Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector decided that an inspection of the school should take place to follow up the issues that were raised. Inspectors sought to evaluate pupils’ well-being and safety, including the management of their behaviour and their physical needs. Having considered all the evidence I am of the opinion that pupils’ wellbeing is adequate and the school has appropriate procedures to keep them safe. There are some weaknesses in the quality of support that staff give to pupils to help them to manage and improve their own behaviour. However, the school has recently started to make satisfactory progress in tackling these aspects. Senior leaders are
developing a strategic view of issues that is usefully beginning to inform practice. The actions that the headteacher and heads of education have taken so far and their appropriate written plans for the next steps demonstrate that the school has a satisfactory capacity to improve further. Relationships between staff and pupils, and between pupils, are largely positive. Pupils appear to be relaxed both in lessons and during unstructured times, and they relate well to teachers and teaching assistants. When pupils are given interesting opportunities to learn they respond well and try hard to concentrate.
Both sites of the school had a calm atmosphere throughout the inspection. Routines are clear, for example, when pupils move from one area of the school to another they know what to expect and what is expected of them. Lunchtimes for all age groups were calm and pleasant. At break-times pupils played co-operatively with each other or chatted together in pairs or groups. Staff helped younger pupils to learn new play skills, and older pupils were supported to interact positively with each other as needed. The high ratio of staff to pupils results in a suitable level of supervision to keep pupils safe. Individual pupils’ records are used to ensure that welfare concerns are followed up with appropriate partners. The school is committed to involving parents more fully in their children’s education and the life of the school. The school has recently updated its behaviour management policy. This has some useful elements but does not fully reflect current government guidance and is not altogether suitable for the school’s current population. The local authority’s recent review has crucially highlighted to the school the need to ensure that staff feel confident to intervene appropriately with pupils, including to ensure their physical safety. Almost all the longer-established staff have recently completed appropriate training to refresh their skills in using physical intervention, and newer staff have completed their initial training in this aspect. The management of pupils’ behaviour is not consistent, either across the two sites or from lesson to lesson. In lessons, pupils’ behaviour was generally at least satisfactory. Where pupils did not engage with the lesson, staff re-engaged most of them appropriately. The development of communication skills does not sufficiently underpin the management of behaviour and there is no consistent approach to developing the communication skills of pupils who have more complex needs.