We are delighted to launch our new Cullum Centre at the Canterbury Academy Primary School, part of The Canterbury Academy Trust, to provide specialist support for autistic pupils. With generous financial support from the Cullum Family Trust, our Cullum Centres provide specialist support that ensures pupils can maximise their potential and are prepared for their futures.
The new Cullum Centre is our first centre for primary school pupils and will provide autistic children aged between four and 11 years old with the support they need to thrive in a mainstream school setting. The centre was officially launched at an event on Tuesday 23 July, which included tours of the new building, refreshments and a chance for guests to speak to the staff.
The new centre is our seventh Cullum Centre and we hope to build a further six over the coming years. We also run an existing Cullum Centre at the Canterbury Academy for secondary school students. The aim of Cullum Centres is to help autistic pupils to thrive in a mainstream school setting through support from trained staff, learning in small groups, and access to therapy and clinical support in a calm and safe environment. Early intervention and support provides families and pupils with the best opportunity for positive outcomes both in personal and academic development.
There are more than 200,000 autistic children in England and 73% are educated in mainstream schools. But our research found that only 39% of teachers in mainstream schools have received more than half a day’s autism training, and this falls to just 14% for secondary school teachers. Additionally, only 26% of autistic children felt happy at school, while 74% of parents said their child’s school place did not fully meet their needs.
Earlier this year we held an event, Let Every Autistic Child Learn, in Parliament for MPs to hear about the struggles faced by autistic children and young people at school. MPs heard from students about their experiences at school, viewed artwork by the charity’s campaigners and heard about what the Government can do to make sure all autistic children receive a quality education.
Caroline Stevens, Chief Executive at the National Autistic Society, said: "We are delighted to officially launch our first Cullum Centre for primary school pupils at the Canterbury Academy Primary School and look forward to welcoming all our new students. It’s vital that autistic children get the right help and support at school. Our Cullum centres do brilliant work to support autistic children to thrive within mainstream schools, providing tailored support to meet their individual needs. We are so grateful to the Cullum Family Trust for their amazing support."
Peter Cullum CBE, Vice President of the National Autistic Society and Trustee of the Cullum Family Trust, said: "The Cullum Family are so pleased to celebrate the opening of our Canterbury Primary School Cullum Centre in partnership with the National Autistic Society. We are very proud of our long-standing relationship with our close colleagues at the charity and always applaud their tireless and marvellous work in support of autism in the UK."
Bev Farrell, Trust Executive Vice Principal at the Canterbury Academy Trust, said: "The Canterbury Academy Trust is excited to celebrate another exciting collaboration with the Cullum Family Trust. This is the first-ever primary Cullum Centre in the country and we are very proud to be working alongside the Cullum Family Trust and the National Autistic Society to bring education and inclusion to all."
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