Foire aux questions

How will the school prepare and support my child when joining the school or transfer to a new setting or to the next stage of education and life?

The Learning Support team attend statement reviews in Years 5 and 6 to help support the transition process. Students with SEND joining the school will have a Transition Plan tailored to their needs which will include a variety of strategies to aid the process. This could include additional visits, social stories, photo books and liaising with outside agencies. Students with ECHPs are supported by the Post 16 SEN Personal Advisor who helps with the transition to college. Pen portraits are shared with staff via the school’s intranet to advise staff of individual needs and strategies.



How does the school know if children need extra help and what should I do if I think my child has special educational needs?

All students are formally assessed at a variety of points throughout the five years. At the start of Year 7, all students do a reading and spelling test. These results are used to set students in some subjects and help us to identify those students who are going to require withdrawal work for reading, spelling and numeracy. Teachers will also recommend students who they feel need support from the Learning Support department and we will assess their skills to see if we can provide support. The SENCO is responsible for leading the team of LSA’s, helping to assess the needs of young people and advise in appropriate screening tests and programmes to help improve learning. The SENCO is also responsible for tracking data both for work carried out in the Learning Support department and progress across all subjects for students who receive any support from the department. Students with a special educational needs also have their data tracked by SLT (Senior Leadership Team). The Learning Support team are responsible for supporting the students in lessons, delivering some wave 3 and 2 intervention (individual and small group work) and keeping a record of their progress. They will also report any concerns to the SENCO. Some students who work with the Learning Support team have a key worker who will attend statement reviews and liaise between home and school. Parents/carers can also contact the school through the Head of Year or the SENCO to express concerns regarding progress and learning needs.



How will the education staff support my child?

All teachers are aware of student levels and needs. Classroom teachers will differentiate work and set work at an appropriate but challenging level for all students in their classes. All education plans are made accessible to teaching staff by case conferences at the start of the year with regular updates being sent out from the Learning Support team.



How is the decision made about the type and how much support my child will receive?

All students with an ECHP will receive support as indicated on their ECHP. All students with an IEP (Individual Education Plan) will receive support to help them reach their target. All students with a below expected reading or spelling age will receive extra support. The appropriate test and documentation will be completed to allow students who need exam concessions to have them. These amendments must be the students’ normal practice in school life to enable them to comply with exam board regulations. Students with communication and language needs will receive appropriate support. Students with physical needs will receive appropriate support and have their timetable adjusted as necessary.



How will the curriculum be matched to my child’s needs?

All students will follow the National Curriculum. Differentiation is an expectation within all lessons as appropriate to individual needs. Some subject areas are set according to students’ attainment. Differentiation will help students access the learning at a level appropriate to their needs and will encourage them to make progress. Some students may have extra support with literacy or numeracy throughout the week. Some students are disapplied from areas of the National Curriculum according to need.



Data

Every time a set of data is recorded, a member of SLT will meet with the Head of Year (HOY) to identify lack of progress. Another meeting will take place with core Faculty Leaders to identify any students who are not making the required levels of progress across the three core subjects. Termly, the HOY will meet with all SLT to discuss progress. Governors will receive regular anonymous updates on student progress.