The SEND Department is set up to address a wide range of special educational needs experienced by pupils in most schools:
Moderate Learning Difficulties
Specific Learning Difficulties (SpLD)
Sensory and Physical Impairments and Disabilities
Social, Emotional Mental Health Needs
Speech Language and Communication Needs (SCLN)
Autistic Spectrum Disorder ASD
Attachment Difficulties
Well trained Specialist Teachers and Teaching Assistants work to support pupils both within class and with carefully targeted interventions, such as the DISTAR (specialist reading programme), reciprocal reading, precision vocabulary teaching, JOFFE vocabulary enrichment programme and Language for Behaviour and Emotions.
Teaching assistants also support teachers in developing differentiated resources designed to remove any barriers to learning.
For most pupils with SEN, help will be provided within the classroom, through Quality First Teaching, seating plans, targeted resources and differentiation by the subject teacher. Some additional support may be provided in the classroom by Teaching assistants.
Where support involves spending some time outside the classroom, it will nonetheless be in the context of the inclusive curriculum, based on:
- Setting suitable learning challenges
- Responding to pupils’ diverse learning needs
- Overcoming potential barriers to learning.
The appropriate level of intervention is determined by pupil needs in a graduated approach beginning with grouping strategies used within the classroom, access to small group tuition, attendance at tutor time/lunchtime support clubs, limited periods of withdrawal and 1-1 teaching.