Special Education Needs
We give all of our students the support they need to succeed.
As an inclusive school, we strive to ensure all students are able to succeed. The Academy helps students master basic literacy and numeracy skills as well as developing life skills in preparation for post-16 studies.
All staff use their best endeavours to ensure students with SEND receive the support they require and engage in activities alongside pupils who do not have SEND. Our aim is to ensure high quality teaching is delivered which is well matched to students’ needs and abilities. This means we make adjustments to our lessons to embrace all students. However, if students’ needs cannot be met in this way, additional support is put in place. We use a model of deciding exactly what the student needs, planning this carefully, implementing it and then checking how they got on. We call this assess – plan – do – review. This individual support may include specialist interventions. Interventions are focused teaching programmes designed to enhance a pupil’s knowledge, understanding or skills. They can take place within a lesson or outside of the lesson. They can be for one student or for a group of students. They run for a set period when it is anticipated the student will have accelerated their learning. They can be delivered by teachers, Paraprofessionals or Intervention Tutors. They can cover any aspect of learning but are often to do with enhancing literacy and numeracy skills. The specialist interventions some students might require include an alternative curriculum pathway.
We place a high emphasis on student progress and as such, regularly monitors and reports on their academic progress and soft skills including communication, working with others, problem solving and independence. Our provision for SEND students is quality assured to maintain high standards of teaching and learning through what we call learning walks/enquiries.
The SEND team ensures all members of staff are regularly updated with the individual needs of SEND students and are aware of strategies to support them. This is shared via the additional needs registers, pupil passports and regular continual professional development
SEND Glossary of Terms
Additional needs register
A list of the students that have identified special educational needs and disabilities so that the academy can monitor the provision being put in place for the students. students can come on and off the register at any time.
Student Support Centre (SSC)
A multi-functioning provision providing personalised support for the needs of our diverse SEND cohort. Typically, students that exhibit significant SEMH needs (anxiety related behaviours, ADHD, emotional difficulties etc.) as well as more complex communication needs (PDA, selective mutism etc.) or those with long lasting medical needs.
Student Support Centre Plus (SSCP)
This specialist provision provides small group teaching as well as support in learners understanding how to overcome their barriers to learning and develop the skills that will allow them to succeed. Students are taught their timetabled lessons by specialist teachers. The length of the placement will vary from student to student and where they can be successful in mainstream lessons, we allow them to do so, thus preventing institutionalisation and falling behind their peers.
Differentiation
This is an important part of quality first teaching and means that students may be given different tasks or goals to others, have them presented in different ways or have more adult support in the lesson.
Education Health Care Plans or EHCPs (used to be known as Statements)
These are plans created by the local authority which outlines the support for children and young people aged up to 25 who need more support than is available through school. The plan outlines educational, health and social needs and set out the additional support required to meet those needs. There is a process involved in requesting an EHCP assessment that may include collating assessment reports from school, parents, the pupil and external agencies. There is a statutory annual review of an EHCP that takes place at least once a year.
Graduated approach model
A system to remove barriers to learning and put effective provision in place. This takes the form of a four-part cycle; assess – plan – do – review. The on-going cycle ensure continuous support is in place and is reviewed regularly.
Intervention
These are focused teaching programmes designed to enhance a student’s knowledge, understanding or skills. They can take place within a lesson or outside of the lesson. They can be for one pupil or for a group of students. They run for a set period when it is anticipated the pupil will have accelerated their learning. They delivered by classroom based support staff. They can cover any aspect of learning but are often to do with enhancing literacy and numeracy skills.
Personalisation
Is recognising every child is an individual and therefore the Academy will respond to meet individual needs.
Pupil Passports (sometime referred to as individual education plan or something similar)
This is a plan for a SEND student’s learning that supplements what the teacher has planned in lessons. They are created by key-workers and shared with teachers to inform them about the student’s needs, the objectives being set and the most effective strategies to support them. These are reviewed regularly with teachers.
Quality First Teaching
The notion that high quality teaching in lessons will meet almost all students’ needs well because teachers will tailor the teaching to different students’ needs.
SENDCO
The Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Co-ordinator.
Local Offer - Inner East Leeds Cluster
Leeds Local Offer
Having a local offer:
- ensures families can access clear information about all services for those aged 0-25 with SEN and disabilities
- explains what families are entitled to and can expect from services
- gathers feedback from people who use services
- uses feedback to support service development
We are also a key partner of the Inner East Cluster, who work to provide targeted, all year round support to children and families across the Richmond Hill, Burmantofts, Lincoln Green and Gipton neighbourhoods.
They are based at the Lincoln Fields Centre and have staff with expertise in family support, improving school attendance and supporting behavioural, emotional and developmental needs. They can offer support either at home, at school or in a community setting.
Translating
We have some members of staff who are able to translate for parents and carers when coming to school.
We encourage you to use them, but ask you contact us in advance, so we can do our best to make sure they can be there.
Contact EAL@cal.coop for more information.
Romanian Translator
We now have a Romanian translator in school on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.
You can contact Sarah Deak on this telephone number: 07714 259220
If you have any concerns or questions about school or about your child, please feel free to contact her and she can arrange a meeting with the relevant staff member and assist with translation.
Traducător Român
Acum avem un traducător român la școală în zilele de Luni, Miercuri și Vineri.
Puteți sa o contactați pe Sarah Deak la numarul de telefon: 07714 259220
Dacă aveți nelămuriri sau întrebări despre școală sau despre copilul dvs., vă rugăm să nu ezitați să o contactați și ea poate aranja o întâlnire cu personalul potrivit și vă poate ajuta cu traducerea.