Schools Extended Local Offer Response

How does the setting/school/college know if children/young people need extra help and what should I do if I think my child/young person may have special educational needs?

The aim of the Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) department is to help remove barriers to learning and to enable students to access the curriculum.

Our SEND department is the largest department in our School. Our Special Educational Needs Coordinator (SENCo) is Mrs Gwen Rees. She is also an Assistant Principal, a member of our Senior Leadership Team. 

We have a large, experienced and enthusiastic team of specialist staff: 

• 13 Learning Support Assistants who together have the benefit of many years of experience with specialist skills and knowledge across our broad curriulum
• a Specialist teachers working with the Year 7 and Year 8 Access Classes
• 2 Higher Level Teaching Assistants
• A  qualified and experienced Teacher of the Deaf and an LSA to support children with a hearing impairment.  Both of these members of staff are available every day within the school.
• An SEN Administrator 

Learning Support Assistants (LSAs)

Our Learning Support Assistants provide in-class support for pupils with special educational needs or disabilities. These members of staff also run workshops for pupils who need need additional support to succeed in their learning.

Access Classes

There is an “Access” Class in both Year 7 and Year 8. These classes are taught by specialist teachers and further supported with LSAs in class. These classrooms have been designed to provide students with well-resourced, comfortable and appropriately differentiated learning environments. The rooms are also fitted with ‘Soundfield Systems’.

Intervention / Withdrawal Sessions

In addition, the department has two further specialist classrooms for 1:1 and small group lessons and workshops. These sessions run before and during the normal school day and are staffed by HLTA's and  LSAs.  As with all whole-class teaching and learning, all intervention sessions are supported by use of the latest technology.

Support for pupils with a hearing impairment (H-I)

St Wilfrid’s is a school that is specially resourced to support children with a hearing impairment. Ms Wong, a qualified and experienced Teacher of the Deaf, manages this area of support. Pupils are further supported by a specialist H-I LSA. Both members of staff are available on a daily basis in school. Additionally, all school staff are trained to be ‘deaf-aware’ and are familiar with specialist equipment.

St Wilfrid's pupils can access a full range of Inclusion Support Services: 

• The Speech and Language service
• The Educational Psychologists service
• The Audiology service.
• National Health Services support our learners, for example the Physiotherapist.
• Supporting Families, Jigsaw and Familywise (CANW) 
• Careers and First Direction service (KS4 pupils) 
• Training delivered by the Child Brain Injury Trust  
• Nutritionists and Dieticians service (NHS) 
• NASEN (National association for Special Educational Needs) 
• East Lancashire Child and Adolescent Services (ELCAS) 
• Engage Team 
• Brook Advisory Service  
• Youth Offending Team 
• Young Carers 
• The Streets Project

Additionally, we have our own designated school nurse and occupational therapist.  

How will early years setting/school/college staff support my child/young person?

All new staff attend a Continuing Professional Development session. This training is tailored to to support the SEND pupils attending St Wilfrids and may include training in the following areas:

• Epipen
• Safeguarding Level 1 
• Safer handling
• Dietary needs
• Acquired brain injury
• Autistic Spectrum
• Dyslexia
• Exam Access arrangements
• Visual impairment
• Speech and Language
• Annual Review
• Everyone a Reader
• Executive skills
• Deaf awareness and use of the specific Hearing Impaired technology such as radio aids

All inclusion staff follow a training programme designed to develop their own skills and knowledge, enhance the team's level of expertise and meet the changing needs of the pupils in our care.

Inclusion staff also provide on-going support to all colleagues via in-house training, as becomes necessary.

We also access training support from specialist agencies. 

How will the curriculum be matched to my child's/young person's needs?

 

Pupils joining us from another school, either as they transition to Year 7 from their primary school, or at another time, are assessed by staff  in consultation with their most recent teachers, their parents, other supporting professionals and, very importantly, the child himself / herself. Further assessments may also be required.

Our SENCo visits each identified pupil in their primary school to get to know the pupils who may need additional to support, to talk to parents and teachers. She also attends the Year 6 Annual Review of children who already have an EHCP. Before they leave their primary school, pupils are invited to spend 3 'induction days' with us at St Wilfrids.

In this way we can readily identify any particular needs of a pupil and arrange appropriate support for when they join us, at St Wilfrids.

Once a pupil joins St Wilfrids, achievement levels and progress of all pupils are regularly assessed and continually monitored. Staff and parents benfit from our well-established communication channels:

• Parents evenings
• Referrals
• Information evenings
• Parent Portal

Additionally, Review Meetings for pupils with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities take place according to the statutory guidelines of the Academy. The meetings are held at least once a year but can be more frequent, if necessary.

All SEN pupils and parents are invited to attend the Annual Review and to complete advice forms. Target setting at these reviews is carried out in consultation with parents, pupils and staff.

Individual targets are set and monitored by LSAs and these targets are then monitored by the SEND teaching staff.

Additional focussed assessments

From time to time, when staff have highlighted that a child may not be making the expected level of progress, further information is required.  The SEND department staff may arrange for a child to complete one or more of a range of diagnostic tests that will help to highlight specific areas of difficulty: 

• IDL
• Diagnostic Reading Analysis
• WRAT (reading test)
• BPVS(vocabulary test)
• TROG (grammar test)
• DASH (writing test)
• PIVATS

The results of such assessments, coupled with referrals from teaching staff, serve to inform the teaching staff to maximise learning and can be used to put in place appropriate examination considerations for pupils, if appropriate.

How will both you and I know how my child/young person is doing and how will you help me to support my child's/young person's learning?

If your child is currently attending St Wildfrids CofE Academy, please contact our SENCo directly: grees@saintwilfrids.com

If your child is currently attending another school, please contact the SENCo at your child's current school.

What support will there be for my child's/young person's overall well being?

St Wilfrid's teaching staff ...

• are committed to "First Time, High-Quality Teaching"
• appropriately differentiate tasks to ensure each pupil can progress at an appropriate rate 
• arrange targeted interventions
• utilise authentic resources
• follow agreed and proven schemes of learning
• set appropriate homework to consolidate learning
• follow the school's policy with regard to Rewards and Celebration
• refer pupils for workshops
• Use the accelerated reading programme
• access specialist support across the curriculum
• co-ordinate with learning support assistants working with students

Hearing-Impaired pupils are supported by Hearing-Impaired trained support assistants in key areas of their curriculum. Staff will ensure that pupils are ...

• gaining the maximum possible from their residual hearing
• fully accessing the content of lessons
• breaking down vocabulary where needed

In addition, the specialist teacher provides withdrawal lessons to pre- and post-teach key areas of the curriculum.

What specialist services and expertise are avaliable at or accessed by the setting/school/college?

• Personalised curriculum pathway
• Access classes differentiate the curriculum
• Access classrooms (intervention and nurture)
• Differentiated tasks and resources
• KS4 entry level qualifications where deemed appropriate
• Vocational programmes
• Careers advice from First Direction

What training have the staff supporting children and young people with SEND had? Are any being trained currently?

• Access Groups
• Differentiation in lessons
• Pre and post teaching of key vocabulary for the Hearing Impaired pupils by the Teacher of the Deaf in withdrawal lessons
• All staff are trained to use radio aids to support HI learners and to use a more visual approach when teaching

How will my child/young person be included in activities outside this classroom including school trips?

• Monitoring of progress through assessment (four times a year)
• Parents' consultation evening and Parents' information evening
• Communication through subject teachers and form teacher (planner, email, telephone, PAWS ( Parental Portal )
• Reviews ,Child-Centred Meetings, Individual Personalised Learning Plans
• Parent Portal ( daily electronic communication portal )
• Teacher on-going assessment
• Written reports
• Open door policy - any parent is welcome to contact the school and come to meet with a member of staff

How accessible is the setting/school/college enviroment?

 

• Regular use of Reading Records
• Use of planners, home/school books
• Accelerated reading intervention in Year 7
• Homework projects
• Pupils are heard to read on a regular basis - logged in the Reading Record
• School / home communication (Information evening, letters home, PAWS etc.)

How will the setting/school/college prepare and support my child/young person to join the setting/school/college or the next stage of education and life?

At St. Wilfrid’s Academy we have strong pastoral care programme through which we support our pupils’ overall well-being.

Every pupil is part of a tutor group and the form tutor is the key member of staff who serves as a daily mentor. Further support comes through the ‘POD’ team where the Year Manager and Student Support Manager work to ensure the students thrive in all aspects of their school life and whilst feeling safe and happy.

Specific SEND Wellbeing / Support Groups

• All HI pupils have daily contact with hearing support and are actively encouraged to bring any issues or concerns they may have to discuss with staff.
• POD, Engage, school nurse drop in, Familywise.
• Social skills
• board game club and friendship group

How are the setting's/school's/college's resources allocated and matched to children's/young people's special educational needs?

The Academy offers a vast range of extra-curricular sports and activities including football, netball, basketball, cricket, dance, gymnastics and many more. The Academy’s teams compete on a town, county and national level; however, we place ‘taking part’ as our number one priority and offer clubs to enable the opportunity to do this.

The Academy also has a thriving House System. Every pupil is placed in a House via their form group and is encouraged to participate in the weekly House Events. These events range from board games to team activities, encouraging ‘healthy competition’ and making friends.

All SEN pupils are actively encouraged to participate in all relevant school trips with their peers. Where necessary, additional support will be put in place to allow all pupils to access the activities.

The Hearing Impaired staff have good links with East Lancashire Deaf Society and all information about upcoming events for H-I pupils is passed on to pupils and parents.

Hearing Impaired pupils meet socially for activities such as bowling, visits from the ‘Listening Bus’ and ‘Music and the Deaf’ events. This often involves linking with deaf peers from other establishments such as Lower Darwen Hearing Impaired Resource and Hameldon Hearing Impaired Resource.

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

Induction programme

At St Wilfrid’s Academy we understand the anxiety that Transition can cause for some of our students. Our staff take time to get to know our new pupils and our new pupils are given time to get to know us: all transitioning pupils take part in a 3 day induction programme in the summer term, prior to their arrival at St Wilfrids.

In addition, our SENCo, and where relevant our Teacher for the Deaf, visits each pupil, who has already been identified with a special educational need, in their primary school to talk to parents and teachers, other supporting professionals and, very importantly, the child himself / herself. In this way we can be sure to identigy the transition needs of pupils. Relevant staff also attend the Year 6 Annual Review of children who already have an EHCP. or are H-I.

In the case of a child who has a physical disability the SENCO will meet with the relevant health professionals and Advisory Teacher service to draw up a mobility plan during the summer term.

Social events are organised such as ‘bowling trips’ for the Hearing Impaired pupils. This is an opportunity for Year 6 pupils to meet up with the Hearing Impaired pupils already attending St. Wilfrid’s and to forge new friendships prior to transition.

 

Access Classes

We successfully piloted and are now running, our Year 7 Access group, which enables vulnerable students to settle more easily into St Wilfrids by spending helf of their timetable in one class with one teacher and only the rest of the time moving round to lessons as a traditional secondary school model.

Assessments have shown an increase in the reading age of all these students, sometimes by as much as two chronological years. The quality support that is provided in the Access group means that individual students benefit from personalised learning programmes and relevant, targeted intervention strategies.

Older Pupils

The Teacher of the Deaf visits colleges with the pupils to discuss transfers, courses on offer and support needs. The Teacher of the Deaf also offers some deaf-awareness training to staff in the new setting: use of specialist equipment and the needs of a deaf learner, where required.

How are parents involved in the setting/school/college? How can I be involved?

All Hearing Impaired pupils are provided with ear-level receivers (MLXi) and Inspiro transmitters so that they can access all classroom-based lessons. The equipment is maintained within school and support staff are trained to troubleshoot minor problems which may occur with the equipment.

In order to provide the best audio logical service for pupils, there is an Audiological Policy which is given to all parents and pupils outlining their responsibility and the responsibility of the school staff.

The Hearing Impaired Resource has strong links with the Paediatric Audiology Service and with the Cochlear Implant Centre in Manchester.

Appropriate equipment is provided via the Inclusion Support service, Occupational Therapy service and Physiotherapy service to enable students to access the curriculum: rise and fall chairs, interpreter voice activation, gait trainers etc.