How We Support SEND
St. Bede’s Catholic School and Byron Sixth Form College prides itself in being very inclusive and will endeavour to support every child regardless of their level of need. All pupils follow the National Curriculum at a level and a pace that is appropriate to their abilities. At times and when it is felt appropriate, modifications to the curriculum may be implemented.
To successfully match pupil ability to the curriculum there are some actions we may take to achieve this:
- Ensure that all pupils have access to the school curriculum and all school activities.
- Help all pupils achieve to the best of their abilities, despite any difficulty or disability they may have.
- Ensure that teaching staff are aware of and sensitive to the needs of all pupils, teaching pupils in a way that is more appropriate to their needs.
- Pupils to gain in confidence and improve their self-esteem.
- To work in partnership with parents/ carers, pupils and relevant external agencies in order to provide for children’s special educational needs and disabilities.
- To identify at the earliest opportunity, all children that need special consideration to support their needs (whether these are educational, social, physical or emotional)
- To make suitable provision for children with SEND to fully develop their abilities, interests and aptitudes and gain maximum access to the curriculum.
- Ensure that all children with SEND are fully included in all activities of the school in order to promote the highest levels of achievement.
- To promote self worth and enthusiasm by encouraging independence at all age and ability levels.
- To give every child the entitlement to a sense of achievement.
- To regularly review the policy and practice in order to achieve best practice.
Types of SEND
At St Bede’s Catholic School and Byron Sixth Form College, we have experience of supporting children and young people with a wide range of need including:
Specific learning difficulties
ASD
ADHD
Speech, language and communication needs
Hearing impairment
Physical difficulties
Social Emotional and mental heath
The table below shows the current areas of need:
| Primary area of need | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cognition & Learning | Communication & Interaction | Social, Emotional & Mental health | Physical & Sensory | |
| Year 7 | 16 | 13 | 5 | 2 |
| Year 8 | 14 | 5 | 1 | 0 |
| Year 9 | 18 | 3 | 4 | 2 |
| Year 10 | 17 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Year 11 | 5 | 0 | 4 | 2 |
| Year 12 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Year 13 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 70 | 25 | 14 | 6 |
The school provides data on the levels and types of need to the Local Authority. This is collected through the school census.
Teaching, Learning and the Curriculum
At St. Bede’s Catholic School and Byron Sixth Form College, we believe that inclusive education means providing all pupils with appropriate education and support alongside their peers. The Curriculum is all the planned activities that the school organises in order to promote learning, personal growth and development.
It includes not only the formal requirements of the National Curriculum, but also the range of additional opportunities that the school organises in order to enrich the experiences of our children. Our curriculum also includes the social aspects that are essential for life-long learning. Pupils with additional SEND needs regularly are invited to attend external sporting events in addition to all other extracurricular activities.
How we identify and assess children with special educational needs
Most children and young people will have their special educational needs met in mainstream schools through good classroom practice. This is called Quality First Teaching.
At St. Bede’s Catholic School and Byron Sixth Form College, we follow a graduated support approach which is called “Assess, Plan,Do, Review”.
This means that we will:
- Assess a child’s special educational needs
- Plan the provision to meet your child’s aspirations and agreed outcomes
- Do put the provision in place to meet those outcomes
- Review the support and progress
Quality First Teaching (QFT):
- Ensures that the teacher has the highest possible expectations for each child in their class.
- Ensures all teaching is based on what your child already knows, can do and understands in order to help them progress.
- Involves various ways of teaching so that your child is fully involved in learning in class.
- Requires constant assessment and planning from the assessment so progress is made and the needs of each child are met.
As part of this approach, we will produce a SEND Support Plan, where necessary, that describes the provision that we will make to meet a child’s special educational needs and agreed outcomes. Parents and carers will be fully involved in this process and will be invited into school each term to discuss the support plan.
A small percentage of children and young people with significant learning difficulties might need an assessment that could lead to an Education, Health and Care Plan. Full details can be found on the Local Offer website.
You can find details of how we adapt the curriculum and make it more accessible for pupils with SEND below:
Quality First Teaching – most needs will be met in the classroom with the subject teacher. At St Bede’s Catholic School and Byron Sixth Form College we expect teachers to plan and use direct differentiated activities to ensure all pupils can access a challenging curriculum which is tailored to their needs and progress.
- Staff members are trained and use competently, a range of teaching and learning styles to ensure all pupils can access both home and class work.
- Specific group work is integral to directed differentiation and targeted intervention groups. Pupils may be grouped on ability or skill strength. They are academically and socially challenged.
- An innovative and supportive curriculum is often needed at KS4 where specific individual support for children whose learning needs are severe, complex and lifelong is required. For example a small proportion of pupils who find GCSE foundation level English and Maths too challenging will follow entry level certificates in some key areas. This is dependent on the child and their needs.
- Vulnerable lower school pupils (predominantly KS3) are offered a mentor, which initially consists of paired reading buddies to build relationships. If there is a specific need for targeted emotional support students are referred to the school counselling service.
- Extra support to assist learning outside the classroom is offered in a broad range of extra-curricular activities such as trampoline club, homework club and the use of IT equipment in the library before, during lunchtimes and after school.
- Social skill sessions are held weekly to build social confidence, emotional understanding and turn taking.
- Specialist professionals from outside agencies support pupils such as Team around the family support workers, Educational psychologists and the Emotional wellbeing team. Other specialists will be called upon if and when necessary.
At St Bede’s Catholic and Byron Sixth Form College there is a robust monitoring system for all students, mapping progression and tailoring support where necessary. Progress is collected after every 10 week block and reported home. If the pupil has additional needs specific support will be given as appropriate. The effectiveness of the support is closely monitored and altered accordingly.
Full details can be found on the Local Offer website.
You can find details of how we adapt the curriculum and make it more accessible for pupils by reading the SEND document.
Staffing and any Specialist Qualifications/Expertise
At St Bede’s Catholic School & Byron Sixth Form College we have a talented SEND team.
- Mrs E Robson – SENCO with 20years teaching experience. (BA, PGCE) Working towards completion of NASENCO award.
- Mrs Oxenham – experienced learning support assistant who has taken a lead in physical and sensory needs.
- Mrs Jones –is a mathematics specialist in the SEND department. She coordinated and leads numeracy interventions and entry level mathematics courses.
- Miss Blakelock –coordinates accelerated reader intervention and baseline reading/spelling assessments.
- Miss Laws – works alongside the other learning support assistants implementing intervention and support.
If you would like to discuss your SEND requirements in detail please contact the school to arrange an appointment.
