Special Educational Needs

Swakeleys School for Girls provision for students with special educational needs and disabilities

Introduction

A school offer is the provision made for students attending the school with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). This includes support offered via quality first teaching within lessons as well as additional support offered for those students with Education Health Care Plans (EHCPs).

Students with SEND are categorised by two main levels. The first is known as ‘K – SEND support’, where students have a need which can generally be met within the realms of quality first teaching and reasonable adjustments within the classroom. The second level is for the higher needs, where the student requires extra funding from the Local Authority to enable more support for the young person in school. In these cases and after extensive assessments and evidence, an EHCP is awarded at one of a number of tiers. The higher the tier, the higher the need and funding. For these students, more support in lessons may be provided.

The school offer is made in conjunction with The Code of Practice (2014) which includes guidance relating to children and young people with special educational needs and also includes disabled children who may not have special educational needs, but who are also covered by the Equality Act 2010.

The Head of Inclusion at Swakeleys School for Girls is Dr Laxton. The SEND department includes Mrs Morning, 2nd in SEND, Mrs Pooley, Mrs Murray and Mrs Wakefield, Higher Level Teaching Assistants (HLTAs) and ten further Teaching Assistants (TAs). Staffing may change depending on student level of need during the school year.

Swakeleys School does not have a Special Resource Provision unit (SRP) and there is no designated SEND area in the school. This is as a result of the physicality of the building. Almost all support offered to students with SEND is given within full class teaching, with reasonable adjustments and led by quality first teaching.

The graduated approach

If a potential SEND need is identified at secondary school, Swakeleys School for Girls takes the graduated approach, as recommended by the SEND Code of Practice (2014).

The graduated approach follows an assess, plan, do, review system where students needs may require more support or intervention in particular areas and the impact of the intervention is reviewed at its completion. This is carried out by many departments and includes extra reading intervention, paired reading and an after school intervention offer on a Monday and Wednesday where certain students are invited to participate in more focused intervention and help.

Categories of SEND

There are four broad areas of SEND need:-

  • Communication and interaction
  • Cognition and learning
  • Social, emotional and mental health
  • Sensory and/or physical

Support differs for each category and is extensive. Some methods of support we offer are listed below.

  • Quality first teaching and differentiation within the normal classroom lessons.
  • Structured school with strong routines and clear expectations.
  • Clear corridors, braille signs on doors, purposeful and quiet learning environment.
  • A strong system of pastoral support offered by the year learning co-ordinators and the pastoral team.
  • A clear reward and sanction system along with regular monitoring of behaviour.
  • Use of visual aids and many other resources to help with differentiation in lessons.
  • Bespoke resources produced for specific needs where possible and necessary, for example simple brailling and sensory resources.
  • A TA in the classroom for some lessons if there is a student in that class with an EHCP. This depends on level of funding from the Local Authority.
  • Psychometric assessments for exam concessions.
  • Literacy and numeracy support for the lowest level students in year 7 and 8.
  • Regular tracking of SEND students.
  • After school intervention for students with SEND needs.
  • Social skills group.
  • Extra-curricular support and an extensive extra-curricular programme open to students of all needs.
  • Games club at lunchtimes for more vulnerable students (run by year 7 team).
  • External NHS provided speech and language service.
  • Signposting to external agencies, for example the Child Development Centre, CAMHS and external educational psychologist.
  • Access to the visually impaired and hearing impaired support teams at the Local Authority.
  • Reasonable adjustments to the physical environment, for example change of seat position, use of lift.

Parents are always welcome to discuss their child’s needs with the Head of Inclusion who can be contacted via the school office email or telephone at the school.

Admission arrangements

Students with an Education, Health Care Plan (EHCP) need to apply through the local authority at the London Borough of Hillingdon. The local special educational needs officer will then consult with the school to see if the school is able to meet the child’s needs for each outcome in their plan. This process normally begins in the Autumn Term of year 6.

Students who have SEN Support needs, but no EHCP are advised to follow the normal admissions procedure.

Requests, contact and complaints

Initial requests and complaints should be directed to the Head of Inclusion, Dr Laxton via the school email address: office@swakeleys.org.uk

Further advice and guidance for students with Education Health Care Plans can be obtained via the SEND officers at London Borough of Hillingdon.

Impartial advice can be obtained via Hillingdon Special Educational Needs Disability, Information and Advice Support Service (SENDIASS).

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