Special Educational Needs (SEND)
Aim
To equip students with the skills to become confident in the management of their special educational needs, to become independent learners and to achieve their potential.
SENCO Mr James Sully
Assistant SENCO Ms Christy Grimes
Senior Teaching Assistant Ms Lowri Morgan
Autism Champion Ms Alison Westlake
The department also has a team of dedicated SEND teaching assistants who support students across the curriculum.
What does the department provide?
- Early identification and interventions for students with additional educational needs.
- Specialist support & interventions for students on the SEN Register.
- Key workers & in class support for students with an Education & Health Care Plan.
- Regular liaison & meetings with parents and outside agencies to ensure the best outcomes for the student.
- ASD Hub for students on the autistic spectrum.
- Appropriate access arrangements for examinations.
- Support & training in areas of Special Educational Needs for all school staff.
What happens in the Learning Centre?
- Targeted interventions to improve literacy & numeracy skills, 1-1 or small group work.
- Social Skills groups to improve communication and interaction skills.
- Study skills support for KS4 students.
- 1 – 1 mentoring sessions.
- Thrive approach & interventions for students with social, emotional & mental health difficulties.
- Support to enable students to understand their difficulties, to develop appropriate strategies and to promote self-confidence & independence.
- Quiet area during break and lunch times.
What is a special educational need?
A student may have a special educational need if they have particular difficulty accessing the curriculum and are not making their expected progress. The difficulties fall within the following areas of need:
- Cognition and learning.
- Social, emotional & mental health.
- Communication and interaction.
- Sensory & physical impairments
- Medical conditions which may affect learning.
Oldfield SEND Local Offer and Report 2019-2020
For details of the B&NES Local Offer, click onto the following link:
How can I talk to the SENCO about my son / daughter?
You can contact the SENCO by telephone or email enquiries@oldfieldschool.com
How will Oldfield support my son / daughter’s transition to and from school?
There are additional transition days for students who have additional needs.
The SENCO or a member of her team attends Year 6 Annual Review meetings for students with an EHC Plan.
Support from teaching assistants for SEND students on the moving up day.
Meetings are arranged for parents with key staff e.g. the SENCO
Liaison with appropriate outside agencies to ensure a smooth transition e.g. ASD Outreach Service.
How does Oldfield know if a student needs help?
We know when students need help if:
- Concern is raised by the parent/carers, teachers or the student’s previous school
- The student’s progress and/or attainment is significantly below age related expectations
- There is a significant or prolonged change in behaviour
How is the decision made about what type and how much support my son/daughter will receive?
Each student is assessed individually and a personalised package of support put into place dependent on need.
Additional assessments from outside agencies may be required to identify specific difficulties and implement further strategies. Individual support plan meetings are held between the SENCO and parents to discuss their son / daughter’s progress and review their support package.
How can I find out whether my son / daughter are dyslexic and how will they be supported?
We carry out tests that may give an indication as to whether your son / daughter have dyslexic tendencies. However, we cannot provide a diagnosis of dyslexia. This can be organised by parents / carers through external organisations e.g. Dyslexia Action. Students who are dyslexic or who have very weak literacy skills may receive targeted intervention work through additional small group support and / or access to a highly structured literacy intervention program that can also be used at home. Coloured overlays are also available from the Learning Centre if a student finds this helpful for reading.
How will my son / daughter be included in activities outside the classroom?
Activities and trips are available to all students. Risk assessments are carried out and the school will make every effort to make reasonable adjustments to enable all students to participate. There are additional opportunities for SEND students to take part in external sporting activities and competitions organised through the PE department.
How accessible is the school environment?
We will always do our best to meet the need, and we are always happy to discuss individual access requirements however, not all the buildings are accessible for wheelchairs.
How do I know if my son / daughter require special consideration for exams?
Some students require access arrangements for examinations e.g. extra time, reading pen, scribe, rest breaks.
Students with a history of need and / or have been identified by parents or teachers as having particular difficulties are tested regularly to see whether they qualify for special consideration according to criteria set out by Joint Council for Qualifications. It should be noted that students who are dyslexic do not automatically qualify for access arrangements. Further information is available on the JCQ website http://www.jcq.org.uk/
What support will be for my son / daughter’s wellbeing?
The school offers a range of pastoral support for students who are encountering emotional difficulties. This could be through 1:1 discussions with the tutor, the Pastoral Support Worker, the SENCO or one of her team. There are also independent counselling services available within the school. On occasions it will be necessary to get support from elsewhere e.g. the School Nurse, Mentoring Plus. Referrals may also be made by school, by parents / carers or the GP to CAMHS (Child & Adolescent Health Service).
Where a student is struggling to manage their anger and/ or behaviour, support and interventions are provided through the BASE (Behaviour and Student Engagement room).
What if my son / daughter have a medical condition or disability?
You can contact the School Welfare Officer to discuss your son / daughter’s medical condition prior to them starting at Oldfield.
Students with a disability or taking regular medication during the school day will have a Health Care Plan.
Students who are struggling to access school due to their medical condition may also need a MAP (Medical Action Plan); parents / carers and students are fully involved in this process.
If a student is too ill to attend school they may need to be referred by a medical professional to HERS (Hospital Education Reintegration Service).