Longdean School Speech and Language Base – School Information Report

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

Every student supported by the Speech and Language Base has a Statement of Special Educational Needs or an Education, Health and Care Plan. These documents set out very clearly what we need to do to support children and young people with Speech, Language and Communication Needs (SLCN).
  1. How will school staff support my child?

On entry to Longdean Speech and Language Base every student has an easy to read Student Profile. This sets out the needs of the student and gives suitable classroom strategies which can be used to address those needs. The strategies can be used by teachers, teaching assistants or by the student. They are designed to help the student develop independence for learning and for life.
The Student Profile is prepared during the Transition period and is ready on the first day of the new school year. It is available for staff both electronically and in hard copy. Every teaching assistant supporting students with SLCN has a copy. The document is linked to the School’s Information Management System (SIMS).
Students with SLCN are generally have access to in-class TA support in all core subjects (English, Maths, Science and ICT). In addition, when studying for GCSE options, they are also supported in all lessons with a high language and literacy content.
Students come to the Base for sessions with the Speech and Language Therapist. They also often have 1:1or small group lessons for literacy development, especially if reading skills are weak. All students attending the Base have a weekly small group session with varied targets including supporting the development of social skills, personal development and preparing for life after school.
The Speech and Language Base supports staff development in understanding SLCN by offering regular training sessions. These sessions help teaching and support staff to adapt and modify the curriculum for SLCN.
  1. How will I know how my child is doing?

The staff from the Speech and Language Base attend every Parents’ Evening and also attend Academic Mentoring, if requested. Detailed reports are prepared annually, including an update report on standardised assessment scores for literacy. The Base has a mobile telephone (7.00 am – 4.30 pm) and attends quickly to all enquiries. The school produces three written reports per year.
The ethos of the Base is to develop and sustain close relationships with the students and their families in order to ensure a personalised approach to education.
  1. How will the learning and development provision be matched to my child’s needs?

Staff in the Base work closely and collaboratively with subject teachers to ensure that the curriculum is suitably adapted to facilitate good progress against previously set targets. For example, if the Speech and Language Therapist is working with a student on strategies to develop understanding of written text, all Base staff try to ensure that the opportunities for practise are maximised in all mainstream classrooms.
  1. What support will there be for my child’s overall wellbeing?

The Speech and Language Base has daily contact with all its students and monitors their well being closely. Students are encouraged to share any concerns with members of the Base team. Often students will use the break and lunchtime recreational facilities and this provides a natural opportunity to observe and engage. In addition, the Base offers baseline assessment for self-esteem (Butler, SIP-A) and follows this with a tailored programme of 1:1 sessions for identified students.
Every academic year a short information booklet is produced for non-teaching staff (including the Pastoral Team), outlining the everyday needs of our students. This means that colleagues in the canteen, the school office, the library and the school shop, know who our students are and how they can support them in school.
  1. What specialist services and expertise are available at or accessed by the school?

NHS Speech and Language Therapists are an integrated part of the Base team and also contribute to fortnightly team training sessions. Both Base teachers have additional, specialist, post-graduate qualification in both speech and language and specific learning difficulties. There is, therefore, considerable expertise on-site. Referrals are also made to the LEA Educational Psychology team, as well as to the Communication Disorders Team.
The Longdean Speech and Language Base was set up in 2005 after a consultation with the Speech, Language and Communication charity, ICAN. The Base maintains links with ICAN, AFASIC and The Communication Trust.
  1. What training have the staff, supporting children and young people with SEND, had or are having?

The Speech and Language Base regularly delivers whole school training on SLCN. It also tailors CPD programmes for specific curriculum areas. Teaching staff in English, Maths, Science and Design and Technology have completed a portfolio assessed NVQ Level 3 in Supporting Speech and Language in the Classroom.
All Teaching Assistants working with students with SLCN have, or are currently undertaking, an NVQ Level 3 in Supporting Speech and Language in the Classroom.
The Longdean School Speech and Language Base is an SLCN Training Centre for education professionals in Hertfordshire. All training is delivered by a highly specialist Speech and Language Therapist and a specialist speech and language teacher.
  1. How will you help me to support my child’s learning?

We encourage close Home-School liaison and use the student’s Learning Journal as an initial way of continuing to communicate frequently. We will set tasks for home study (such as reading or language practice tasks) and there is a separate record log for this. The Base Teachers will call at least once a Half Term to discuss progress and Teaching Assistants working closely with your child may also call you. We are available at all school Parents’ Evenings and follow up all concerns about a student’s progress in the curriculum.
We offer short sessions for parents on the impact of having a speech, language and communication need. These sessions give you the opportunity to share ideas with others and to informally chat to the Speech and Language Therapists or teachers.
We publish a termly Base Newsletter, which includes tips and links on many aspects of SLCN.
  1. How will I be involved in discussions about and planning for my child’s education?

The SEN Annual Review is a good time to raise concerns and to discuss plans for the future. However, parents are welcome at any time to make an appointment to discuss their child’s education. When a student has had involvement from another agency (e.g. EP or CAMHS) we make sure that we arrange a specific time to discuss any report in detail.
  1. How will my child be included in activities outside the classroom including school trips?

Longdean School and the Speech and Language Base is committed to the inclusion of all children. For school trips, students are accompanied by a Teaching Assistant. Often, we use one of the Base group sessions to discuss, in a visually supported way, what will happen on a school trip.
  1. How accessible is the school environment?

The school has made reasonable adjustments to accommodate students with physical impairments.
  1. Who can I contact for further information?

Mrs Pauline Hickey, Director of Learning, Speech and Language Base
  1. How will the school prepare and support my child to join the school, transfer to a new school or the next stage of education and life?

Transition to Longdean – The school has a very caring approach to Transition and the Speech and Language Base follows this lead. For students with SEND the school organises two additional days in June when a small group (up to 20 children) attend Longdean for learning and transition activities with a significant element of fun. Included in this group are the children with SLCN and the specialists from the Base join and support the activities. Before that, staffs from the Base, from Year 5 Transition, attend meetings at primary school and invite parents and children to Longdean. Every child is different and we have supported some children by weekly visits to their Primary schools to familiarise them with the Base staff and ways of working.
When students arrive in Year 7 at the Longdean Speech and Language Base they have buddies from the Base cohort who support them in going to Form, to Assembly and to lunch. The Base Lead discretely accompanies the children to the canteen until October Half Term, when they are usually independent and confident enough to manage on their own.
Transfer to a new school– The Speech and Language Base would liaise with the receiving professionals and ensure that all relevant information, and accompanying paperwork, concerning your child was readily available to ensure a smooth transition.If the receiving school requested, then Transition support in the new setting would be available.
Preparing for education, post-16 -The Base offers a detailed preparation for this, beginning with a group programme during Year 9 and collaborating with Connexions colleagues to facilitate appropriate post-16 placement. We visit the College/new setting with the student, meet and liaise with teaching and learning support staff, prepare students for interview and attend the interview if requested. When the student has left Longdean and the Speech and Language Base we visit them and their teachers to make sure that their learning needs in relation to SLCN are being met.
Life after the Speech and Language Base – Once a year, in the Spring, we hold a social gathering at a local restaurant, so that past students can share their experiences with those preparing to leave. This is a well attended event and alumni have begun to arrange their own events and keep in touch via Facebook and Twitter.
  1. How are the school’s resources allocated and matched to children’s special educational needs?

The school uses some of its SEND resources to keep teaching groups for these students smaller. This means that the staff –student ratio, including a Teaching Assistant, is usually 1:10.
The Speech and Language Base is allocated a healthy resource budget to ensure that all equipment and assessment materials are regularly updated.
  1. How is the decision made about how much support my child will receive?

The school and Speech and Language Base have a legal obligation to follow the provision outlined in a child’s SEN Statement or EHC Plan in order to meet needs. In practice, children in the care of the Base generally receive support in excess of that, using the menu of support outlined, based on individual needs. TA support will generally be shared –unless a student requires a reader or a scribe. Students respond well to small group TA support and independence flourishes.
Speech and Language Therapy sessions will always be delivered as legally required. However, as the Base has the support of an NHS Speech and Language Therapy Assistant, then additional sessions may be offered to support progress against set targets.
We do not make changes to any provision without discussion.
  1. How can I find information about the local authority’s Local Offer

of services and provision for children and young people with special educational needs and disability?

The following link: will provide the information you need.

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Pauline Hickey Speech and Language Base, LongdeanSchool 1 September 2014