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Welcome to Thomas Middlecott Academy’s SEN&D Information Report
In this document you should hopefully find answered any questions you may have.
If you have further questions or would like further conversations about how may support your child, please feel to contact the SENCo, Jennifer Dunning via email or through the main school number:
/ 01205 722 336
- What is the School’s SEN&D Information Report?
- Definitions of words and acronyms
- What training and experience have staff had specifically relating to supporting children with SEN and/or disabilities?
- How do you know if a child/young person needs extra help?
- What should a parent/carer do if they think their child has SEN?
- How do staff support children and young people with SEN?
- How is the curriculum matched to a child or young person's needs?
- Types of intervention offered
- How do both parents and the setting know how a child/young person is doing?
- How do you support parents/carers to support their child's learning?
- How do you support a pupil's overall wellbeing?
- How are parents and children/young people included in activities outside the setting, including school trips and/or work experience?
- How does Middlecott prepare and support children/ young people for transitions?
- How are decisions made about the type and level of support a child/young person receives and how are parents and children/ young people involved in the setting?
- Is Attendance Important?
- What can I do if I am not happy with the support my child is receiving?
What is the School’s SEN&D Information Report?
The SEN&D Information Report is the information that all schools have to share with parents, pupils and stakeholders about what the school is able to offer in terms of SEN support for a young person.
It details what we do in order to support children, young people and their families with SEN at Thomas Middlecott Academy and how we work with the families and agencies to ensure the child or young person is able to achieve their potential, no matter what barriers they may have to their learning.
Thomas Middlecott Academy is a small rural school where staff quickly learn pupils namesand develop an understanding of individual learning styles to develop a personalised approach to teaching. This helps create a caring community where pupils can feel safe to learn.When we were Middlecott School, SEN was praised by OFSTED for the last two visits, highlighting both SEN support for pupil progress and pupils with statements, and also internal progress on reading and spelling ages.
As we are a new academy, we have yet to be inspected by Ofsted, so we do not have a recent report.
The details and information in Thomas Middlecott Academy’s SEN&D Information Report are compliant with:
The Children’s and Families Act 2014
Special Educational Needs and Disability Code of Practice: 0 to 25 years (March 2015)
The Equality Act 2010
The Special Educational Needs (local offer) regulations section 30
The Special Educational Needs (SEN Co-ordinators) regulations section 67
The Special Educational Needs (information) regulations section 69
Education (special educational needs) (assessment and planning) clauses 36, 37, 44 & 45
Definitions of Words and Acronyms
When a child forms part of the academy’s SEN&D register, then meetings are held three times a year (one of these being parents evening).
We avoid using ‘technical terms’ as much as possible here, but for your information here is a glossary of acronyms and words often used or heard, that may be of some help.
AA / access arrangements – a legal process of testing and requesting that pupils with specific difficulties have some form of additional support or time in examsADD / attention deficit disorder (a medical condition, not necessarily SEN)
ADHD / attention deficit hyperactive disorder (a medical condition, not necessarily SEN)
AR / annual review
ASD / autistic spectrum disorder (a medical condition)
CAMHs / child and adolescent mental health
CAT / cognitive ability tests – tests that measure how the brain may be working
CoP / Code of Practice (How SEN should be supported)
EHCP / Education Health Care Plan – to replace statements by April 2018
EP / Educational Psychologist
FWT / Families Working Together
HI / hearing impaired
IEP / individual Education Plan – a contract written and agreed between school, home and child agreeing how to help and support the child’s progress
LEA / Local Education Authority
MLD / a moderate learning difficulty – when a pupil does not have an SpLD but continues to struggle to learn to a moderate level of difficulty
ODD / oppositional defiant disorder (a medical condition)
PI / physically impaired
QFT / quality first teaching
SALT / speech and language therapy
SEND / special educational need and/or disability
SLCN / speech, language and communication need
SpLD / specific learning difficulty, such as dyslexia, dyscalculia, dyspraxia
TYW / targeted youth worker
VI / visually impaired
What training and experience have staff had specifically relating to supporting children with SEN and/or disabilities?
Within the school SEN training and qualifications are not limited to those in the learning support department. Some of the many qualifications held and used within school are:
Jennifer Dunning–BSc (HONS) in Psychology, MEd, NPQSLwith further accredited MA levels in SEN (Autism) and psychology. Holder of NASENCo & an Assessor for Access Arrangements. A Registered Qualified Test User (for psychometric test) with the British Psychological Society as well as a graduate member of the British Psychological Society, with membership to the Dyslexia Guild & a TEFL qualification.
I run the local SENCo Cluster group – a peer support group for SENCos, and I sit on the Local Authority’s Allocation Panel for EHCP requests.
Louise Wilbraham - CHESL in Autism through Northampton University, ECLIPS training in Dyslexia, Speech and Language, Dyspraxia and ADHD & NHS child Protection Training
Sue Meeds –Autism in the 21st Century - Open University Accreditation, NVQ level 2 and 3 in Teaching Assistant/Supporting students in Education & a Certificate in the Teaching of Children with Dyslexia.
Cheryl Smith - City & Guilds 7321 certificate in learning support
Andy Merrekin – level 3 in BSL. Currently working towards level 6 in BSL and Specialist Teacher Training
Emma Harness – Currently completing a degree in English Literature
Nichola Dunbar – Previous experience in contentious and non-contentious litigation - predominantly family law and child protection working with Guardian Ad Litems. Experienced school governor.
How do you know if a child/young person needs extra help?
Pupils are primarily on the SEN register when they join the school. Pupils are all baseline tested upon entry in year 7. parents are also invited to discuss any concerns with their pastoral officer so that we can monitor transition and learning.
Pupils below expected levels in year 7 are taught in a class setting of a bespoke literacy and numeracy package where learning, reading, spelling, awareness and handwriting skills are all supported. Should pupils continue to make less than expected progress a meeting is held between Heads of House, pastoral officersand the SENCO.
Parents are invited to discuss any concerns they also may have, at any stage of their child’s education at Thomas Middlecott Academy.
Teaching staff are trained to be aware and notice when a child shows signs of struggle, and always refer to the progress teams for first wave support, should in-class quality first teaching not be enough for a child to learn from.
What should a parent/carer do if they think their child has SEN?
In the first instance you need to contact your child’s form tutor and discuss concerns. They may invite the Faculty Leader and Pastoral Officer if difficulties are in one specific area, who may build up a bespoke plan of wave 1 intervention and target settingwithin the classroom. If, after several successful efforts from all parties, should this not show improvement, then another meeting will be called where the SENCO will be invited in to discuss ways forward.This does not necessarily mean a child has a special educational need, but is anexample how we all work together to help a child learn and progress.
Parents are always welcome to have an informal chat with the SENCO at a time convenient to themselves, by contacting Louise Wilbraham and arranging an appointment.
How do staff support children and young people with SEN?
Staff receive CPD (training) to help them deliver quality first teaching so that a child with SEN receives a rich and informative learning experience appropriate to their learning needs. Should a child require further support then, through IEP meetings with the parent/carers, a programme of support is put into place to meet the child's individual needs. This may be through some in-class support, one to one intervention or group support. The child’s individual needs depends on the package of support that is delivered.
How is the curriculum matched to a child or young person's needs?
Pupils are placed in teaching sets so that pedagogy, discourse, environment and resources are appropriate for each child's learning needs. Additional adult support is available in some classes where further support is required.
In year 7 a rolling programme is arranged where for a term pupils with low reading, spelling and comprehension levels are taught such skills intensively.
This has proven to have excellent results, raising reading ages from below 7 years to 11 + in many cases.
A flightpath approach will be offered to KS4 pupils to ensure that their learning matches their learning abilities and interests.
Types of intervention offered include:
Literacy Intervention Support
Some pupils enter secondary school with a difficulty in reading, spelling, comprehension, numeracy or learning. This may be due to a learning difficulty, or in many cases the child has had an education which was not delivered to them in a way or pace that was appropriate to their needs at the time. Research also shows that low attendance at primary school and ear infections as a young child also impacts on early years learning. When pupils have English on their timetable, they are part of the literacy support intervention when the small groups allow pupils to develop their personal skills alongside speech and communication. Through the assessments and bespoke packages delivered, it is possible for the pupils to be taught new learning skills to complement their current ones, which will enable them to learn independently and reach their potential.
Reading & Spelling Buddies (Peer Mentor Scheme)
This is a peer mentoring system where older pupils help younger pupils read on a daily to weekly basis with their difficulties. This type of mentoring has been proven to have a high impact on some children’s learning compared to adult support (Sutton Trust report, 2011)
SpLD Support
This is a programme delivered to pupils at specific times of their schooling to help them develop further skills around their learning difference, helping them to become more confident and independent learners.
Homework Packs
Pupils who have difficulty with literacy will be set weekly homework packs. These are bespoke pieces of work set for the individual pupil. This relies on the support from their pupil’s family and the peer mentors, and allows further opportunities to make strides of progress as well as supporting parental involvement in their child’s learning.
ASD support
Some children who are on the autistic spectrum require visual support to help them understand the world and routine around them. Varying on the individual needs depends on how much support a child will need and when in their school life.
Mental Health support
Some children experience mental health difficulties and require referrals to CAMHs (Child and Adolescent Health Service). Should a child be supported in CAMHs, we recognise that engaging in learning in school can, at times, be difficult. Varying on the individual needs depends on how much support a child will need and when in their school life.
Medical Support
Children who have a medical disability may, at times, also require additional adult support with PE when changing or in subjects requiring fine motor skills. These are delivered and developed with the child’s occupational therapist or physiotherapist.
One to one / small group intervention
When a child needs additional support with reading, learning to spell or some subject specific guidance, one to one or small group intervention, allows pupils to work with a member of staff in a quieter and more relaxed situation, allowing them the chance to learn away from others. This is also directed depending on a child’s need and ability and covers programmes set and arranged by physiotherapy teams.
British Sign Language / Support for hearing Impaired
We have a fully trained BSL TA who, along with the Teacher of the Deaf, runs bespoke packages for pupils with hearing loss. This includes support with hearing aids, staff awareness and learning British Sign Language. A lunchtime club, open to all pupils, teaches BSL to whomever would like to learn.
Visual Stress
We screen children that we suspect may struggle with visual stress. If screening suggests difficulty we encourage parents to see an optometrist who is qualified in correctly assessing this and prescribe correctly coloured lenses or overlays.
Social Time Support
The SEND room is open and pupils are invited to join staff for quiet games and support during the busier times that breaks and lunch may bring. Homework can also be supported at this time.
Meditation
This is a relaxation club held once a week for pupils who would like to learn the skills of how to develop coping strategies when faced with stressful or anxiety based events in life.
In terms of accessibility, Thomas Middlecott Academy also have the following available:
- Quiet rooms for learning
- Quiet areas for resting / ASD cool downs
- A well-resourced library
- Yellow markers for VI
- Learning support room for either one to one or small group intervention
- Pastoral suite for counselling or more sensitive meetings
- Pastoral offices to allow pupils space to discuss confidentially with the officer any concerns they may have.
How do both parents and the setting know how a child/young person is doing?
Parents are encouraged to read and follow the reports sent home to parents and attend parents evening.
According to the most recent Code of Practise (2015), pupils with SEN&D should have their progress and achievement reviewed at least three times a year. For children with SEN parents are invited to their child’s IEP meetings which are held at least twice times a year with the SENCOfor every child on the SEN register, alongside the annual parents evening. Further mentoring and parents evenings may be held to ensure a regular monitoring of a child's progress is discussed and any concerns raised and of course contact with the form tutor can help with a more day to day discussion of how your child is progressing.
How do you support parents/carers to support their child's learning?
During IEP meetings and parents evening,agreements are made in the best way that all can support a child's learning. Parents are encouraged and supported with additional resources to help their child achieve to the best of their potentialat home, as well as the school offering additional support, and the child is also encouraged to take ownership of their ability to learn and progress. Learning takes teamwork and co-operation and we will help you to achieve this.
How do you support a pupil's overall wellbeing?
Academic progress is only one area that we care for in all of our pupils at Thomas Middlecott Academy.
A child's overall wellbeing is paramount to a child's experience at TMA.A form tutor is your child’s initial pastoral support check point. Discussions with them will help you know how to help your child should you have concerns. Should concerns develop to SEN or growing problems, Early Help Assessments can be carried out so a family can be supported through difficult times.Paul Johnson, Vice principal and lead for pupil welfare, can advise with well-being or child protection concerns, and can be contacted directly or via the form tutor.
How are parents and children/young people included in activities outside the setting, including school trips and/or work experience?
Should a child with SEN need require support on activities outside the setting, then support is given when planning of activities are made. Work experience is a tailor made package that is matched appropriately to a child's abilities, and the SENCO can be involved in the preparation for this week.
How does Thomas Middlecott Academy prepare and support children/ young people for transitions?