SEN-D NEWSLETTER - Supporting your child back to school
SEN-D NEWSLETTER - SUMMER TERM 2024 - Click to view
The Special Educational Needs team supports students in all areas of the curriculum.
Our approach is to provide targeted, timely support for students to help them to make the best possible progress and can include one or more of the following: adult support in lessons, structured and bespoke interventions within and outside of the classroom, access to a highly differentiated curriculum package delivered in ‘The Bridge’ and a student mentor.
We are also supported by a number of external agencies that include the Educational Psychology Service, Local Authority SEND specialists, the Hearing Impaired service, Occupational Therapists and the Autism Outreach Team.
We offer support for KS3 students through the following:
The ACE Room
- Proactive, short-term placements to work with students on areas of their behaviour that they find challenging.
- A quiet area for students to access at break and lunchtime.
- A base for structured interventions.
- Breakfast Club to support students to develop their life skills
- Access to supervised ICT facilities.
The Bridge Room
- A base where thematic learning is delivered to identified KS3 students.
- Additional group support through a structured literacy and numeracy programme.
- After-school support for students to complete homework, which is open throughout the week.
Introducing the SEND Inclusion Award
This award helps schools deliver high-quality education for pupils with SEND. Compliant with the SEND Code of Practice, the award framework focuses on removing barriers to learning through early identification, inclusive teaching and leadership. It also allows you to evaluate impact to improve classroom practice and pupil outcomes.
The areas are:
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Identification of SEND - Use the graduated approach of ‘Assess, Plan, Do Review’ to successfully identify and work with pupils with SEND.
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Pupil Outcomes - Ensure effective everyday teaching and learning for SEND pupils across the school.
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Leadership - Create strong and effective leadership and management of SEND provision.
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Professional Development - Commit to high-quality, on-going training, coaching and mentoring for all staff across the school.
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Pupil and parental engagement - Involve pupils and parents in decisions about SEND provision and support.
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Compliance - Demonstrate that your provision complies with the SEND Code of Practice and other key legislation.
SENDIA Documents
Click here to view Staffordshire Connects SEND Local Offer.
Information and Support for Parents with children who have SEN Needs.
ACE - the Advisory Centre for Education - gives good information and advice about Admissions, Attendance, Bullying, Exclusions and Special Educational Needs.
ACT Foundation – offers grants to enhance the quality of life of people in need, for example grants for equipment or adaptations where the Local Authority cannot help.
Anti-bullying Alliance – gives useful information and advice about how to deal with bullying and the impact that bullying can have.
British Dyslexia Association - a useful website with information about dyslexia, assessment and identification, exam concessions etc.
Bullying UK - offers on line advice and support to try to prevent or deal with bullying including information for children.
Cambian Education - The largest provider of specialist residential education and care for young people with Autism and Aspergers Syndrome in UK.
https://combined.nhs.uk/our-services/children-and-young-people/child-and-adolescent-mental-health-services-camhs/ The new CAMHS central point of contact
http://www.camhs-stoke.org.uk/ - Child and adult mental health services Stoke on Trent
https://www.staffordshireconnects.info/kb5/staffordshire/directory/service.page?id=KfMsVyKCoaA A link to ChatHealth, which can be accessed by children from 11-18 and their parents.
Childrens Legal Centre – provides legal advice, information and representation for children and young people.
Contact a Family (CaF) – are an excellent organisation providing information and support to parents of children with many different sorts of disability, including parent-parent support. They also provide comprehensive well written booklets written in a clear concise manner for parents, teachers and young people
www.cafamily.org.uk/media/388418/bullying.pdf - CaF have produced a guide for dealing with bullying.
Cerebra - help to support parents/carers with children who have sleep issues. They also have a stress helpline.
www.gov.uk/civil-legal-advice - Civil Legal Advice (Legal Aid) - Free legal advice on education law matters paid for by legal aid. SEN, discrimination and judicial review (e.g. for children not receiving education/unlawful exclusions etc.) For anyone financially eligible to legal aid
www.downs-syndrome.org.uk/ - Down's Syndrome Association - The aim of the DSA is to help people with Down’s syndrome to live full and rewarding lives.
Dyslexia research trust - for diagnosis service
Dyspraxia Foundation - offers information and supports individuals and families affected by developmental dyspraxia through books, suggestions, a teen newsletter, and an adult support group.
http://familylives.org.uk- A national charity offering information support and advice about parenting,including challenging behaviour , emotional wellbeing ,teenagers etc, details about specialist advice, parenting groups in your area.
Family Planning Association - has books specifically for parents of children with disabilities, including workbooks about growing up.
http://www.healthline.com/health/bipolar-disorder
www.ipsea.org.uk - IPSEA - Independent Parental Special Education Advice, a charity which offers legal advice, support and training to ensure children and young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) access the right education.
Jungle memory - Online memory training for youngsters aged 6-16. Requires a subscription.
www.lucid-research.com - Memory boosters for children aged 4-11, especially those with special educational needs
www.mentalhealth.org.uk - Mental Health Foundation has on-line information about anxiety, depression, ADHD etc.
www.masteringmemory.co.uk - Boosting working memory programs for children 2-11 or 11-adult.
www.mylifemychoice.org.uk - My life my choice - helping people speak up and develop their skills
www.autism.org.uk/directory.aspx - The National Autistic Society give useful advice to parents of autistic children, including an online directory which will pull together information according to your child’s age diagnosis and where they live.
www.ndcs.org.uk - National Deaf Children’s Society – have an informative website including information about a new software reader for spoken text on the web.
http://www.nhs.uk/conditions - find information about ASD, SPLD and other medical conditions.
www.raisinghorizons.com/disability- eLearning CD-Roms for young people with a learning disability/Autism Courses currently available are: Your school day (5-10 years), Travel with me (12+ years), The teenage years (13-19 years). An evaluation copy can be downloaded from the Raising Horizons website.
www.rnib.org.uk - There are around two million people in the UK with sight problems and RNIB (Royal National Institute of Blind People) is the leading charity offering practical support, advice and information to anyone with a sight problem. Their pioneering work helps not just with braille, Talking Books and computer training, but with imaginative and practical solutions to everyday challenges.
www.shipsproject.org.uk - Supporting head injured pupils in school - SHIPS supports pupils who have sustained a head injury, by observing the subtle differences in their way of learning due to the injury they have sustained, and advising teachers on appropriate ways of managing their learning.
SOS SEN - A national charity aiming to empower parents and carers of children and young people with SEN and disabilities to access the help they are entitled to, particularly in the education system.
www.talkingpoint.org.uk - Speech and Language Services – Talking Point provides a guide to speech and language services and useful links to other associated websites.
www.youngminds.org.uk - Young Minds – a national charity committed to improving the mental health of all children, advice about depression, eating disorders, and other mental health issues affecting children, see website for details.
www.kids.org.uk - Young Peoples Inclusion Network – YP -in provides online guidance about both strategy and putting Inclusion into Practice covering issues such as Leisure and Sports Services , Youth Provision, Transport and Independent Living.
www.cpsport.org - Multi Sport – developing sports activities for children and young people with Cerebral Palsy.
www.specialolympics.org - Special Olympics – provide training and the opportunity to compete locally and nationally in a variety of sporting activities for children and young people with a learning disability. Organising new activities where specialist sports activities do not exist.
This is an online guide for pupils, parents and professionals to support mental health and wellbeing http://combinedwellbeing.org.uk/
Please find below information and a schedule of activities offered by the North Staffordshire Asperger and Autism Association.
Supporting Accessibility in Staffordshire Schools for Pupils with a Disability