‘Every teacher is a teacher of SEN’.

Aims

  • Provide every pupil with access to a broad and balanced education. This is in line with the SEN Code of Practice.
  • Promote independence, equality and consideration and respect for others.
  • Ensure that we celebrate a wide range of success.
  • Support all pupils by offering multiple pathways for progression.
  • Create an ‘open-door’ ethos for parents/carers.
  • To ensure that all pupils have an opportunity to succeed in further education.

Objectives

  • To ensure that referral information is detailed and that the needs of pupils are identified as early as possible.
  • Regular monitoring of the progress of all pupils to ensure full potential.
  • Make appropriate provisions within school to overcome barriers to learning. This will be co-ordinated by the SEND team but monitored and delivered by all staff to ensure targets are met and progress made.
  • The TA and HLTA’s will support additional needs and promote a learning environment that allows pupils to feel successful.
  • Include parents and carers to gain the best understanding of the student, involve them in all aspects of their education and feedback regularly on progress made.
  • Work with, and in support of, outside agencies when extra help is needed such as Educational Psychology, CAMHS or Speech and Language services.
  • Encourage students by offering the opportunity to voice their own opinions and encourage positive relationships with peers and staff.

What specialist services and expertise are available at, or accessed by, the school/setting?

  • Educational Psychology
  • School Nurse
  • Inclusion Support Service (advisory teachers)
  • Speech and Language Therapists
  • Occupational Therapists
  • Physiotherapists
  • CAMHS (Child adolescent mental health service)
  • Paediatricians

What training and experience have the staff supporting children and young people with special educational needs and/or disabilities had, or are having?

All TAs have received extensive training, delivered mainly by professionals from outside school. This has included:

  • Visual impairment
  • Hearing impairment
  • Speech and Language
  • Behaviour management
  • Safer people handling
  • Promoting better literacy
  • Autism
  • Working memory – senior educational psychologist; follow-up training delivered by SENCO
  • Maximising the impact of TA support – SENCO
  • Promoting English with EAL pupils – SENCO

In addition, all staff delivering intervention programmes have received extensive training on Literacy Catch-up, Numeracy Catch-up, Dyslexia support, speech and language and EAL learners.

How do you know if my child/young person needs extra help?

  • Extensive liaison with the primary school.
  • Information and advice from other professionals involved, e.g. speech and language service, occupational therapists, paediatricians.
  • Discussion with parents/carers, including visits to the school during the working day to look at provision and discuss priorities of need.
  • Expressions of concern from teachers.

What should I do if I think my child/young person may have special educational needs?

Speak to the school in the first instance and the SENCO should be able to advise you on the appropriate next steps. These may involve assessments being carried out within the school, or a referral being made to the appropriate service. Such referrals may be done by school or, dependent upon the nature of the concern, by the GP.

Find our SEND Policy

In our experience, Atherton High School’s outstanding SEND staff go over and above to positively impact children and their families and work tirelessly to enhance lives and futures.

Parent