SEND Information Report

Wingfield Academy is dedicated to ensuring that all of our young people achieve their full potential. We are committed to working closely with our students to break down any barriers that they may have to learning or social situations though a wide range of interventions and strategies depending on the student’s needs.

High quality first teaching and additional interventions are defined through our annual dialogue across the school contributing to our provision management approach. These documents help us to regularly review and record what we offer EVERY child or young person in our care and what we offer additionally.  These discussions also serve to embed our high expectations among staff about quality first teaching and the application of a differentiated and personalised approach to teaching and learning. We make it a point to discuss aspirations with ALL our students.

At Wingfield Academy we ensure that all students are equally valued by having equal access to a broad and balanced curriculum which is differentiated to meet individual needs and abilities. As the Equality Act of 2010 states that all schools have duties ‘towards individual disabled children and young people. They must make reasonable adjustments to prevent them being put at a substantial disadvantage.’ At Wingfield Academy we have incorporated this principle into our inclusive learning environment through embracing equality and celebrating difference.

In order to ensure students are well supported within the Academy we identify and assess students with SEND as early and as thoroughly as possible through liaising with primary/previous schools to ensure the sharing of information and strategies to support the student.

On entry to the Academy all students undertake the LUCID Exact assessments, this screener assesses word recognition, spelling, comprehension reading, comprehension reading speed, handwriting speed and typing speed. This is conducted in groups of 20.

Further testing via WRATS assessment is completed on a 1:1 basis for students who may require additional support.

If any member of staff or parent has any concerns about a particular student they can discuss these with either Maureen Connolly (ASENDO) or Lauren McKay (SENCO/ CTL of Inclusion) of whom will then request feedback from teachers on the student’s progress, attitude to learning, strengths and concerns. Once this information has been collated it can then result in observations of students, identification of strategies to support or referrals to other specialist support where this is appropriate.

All students who have been identified with a Special Educational Need/ Disability are allocated a Key Worker depending on the extent of their needs. The students with Key Workers will engage in additional individualised intervention of which, the Key Worker will then liaise with staff and parents/carers to discuss the progress and developments within

the interventions.

Each teacher is responsible for meeting the needs of students in their class through differentiated tasks and strategies. We offer interventions for literacy, numeracy, social and communication skills and social and emotional support.
At Key Stage 4 we tailor the curriculum to meet the needs of individual students and this can often be in the reduction of the number of subjects taken. The remaining time is devoted to a number of strategies to support including literacy and study skills programmes.

Students’ progress will be monitored and assessed during three data points each year: – Autumn, Spring and Summer. This will be formally reported to parents once annually through the school report. There will be an opportunity to meet teaching staff, YTLs and the SENCO during an annual parents evening.  In addition to this Year 7 have the chance to meet the SENCO at the Year 7 settling in evening.

SEND students with EHC plans are reviewed annually and parents are invited to contribute to the plan. Students who have external agency support will have biannual meetings to which parents will be invited. Parents’ views will be sought via the Wingfield plan for all other students with SEND needs. Parents are welcome to contact the school at any time regarding SEND concerns for their child.

The school prides itself on the Care and Guidance support provided for young people within the school. Students with SEND needs will be carefully monitored through this process.

We also work closely with the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Team (CAMHS) and the safeguarding officer. Wingfield Academy has a termly CAMHS consultation session.

The school works closely with specialist services as and when the need arises. These services include: – Education Psychologists, Specialist Training and Psychology Service for communication difficulties and dyslexia. Sensory Education Support Service, Occupational Therapy, Physiotherapists, Careers, Speech Therapy, the Visually Impaired services and the Hearing Impaired services.

The school provides whole staff training regarding specific SEND needs relevant to the particular intake on an annual basis and as any needs arise throughout the year. In addition Continuing Professional Development opportunities are provided for staff to opt into annually dealing with specific SEND needs such as Autism, Dyslexia etc.

The school wholeheartedly follows the Equality Act 2010 and always ensures that students with SEND are provided equal opportunities to engage in activities’ outside of the classroom including school trips. Learning Support Assistants can be used to support alongside any other reasonable adjustments necessary to ensure the opportunity is viable.

The whole school is accessible.

The school provides a series of transition days for all students. We employ a transition co-ordinator who works in all of the main feeder primary schools and builds relationships with students and parents prior to transfer. This knowledge is shared among the Care and Guidance Team and in particular with the SENCO. The SENCO attends annual reviews at the primary school to ensure that any specific transition need is catered for. In addition to this we also have a Lead Practitioner of children with low incidence SEND responsible for dealing
with ASD students, who will conduct individual tours of the school and produce their own transition booklet to support.

In conjunction with the Headteacher and the Senior Leadership Team, resources are allocated to ensure that students’ needs are met within a mainstream secondary school setting.

Decisions will be made regarding support for individual students through assessment, reviews and discussion with teaching staff, parents and external agencies. Support will be provided on the basis of individual need.

When providing support that is ‘additional to’ or ‘different from’ we engage in a four stage process , which is the graduated approach cycle of:

All teachers are responsible for every child in their care, including those with special educational needs.

The additional support ‘intervention’ will be tailored to meet the needs of the student, it will target the area of difficulty. This support may be provided in class or during a withdrawal session on a 1:1 basis or as part of a small group of students with similar needs. Interventions maybe run by a teacher or LSA. The support provided and its impact in class will be monitored closely and shared regularly with the child and parents/carers.

For a small number of students, their needs may require access to technology e.g. laptop.

Whilst the majority of students with SEND will have their needs met in this way, some may require an EHC needs assessment to determine whether it is necessary for the Local Authority to make provision in accordance with an EHC plan.

Having consulted with children, young people and their parents, all our additional provision (internal or external) is based on an agreed outcomes approach.

Children and young people’s SEND are generally thought of in the following four broad areas of need and support:

• Communication and interaction.
• Cognition and learning.
• Social, emotional and mental health.
• Sensory and/or physical needs

Members of the Inclusion department regularly request feedback from parents/carers and staff regarding students. It is this information that is then used to update the Grids for Learning with strategies and SEND descriptions of which all staff then receive.

The Continuous Professional Development of staff maintains a priority at Wingfield Academy and is embedded through whole staff support briefings during which Lauren McKay updates staff with strategies and relevant information to support students. Weekly meetings are held within the Inclusion department; these differ weekly and include training on specific needs, the monitoring of progress and a discussion of support for all students
identified on the Grids for Learning.

During staff training days/ twilight sessions Wingfield Academy invites outside agencies and experts in to develop the knowledge of staff within the school on specific learning needs. Throughout the sessions staff are equipped with information on the specific need, possible students and challenges that they may face as well as ways to implement support and strategies successfully in a range of different subjects. Lauren McKay inducts all new staff with personalised training on SEND at Wingfield Academy; staff are introduced and
informed about our Grids for Learning, the needs of students, support that is available and differentiation techniques.

Lauren McKay (SENCO) oversees all of the support and progress of any child requiring additional help across the school. The class teacher will oversee, plan and work with each child with special educational needs or disabilities in their class to ensure that the student progresses and learns in accordance with their aspirational target grades.

If students require additional support then the following may be identified:

The the Inclusion department are responsible for access arrangements and testing. Access arrangements include a scribe, word processor, extra time, coloured overlays or rest breaks.
We are committed to breaking down any potential barriers that students may face and aim to ensure students feel comfortable and confident when sitting examinations.

Some students find the less structured times in the school day difficult to manage. We offer a range of clubs which are open daily to ensure students who need structure, encouragement, and supervision are well-prepared for the lesson following a break. Room E9 and Room 13 are available at breaks/ lunches and includes adult supervision.

Departments have Learning Support Assistants (LSAs) who support the teacher in helping the learning of the whole class and individual students. This may be conducted through support within the classroom or the withdrawal of students to work on specific areas of the curriculum. Learning support assistants work primarily with children on an Education Health Care plan (EHCP)

Intervention that takes place through the Inclusion department is: Every One Can Read (a literacy based intervention), speech intervention, dyslexia screening, handwriting intervention, Y7 peer reading intervention. However when identified, subjects will identify their own subject related interventions.

SEMH support (social, emotional, mental health) SEMH difficulties is an overarching term for children who demonstrate difficulties with emotional regulation and/or social interaction and/or are experiencing mental health problems. We recognise that all children and young people need a solid foundation of positive mental health to benefit fully from all of the opportunities that are available to them. It is important that our children can be resilient and mentally healthy, so that they can succeed. To support students identified with SEMH needs, we have the HIVE, students can be involved in group sessions, 1:1 sessions within a non – classroom environment with adult SEMH champions.

The SENCO works closely with the Senior Leadership Team to create manageable yet challenging timetables for Key Stage 4 students. When creating students’ timetables Lauren McKay and the Senior Leadership Team carefully discuss the students’ specific learning needs and identify the appropriate provision in order to support their GCSE journey.

Some children are given a Key Worker who works with students identified as
needing additional individualised intervention, the Key Worker will then liaise with staff and parents/carers to discuss the progress and interventions. All students that are on our Grids for Learning are given a Key Worker who will contact home.

All students at Wingfield Academy have a right to participate in a broad, balanced and relevant mainstream curriculum appropriate to their needs. Strategies include:

• setting within the curriculum
• enhanced staffing
• specialist provision and equipment within the academy

Referrals into Wingfield inclusion team and services can be made by :

• The Academy’s Inclusion Team
  Staff within the Inclusion team are trained to identify specific SEND profiles within the four broad areas of need. This may be done through observation, assessment and referral to other bodies.
• A Parental Request
  Parental requests can be made at any time by phone, e-mail or letter to the SENCO.
• A Subject Teacher Request
  Staff who have concerns regarding a student may email or discuss their concerns with either Lauren McKay (SENCO and Head of Inclusion), Maureen Connolly (ASENCO). This is then discussed at weekly referral meetings and a plan of action is identified in order to continue to support the student/staff member.
• A Student Self-Referral
  Self-referrals may be made by students and will be considered with equal status.

• Rotherham Parent and Child Charter
• Rotherham Local offer
• SENDIASS