Removing Barriers to Learning
What we do to support students with additional educational needs.
Removing Barriers to Learning
What we do to support students with additional educational needs.
The Pupils Support Department aims to:
- Provide appropriate support for all students who have Additional Educational Needs (AEN)
- To promote an ethos of inclusion
- To enable all students to access the curriculum and achieve their full potential
The latest Ofted report identified the work of the department as “Outstanding – Specific support in ‘Access’ and ‘Progress’ groups is available to vulnerable students”
specialist teaching assistants
There is a team of specialist teaching assistant for each area of AEN. who work with students in small groups, support students in class and work collaboratively with staff to differentiate materials.
Access Group (Nurture Group for Key Stage 3)
The aim of the Access project is to:
- Ensure the smooth transition from the primary to secondary school environment
- Improve behaviour of students in lessons and around the school
- develop self-esteem and a sense of pride and achievement
- develop a sense of belonging to the school
- instill a good sense of team work and sociability
Progress Unit
The authority’s resource base for learning difficulties and disability is committed to enabling all students to reach their maximum potential.
We aim to provide a quality of education which facilitates the development of:
- Self confidence
- Positive and successful learning
- Strategies to pursue life-long learning
- maturity to be successful independant citizens throughout life beyond school.
- Prepare students, where ever possible, for re-integration into mainstream education.
We work toward these aims by offering students a secure and stimulating environment in which mutual respect, friendliness and an understanding of indiviual needs is evident between members of the school community.
Click here to read more about the Progress Unit
Steppin’ Up
Steppin’ Up is the support unit for students at risk of exclusion. Students attend Steppin Up for one session a week either individually or in a small group, for a term.
The aim is to develop strategies to build positive relationships, including with learning. Students focus on one area of study, either ‘Anger Management’, ‘Behaviour Modification’ or ‘Social Skills and Self-esteem’.
Steppin’ Up aims to address the issues that are barriers to learning to enable the student to access the mainstream curriculum and to achieve their full potential.
Specific Learning Difficulties
If your son or daughter is on the ‘Special Educational Needs’ (SEN) register for Specific Learning Difficulties (SpLD) the following help is available, depending on his or her level of difficulty:
- In-class support from a Specialist Teaching Assistant (TA)
- Small group work with either a TA or specialist teacher
- Individual work with a specialist teacher
Alternative Curriculum
For those students who find mainstream lessons difficult. We offer a personalised learning programme, which aims to encourage students to reengage with mainstream curriculum.
examination concessions
Students are assessed before entering Key Stage 4 and may be provided with extra time, a reader or a scribe for external examinations.