Special Educational Needs
Our SEND department includes the SENCO and a team of dedicated Teaching Assistants. Support for our students is based on assessed needs and designed to help remove barriers to learning and promote access, inclusion and independence.
Support may be offered in the mainstream classroom, working alongside subject staff to ensure students achieve their very best, or as part of a short term, planned intervention to address individual needs. Targeted interventions include literacy and numeracy skills, handwriting, EAL support (English as an Additional Language), speech and language skills, social and emotional literacy etc. Teaching Assistants may also work in specific subject areas, to support subject staff in preparing resources, improving curriculum access and delivering subject interventions.Â
Provision also includes our specialised Nurture Base. This base supports students who may need extra emotional and social support. It is open throughout the day, including break and lunchtimes, and students may be timetabled here for specific intervention to help with their time at the school.
We work closely with our partner Primary schools and Colleges of Further Education to ensure smooth transition both at the start of Key Stage 3 and at the end of Key Stage 4. We also work with a wide range of outside agencies for advice and support, including our Educational Psychologist, the Learning Support Team, the Complex Communication Needs Team, Hearing/Vision Impaired Service, medical teams and our own college Care, Guidance and Support Team.
Internal Alternative Provisions
Our Internal Alternative Provision (IAP) department is comprised of three dedicated Learning Centres (TLCs), each led by experienced TLC Leads and supported by trained Emotional Literacy Support Assistants (ELSAs). These provisions are designed to offer targeted, needs-based support for students who face barriers to learning, with the ultimate goal of promoting successful reintegration into mainstream education and aligning student development with our core school values.
Support within the IAP is tailored to the individual needs of each student, based on thorough assessments and ongoing collaboration with key staff. This support may take place within mainstream classrooms, where TLC staff work alongside subject teachers to provide in-the-moment support, helping students engage with the curriculum and achieve their full potential. Or this may take place through daily intervention sessions covering a wide range of topics ranging from communication skills and creative expression, through to regulation strategies and resilience building.Â
TLC staff also play a vital role in supporting curriculum access by; collaborating with subject departments to prepare differentiated resources, assisting with coursework completion and assessment preparation, ensuring that students in IAP remain connected to their academic pathways, and supporting students to make progress in line with their peers
Staff work in close partnership with the pastoral and safeguarding teams to ensure smooth and well-supported transitions between IAP and mainstream lessons, where appropriate. This includes phased reintegration plans, regular reviews, and consistent communication with parents/carers. Additionally, we maintain strong links with the SEND team to ensure that all identified needs – whether academic, emotional, or behavioural – are being addressed holistically and in line with students’ individual support plans.
