Alcester Academy | Special Educational Needs & Disabilities

Supporting Children with Special Educational Needs & Disabilities

Alcester Academy has a strong commitment to supporting all students. For those that have Special Educational Needs & Disabilities (SEND) this can often mean greater engagement with parents/carers and/or outside agencies. Specific needs are identified at school entry or as soon as these arise. Staff are informed of these needs. We welcome parental involvement with this. Where required, the Academy works closely with Warwickshire Sendias.

Admissions

The Governors of Alcester Academy support the Special Educational Needs and Disability Code 2014. The Governors are therefore committed to the principle of all local children having equal rights of access if this can reasonably be provided (Accessibility Policy)

The views of the student are valued and seen as a vital part of the decision making process.

The school actively seeks to work with parents/carers and values the contributions they make.

All teachers in the school are responsible for the needs of individual students.

Teachers are supported by a specialist group of staff consisting of:

Alcester Academy SEND Teachers Deputy SENCO — Mrs A Bush
**SENCO**
Bsc (Hons) and Post Graduate National SENCO Award

Alcester Academy SEND Teachers Link Governor — Mrs C Hodgetts
**SEND Link Govenor**

Teaching Assistants:

Miss A Butler

Mrs K Passantino

Mrs J Clarke

Miss J Lee

SEND Admin Support:

Mrs P Lacey

Alcester Academy SEND Teachers Education Psychology — Mrs D Preece
**Education Psychology**

Alcester Academy SEND Teachers Education Consultant — Lucy Clarke
**Education Consultant SEND Supported**

Alcester Academy SEND Teachers Education — Claire Cole
**Education Consultant SEND Supported**

Help and Support

Mrs C Hodgetts, SEND Link Governor can be contacted through the Academy website, please click here.

A variety of strategies are used to help students access the curriculum. Excellent links have been established with primary feeder schools, external agencies, and the school health team. The Academy has a Careers Advisor that can support students with future choices.

Support may also be provided in the following ways:

Additional visits to the school in Year 6. These might include joint attendance at formal Review stages or one to one/small group work regarding Transition
Targeted in-class support from Teaching Assistants
Targeted subject interventions
Progress Plans for Individual Students
Small group work
One-to-one support
Specific workshops on identified needs with students and/or parents
Differentiated materials to help students to access the curriculum
Support with homework
Access arrangements for school and external examinations
Support from SEND Supported
Educational Psychology (EP)
E mail communication with the SENCO and Deputy SENCO

Parents/carers are encouraged to contact Mrs Bush (SENCO) if they have any concerns regarding Special Educational Needs & Disabilities: anitabush@alcesteracademy.org.uk

Examples of some of the work within the SEND area:

How Alcester Academy has responded to Warwickshire’s Local Offer (SEN Information Report); what is our provision?

Report 1 SEN Information

Report 2 SEN Information

The Warwickshire Authority Local SEND Offer can be found at:

http://warwickshire.gov.uk/send

If parents/ carers feel that they need to complain about a matter related to SEND provision having liaised with the SENCo, please refer to the Complaints Policy for the school.

If you ever require the facility of a document being read out loud, it’s actually rather simple to do! Adobe Reader and Microsoft Word have the facility built-in. Read Out Loud Instructions

Admissions Criteria for Children with SEND

Alcester Academy follows the Admissions Guidance for Warwickshire Schools.

Where a particular school is named in a child’s Education and Health Care Plan there is a duty to offer the child a place at the school. http://www.warwickshire.gov.uk/secondaryschool

New SEND Code of Practice

Alcester Academy is already addressing the requirements highlighted in the new SEND Code of Practice. The SEND Code of Practice gives more support for young people from the age of 0-25 years old. Students will no longer have Statements of Educational Need; these will be replaced with Education, Health and Care Plans. A transition plan for these changes will be adopted by Warwickshire shortly.
For further details see the SEND Code of Practice

The following organisations may be of further support to parents:

The National Autistic Society
British Dyslexia Association
Dyslexia Action
ASD Friendly
PDA Society
The Dyscalculia Centre
Together Trust
Warwickshire County Council - SEN
Warwickshire County Council - IDS
Living with ADHD
Achievement For All
Young Minds
SENDirect

Students with High Level Medical Needs

The Academy works alongside students and parents to manage medical needs at all levels. Where required, this includes engagement with the School Health Team. We are used to providing quite bespoke arrangements for those students with high level medical needs. Key workers are attached to students who are identified members of staff briefed and trained to be able to specifically work along-side families during what can be an anxious time.

Diabetes UK
Asthma UK
NHS Choices
Brittle Bone Society
CCFA

Friendship Group

The Academy runs a lunchtime ‘Friendship Group’ on a Tuesday and Thursday lunchtime. This is currently open to children from all year groups. The club focuses upon helping the students to develop the emotional and social skills needed in order to prepare them for later life as well as being an opportunity to have good fun! Students are supported and encouraged to try new things in the presence of caring and committed staff. Recent activities have included cooking and crafts, developing sharing skills with game tournaments and most recently concluding the term with a ‘Talent Show’.

Please speak to Mrs Hale or Miss Butler for further details.

Homework Club

Homework Club runs in ICT 3 every lunchtime and is supported by Mrs Passantino. This is a relaxed and caring environment where students can complete their work in a supported way. For students wishing to stay after school, homework can be completed in the LRC each Tuesday and Thursday from 3.25-4.25pm. Speak to any member of the Teaching Assistant team for more details.

Mrs Hale currently runs Year 11 ‘Catch Up’ support in the LRC each Monday 3.25-4.25pm.

SEND Supported

Please visit the SENDSupported website.

Special Educational Needs & Disabilities