Learning Support

at

Dame Allan's

Meet the Team | Learning Support | Clubs and Opportunities | Access Arrangements FAQ

Meet the Team

Mrs. Lowery (right) is our SENDCo. Working closely with pupils, parents, and teachers, she leads the provision for pupils with special educational needs and disabilities. Mrs. Lowery supports pupils in class and also provides intervention lessons to small groups. Every Wednesday, she works with Heidi to provide animal-assisted therapy for pupils who are referred by pastoral staff. Mrs. Lowery also facilitates a weekly social games club for boys as well as a handwriting club for all pupils.

Mrs. Lopes-Mulhearn (left) is our Assistant SENDCo and EAL Coordinator. She conducts literacy assessments for all our new starters, teaches literacy intervention to small groups, and supports pupils who have English as an additional language. Mrs. Lopes-Mulhearn also works with pupils from Dame Allan's Juniors, supporting their transition to Seniors. Additionally, she leads our SEND Ambassadors Programme, a project dedicated to empowering the voice and experiences of our SEND pupils. Finally, Mrs. Lopes-Mulhearn facilitates a Girls Craft and Chat Club focused on developing social skills while exploring art.

Heidi is our therapy dog; she is a Maltichon and supports pupils from all year groups. Heidi spends most of her time in the Snug but can occasionally be seen in other areas of the school.

Learning Support

Each pupil starting at Dame Allan's Senior School will complete a series of comprehensive assessments covering writing, processing speed, reading comprehension, and spelling, as well as screening for signs of dyslexia. These assessments will help determine the need for learning support interventions to ensure each pupil receives the support necessary to achieve their full potential.

Teachers and support staff, as well as parents and carers, may also refer a pupil to learning support directly should they feel the need to. After such referrals, Mrs. Lowery or Mrs. Lopes-Mulhearn will complete a series of assessments and collect information from teachers to determine the level of support that needs to be provided.

If it is determined that a pupil may benefit from intervention, both the pupil and their parents or guardians will be contacted.

Then, a pupil profile will be created. This profile then becomes available to all teachers involved with the pupil and provides deeper insight into the pupil's needs and strategies that work well, as well as the pupil's and parents' views.

Quality First Waves

In Learning Support, we use the Quality First Support Waves System to ensure each pupil receives the support they need in order to thrive.

Support Wave 1

This is high-quality teaching for all pupils in the classroom. Lessons are well-planned and adapted by teachers to meet different learning styles, with clear explanations, interactive activities, and regular feedback. The aim is to meet the needs of most pupils through excellent everyday teaching.

Support Wave 2

For pupils who need extra support, small group or individual interventions are provided. These may focus on specific skills and are tailored to each pupil's or group's needs. Pupils' progress is analysed twice during the academic year. If the pupil meets their initial targets by the first progress evaluation, they may move to Wave 1. If they continue to require support to meet their targets, they will continue receiving Wave 2 support.
For some pupils, this may also look like a cycle of in-class support, where Mrs. Lowery or Mrs. Lopes-Mulhearn works with them in the classroom, alongside their teacher.

Support Wave 3

If a pupil needs more personalised support, they may receive one-to-one or highly tailored help, sometimes involving external specialists.

Clubs and Opportunities

SEND Ambassadors

Ran by Mrs. Lopes-Mulhearn, this is a club that aims to empower our pupils' voice in relation to special education needs and disability. Our selected ambassadors meet every other week to discuss equality and inclusion, and to plan awareness events. See our SEND Ambassadors tab at the top of this page to look at the work we've done so far.

Boys Games Club

Mrs. Lowery's Games Club is a great way for some of our pupils to socialise.

Girls Craft and Chat

Mrs. Lopes-Mulhearn's Girls Craft and Chat Club supports our pupils' social skills while creating and connecting through art.

Dog Therapy

Mrs. Lowery facilitates dog therapy sessions with Heidi. Selected pupils have scheduled time with Heidi and Mrs. Lowery, but other students may see her around on Wednesdays!

Handwriting Club

Mrs. Lowery's handwriting club is popular amongst our pupils who may need to improve their letter formation or writing speed.

Access Arrangements FAQ

All about access arrangements at Dame Allan's, including a myth buster:

Access Arrangements.pdf

What is an access arrangement?

The Equality Act 2010 requires an exam awarding body to make reasonable adjustments where a candidate who is disabled would be at a substantial disadvantage in comparison to someone who is not disabled. Some of Dame Allan's pupils may be entitled to access arrangements in their internal assessments, GCSE and A Level exams. The purpose of an access arrangement is to ensure, where possible, that barriers to assessment are removed for a disabled candidate, preventing them from being placed at a substantial disadvantage due to persistent and significant difficulties. The integrity of the assessment is maintained, whilst at the same time providing access to assessments for a disabled candidate.
Some examples of access arrangements are extra time, alternative rooming, readers, scribes, rest breaks, and word processors.

What if my child needs access arrangements?

Parents and carers should let the SENDCo know as soon as possible if they believe that their child has additional needs. Good and open communication is important.
The SENDCo will work with teachers and the pupil to identify possible needs.
Various access arrangements are available to those whom the SEND department determines as needing.
Not all pupils with additional needs will require access arrangements. It depends on whether their difficulty affects their access to the curriculum and exams. Additional needs alone do not entitle a pupil to access arrangements.
If your child meets the criteria for access arrangements, the SENDCo will complete an application, which will be submitted to JCQ so this arrangement can be authorised.
It is important to note that exam centres such as Dame Allan's must follow the JCQ regulations at the risk of engaging in malpractice if failing to do so.

Who makes decisions on access arrangements?

The SENDCo must make decisions on appropriate access arrangements for the pupils. Although professionals from other organisations may give advice and provide documentation, they cannot make the decision for the exam centre. They will not have working knowledge of an individual candidate’s needs and how their difficulties impact in the classroom and/or in timed assessments. It is the responsibility of the SENDCo to make appropriate and informed decisions based on the JCQ regulations.

What criteria must be met for a pupil to be given access arrangements?

Different access arrangements require pupils to meet different criteria.
It is often the case that relevant documentation produced by educational psychologists, specialist teachers, and other medical professionals will be required as evidence.
For a comprehensive breakdown of all access arrangements and criteria, please see Chapter 5 of the JCQ official document:
https://www.jcq.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/JCQ-AARA-24-25_FINAL.pdf

Where can I find out more about access arrangements?

To read more about access arrangements, please see the JCQ's official publication:

https://www.jcq.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/JCQ-AARA-24-25_FINAL.pdf

As well as JCQ's "Guidance for parents, carers and students about access arrangements", for a simplified version:

https://www.jcq.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/JCQ-Parent-guidance-information-sheet.pdf

Additionally, you can contact Mrs. Lowery, the SENDCo, for more information.

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