SEND Newsletter
We have been so grateful for the positive feedback we have received from our families in the recent parental survey. In addition we have been reviewing the feedback to identify areas on which we can continue to improve as we strive to become a centre of excellence. One of the areas highlighted by parents of children with SEND was that they did not feel confident they could outline the support their child(ren) receive on a daily basis. I would like to take this opportunity to therefore outline the support students receive in lessons and beyond, reintroduce you to the Inclusion team and share the wonderful work they have been doing with our students since September.
The Inclusion Team
Ms Loveridge- SENCo
Experienced Teacher
Coordinates provision of support for SEND children
Liaising with staff to provide advice and support to ensure Quality First Teaching
Liaises with parents to discuss progress as well as referrals to external agencies
Mrs Lewis-HLTA/Teaching Assistant
Daily support in 7T3, 8T2, 9K3 and 9A3 lessons, mainly in Maths, Humanities and MFL.
2 years delivering ELSA across various year groups.
Dog Mentoring .
SEMH Groups.
Wellbeing Wednesday Lunch.
Homework Club.
Mrs Martin- Teaching Assistant
Daily support in A2, K2 and T3 lessons (various subjects).
Lego Therapy.
Touch Typing.
Friendship Workshops.
Wellbeing Wednesday Lunch.
Homework Club.
Mrs Harwood- Teaching Assistant
Daily support in A2, K2 and T3 lessons (various subjects).
Lego Therapy.
Touch Typing.
Friendship Workshops.
Wellbeing Wednesday Lunch.
Homework Club.
Mrs Georgiou - TA 1:1
Daily 1:1 support for PD student
Homework Club
TA cover when required..
Miss Phillips- Apprentice Teaching Assistant
Daily support in T3, K3, A2, A1 and A3 lessons, mainly in Angelou subjects but also support in IT, Maths, Science ,History, English and DT
Dog Mentoring
Support around the academy with Honey, our dog mentor.
Mrs Hooper - Apprentice Teaching Assistant
Daily support in T3, K3 and A3 lessons, mainly in Turing subjects (IT, Maths, Science)
Sensory Circuits
Wellbeing Wednesday Lunch
Ms Crittenden-Apprentice Teaching Assistant
Daily support in T3, K3 and A3 lessons, mainly in Turing subjects (IT, Maths, Science)
Sensory Circuits
Wellbeing Wednesday Lunch
Miss Goswell - Librarian
1:1 Literacy Interventions
Daily support in English, Literacy and Language
Reading Intervention Programme
Homework Club
Mrs Haynes - SEND Administrator
Administration support for the SENCo and SEND Team
Dyslexia & Dyscalculia Screening
Ms. Jones - SEND Administrator/Cover TA
Administration support for the SENCo and SEND Team
Dyslexia & Dyscalculia Screening
1:1 SALT Intervention
Numeracy Intervention
TA Cover if required.
Honey and Barney - Our Dog Mentors
Supporting school refusers
Dog Mentoring Sessions
Supporting students dog phobias
Improving everyone’s general wellbeing!
Our SEND Profile
Types of Need and Learning Support Plans
This chart shows the breakdown of the types of needs we are supporting students with on a daily basis, through Quality First Teaching. Every child who is classed as SEN-E and SEN-K have their own personal support plan which is shared with teachers outlining the additional support that will enable them to make better progress. Not all strategies will need to be implemented in every lesson as it depends on the individual child and their ability to access different subjects and activities. The support plan is updated three times a year, following the SEND Review using feedback from the Inclusion Team, Teachers, Parents and the child, based on what strategies are observed to be most effective with each individual.
SEND Profile
We consider ourselves an inclusive setting with 136 students in on our SEND register who are receiving some form of support. A child is identified as:
SEN-E - if they have an official Educational Health Care Plan (EHCP).
SEN-K - if they receive some form of additional support above Quality First Teaching (QFT)
There are some students that do not fall into either the SEN- E or K category but are continually monitored. If it’s identified they need additional support beyond Quality First Teaching, they may be moved to SEN-K , if it is deemed necessary. Students will not be added to the SEN register simply because they have a diagnosis. Some students with a diagnosis manage very well without any additional support. Students must be receiving support that is ‘addition to, or different from the support generally given to all children of the same age’. This could be internal or external support from outside agencies.
Training and Interventions
Professional Development for Staff
This year our teaching and Inclusion team have regularly accessed SEND related professional development opportunities, including:
Autistic Spectrum Condition training - Delivered by Fortis Trust
Whole School Literacy - Hackney LIT
SEND Support Strategies - Adaptive Teaching
SEND Teachers Toolkit - Effective differentiation strategies for quality first teaching
Mental Health First Aid
TAs have also accessed a wide and diverse range of CPD including the SEND Code of Practice, Mental Health, Assistive Technology and Supporting Hidden SEND
Interventions Beyond the Classroom
So far this academic year the following interventions have taken place supporting a large number of students : -
81 ELSA Sessions - 32 students
114 Dog Therapy Sessions - 67 students
172 Counselling Sessions - 42 students
524 Sensory Circuits Sessions - 76 students
42 Girls Group Sessions - 12 students
43 Zones of Regulation Sessions - 15 students
6 SULP Sessions - 2 Students
88 Lego Therapy Sessions - 24 students
52 Social Skills Sessions - 22
11 1:1 Speech & Language Sessions - 2 students
92 Reading Comprehension Sessions - 24 students
18 Engagement with Learning Sessions - 4 students
2 Comic Strip Conversation Sessions - 1 Students
85 Numeracy Sessions - 34 Students
114 Touch Typing Sessions - 54 students
18 Handwriting Sessions - 24 students
97 Reading Intervention Sessions - 12 students
Social Time Library Pass - 16 Students
Wellbeing Wednesday Lunch - 58 Students
Support in Lessons
Common Support Strategies in Lessons at LAR
The SEND Code of practice highlights that the most crucial form of support for all SEND students is Quality First Teaching with appropriate adaptation and scaffolding implemented by the teacher. All our teachers have had extensive training and support on what this looks like in the classroom, meaning support is often embedded and not at all obvious to the students, creating an inclusive culture.
As part of the Graduated Approach, some SEN-K and SEN-E students will require some form of additional support beyond the typical quality first teaching that takes place. This could be as simple as providing an overlay to support their reading or having 1:1 interventions for literacy support. All our teachers are equipped with our LAR SEND Teacher Toolkit which provides an extensive range of everyday strategies that can be used to support students with need. In addition we have outlined for parents the common forms of support that appear on support plans and that we implement for the range of needs we are supporting students with in the Academy. This is not the only support we offer but gives an example of some of the things we are offering.
NB. Please note that the support strategies implemented for each child are applied on an individual basis so it would be wrong to assume that if your child has any of these needs that they have all the listed support in place. They are applied where it is identified they are required by the child to make better progress.
Student Wellbeing Referrals
At Leigh Academy Rainham we do offer access to our School Counsellor, ELSA and other mental health support interventions, however, we do have long waiting lists. There are various outside agencies and charities that can offer similar support and we would recommend you take a look at the attached. Parental referrals can be made at any time and this may offer more immediate support for your child