Access Team (SEND Department)

Welcome to the Access team at Norham High School.  We are a team of teaching and support staff working across the curriculum with all pupils, tailoring our approach to specific needs. We support families and work closely with professionals to ensure every child is adequately supported throughout school.

 

We are a team of 23 staff who are here to support any child with an additional need to fully access their curriculum. We have:

 

·         Mrs. Pearson - SENDCo

·         Mr. Collins – ARP Manager / Associate SENDCO/ Exams Officer

·         Mrs. Sharp – SEND Associate Leader / Assistant SENDCO

·         Mr. Campbell – SEND Associate Leader (ARP)

·         7 x HLTA’s

·         5 x SSA Key Workers

·         5 x ARP SSA’s


Who and how we support

Norham High School is a mainstream setting with an Additionally Resourced Provision (ARP) for language and communication needs. We are committed to meeting the needs of all pupils, including those with SEND. Reasonable adjustments are made to meet the needs of all pupils, including those identified in the SEND Code of Practice (2014) as:

 

·         Language and communication difficulties

·         Cognitive and learning difficulties

·         Social, emotional and mental health difficulties (SEMH)

·         Physical and sensory difficulties

 

Norham High School provides a range of interventions and additional resources to support pupils with SEND, including those at SEN support and with EHC Plans, to make progress. Support is available for ALL pupils with SEND including those with disabilities, pupils with EAL or those in the care of the Local Authority (LAC).

 

All pupils with an EHC Plan are supported to achieve their outcomes outlined in the EHC Plan. Progress towards these is reviewed at least annually and shared with the wider staff team via an Individual Education Plan (IEP).

 

Those pupils placed at SEN Support of the Code of Practice have an APDR document (Assess, Plan, Do, Review) in line with the Local Authority’s recommendation. The APDR contains specific outcomes to support the pupil to achieve their short and long term aspirations. Support is personal and tailored to the specific needs of the pupil to enable them to work towards their personal outcomes and achieve their own aspirations and goals. These pupils also have a one-page passport to support teaching staff in the delivery of Quality First Teaching.

Below are some of the ways in which we support pupils with specific needs and make up the school’s contribution towards the Local Authority’s Local Offer.


Language & communication needs

 For example:

 

Autism Spectrum Condition

Asperger’s Syndrome

Speech, Language and Communication Needs

Social Communication Difficulties 

Support available in school

• Visual timetables

• Support/ supervision during unstructured times

• Social and communication skills programmes

• Lego therapy 

• Use of ICT to reduce barriers to learning

• Support in examinations (access arrangements)

• Strategies to reduce anxiety (5-point scale)

• Planning, assessment and reviews of support plans

• Teaching resources are routinely evaluated to ensure they are accessible to all pupils 

• IEPs and pupil passports available for all staff to use

• Support and advice sought from specialist agencies

• ELKLAN has been completed by SENDCo and ARP Manager and all staff have received training in the principles of ELKLAN

• Regular CPD opportunities for teaching and support staff 

• Multi-agency working between school, home and other involved professionals

• Annual AEN Carousel to support teaching staff to adapt their teaching resources on a classroom level

• In-house L&C assessment tool to initially assess needs

• Referral to external agencies including, Educational Psychology and  Language and Communication Team, when appropriate


Social, Emotional and Mental Health Needs (SEMH)

 For example:


Behavioural Needs

Social Needs

Mental Health Needs

ADHD

ADD 

Anxiety

Depression 


Support available in school

Behaviour management systems in school are based upon encouraging pupils to have positive decisions and behaviour choices and focus on reward. Risk assessments are used and action is taken to ensure the safety and inclusions of all pupils in activities. The school provides effective pastoral care for all pupils. PSHE is delivered to all pupils weekly through the registration programme.


In addition:

• Specific SEMH intervention groups running throughout the week

• Access to Someone Cares and TRAX on the school site 

• Referral to external agencies, including CAMHS and Educational Psychology, when appropriate

• Small group targeted programmes are delivered to pupils to improve social skills and emotional resilience

• Support is available at break and lunchtimes for vulnerable pupils

• Access to Learning Support room to support vulnerable learners

• Alternative provision placement where appropriate

• Occasionally, school seek the support of Moorbridge PRU, through the Fair Access Panel, to meet the needs of some pupils with SEMH

• Carefully managed transition programme to support vulnerable learners to move between phases i.e. primary to secondary, KS4 to KS5 etc.

• Running of EHA/TAF meetings to support families

• Family partner employed on a 52/52 contract to support vulnerable families outside of term time

• Multi-agency working – professionals’ meetings to discuss concerns

• Weekly welfare meetings to review pupil progress (SENDCo, DH, DSL and EWO)

• All staff received targeted mental health training in 2019

• All staff received ACEs and Attachment training in 2019

• School representation at Moorbridge advocate meetings

• Intervention work completed after school to support pupils who consistently struggle to comply with basis school expectations

• Opportunities for restorative conversations when necessary 

• Building home/school links between parents, carers and key staff within school

• All SEND pupils have a key worker who is there as the first point of call if a pupil needs somebody to speak to

• Behaviour support panel (HT/DHT, DSL, EWO, HOY, SENDCo) is in place for pupils who are finding it difficult to manage their behaviour in school 

• Use of Class Charts recording system to monitor behaviour and identify any additional needs in a timely manner

• HLTA is currently undertaking THRIVE practitioner training to offer THRIVE intervention in school



Cognition and Learning Needs

For example: 


Moderate Learning Difficulties

Dyslexia 

Dyscalculia

Literacy Difficulties 

Numeracy Difficulties 



Support available in school

• Differentiated curriculum and resources

• Access to literacy/reading support

• Referral to Dyslexia team (if appropriate)

• Personalised intervention programme specific to need

• Provision to support access to the curriculum and to develop independent learning

• Use of ICT use as a strategy to reduce barriers to learning

• Support and advice sought from specialist agencies

• Teaching resources are routinely evaluated to ensure they are accessible to all pupils

• Ongoing Quality First Teaching CPD for all staff

• Read Write Inc. used to support vulnerable learners to catch up to the level of their peers 

• Access to coloured overlays if required 

• SENDCo and 4 additional members of the AEN team have completed full Read Write Inc. training

• 2 members of the AEN team have completed success@number and success@arithmetic training

• Use of Numicon in intervention groups 

• Smaller class set sizes typically across the school

• Access to small group catch up intervention programmes before and after school

• Handwriting intervention 

• ‘ACCESS’ nurture programme for a small number of Year 7 and Year 9 pupils who require intense intervention to support their development of core literacy and numeracy skills

• Access to CAT4 testing to assess cognitive ability 




Sensory and Physical Needs

For example:


Visual and Hearing Impairments

Multi-sensory Impairments

Physical and Medical Needs

Physical Disabilities 




Support available in school

• Advice is sought and acted upon to ensure barriers are reduced or removed

• ICT is used to increase access to the curriculum

• Provision to support access to the curriculum

• Access to strategies/programmes to support Occupational Therapy/Physiotherapy

• Occupational Therapy referrals, where appropriate 

• Medicines in school policy

• Reasonable adjustments made to the school environment- lift, high visibility strips to the stairs, ramps into school building, disabled toilet facilities

• Regular multi-agency meetings to ensure suitability of provision and support provided 

• Access to ear defenders, when appropriate

• Use of sensory seeking support strategies – fiddle toys, chew toys, wobble cushions, thera-bands etc.





Language and Communication Needs with an EHCP naming Norham Additionally Resourced Provision (ARP) 

*In addition to Language and Communication Needs section 




Support available in school

• Differentiated curriculum with focus on life skills and social skills

• Access to GCSE subjects and examinations in KS4

• Small group teaching

• Personalised timetable to meet the needs of the individual pupil

• Occupational Therapist in school 1 day per week (delivering whole class and targeted interventions)

• ‘RISE’ programme of life skills and out of classroom experiences to develop culture capital 

• Vocational course offers in KS3 and KS4 (where appropriate) – ASDAN COPE, ASDAN PSD, short courses

• Visual timetables

• Support/ supervision during unstructured times

• Use of ICT to reduce barriers to learning

• Support in examinations (access arrangements)

• Teaching resources are routinely evaluated to ensure they are accessible to all pupils

• Access to alternative provision in KS4 (where appropriate)

• Specialist training to staff 

• Some teachers have completed Level 3 ASD training

• In-class support at all times

• IEPs and pupil passports available to all staff

• Support and advice sought from specialist agencies

• Multi-agency working between school, home and other involved professionals 

• Weekly swimming classes in KS3, where appropriate to the curriculum plan for each class

• Support to access partial or full mainstream curriculum where appropriate

For further information, please visit the policies section of the website and view “SEND Policy” and “SEND Information Report”. 

Meet Sol – our school therapy and reading dog

Sol is a Cockapoo and is looked after by our SENCo. He is a soft-natured dog who loves human interaction. He attends school 4 days per week and takes part in a number of activities with pupils to provide therapeutic support and promote reading development. 

When in school, Sol:

• Supports in key stage 3 reading lessons where pupils have the opportunity to read out loud to him

• Provides small group and 1:1 therapeutic support to pupils

• Attends the ARP for reward time where pupils have the opportunity to play with him

• Works directly with pupils who are interested in animal care 

School dogs are known to have a positive impact on pupils and we are delighted with how well Sol has settled in to school life. Research suggests that having a school dog can: reduce anxiety in pupils, improve social interactions, develop emotional resilience and increase pupil understanding of responsibility. Using a school dog to support reading can: benefit pupils who are reluctant to read, improve reading skills and reduce stress and nerves when reading out loud – thus creating a positive and comfortable environment to develop confidence. 

Please refer to our policies section for our ‘Dogs in School’ policy and Risk Assessment. 


Get in touch

If you would like to speak to us about how we can support your child, please contact: 


Mrs Joanne Pearson

SENCo

joanne.pearson@ntlp.org.uk 

0191 814 3890