Our Special Needs Co-ordinator is Mr Lieb (01740 625300).

 

Early identification, assessment and provision for any child who may have special educational needs (SEN) is crucial. The SEN Code of Practice, to which schools must by law have regard, promotes a common approach to identifying, assessing and providing for all children’s special educational needs. To reflect that, the Code advocates a graduated approach. Schools meet most children’s learning needs through “differentiation” of the curriculum, which means teachers tailoring their approaches to suit individual pupils’ different learning needs and styles.
 

School-based interventions, statutory assessments and Statements of SEN

Where children do not respond to differentiation and do not make adequate progress, there is a need for the school to do something additional or different. This school based SEN provision is described in the Code as School Action and School Action Plus.
 

School Action could be further assessment, additional or different teaching materials or a different way of teaching and it might sometimes, but not always, be additional adult support. Teachers use Individual Education Plans (IEPs) to record the different or additional provision to be made for the child, teaching strategies, short-term targets for the pupil, success criteria, and what they have achieved.
 

School Action Plus is where School Action has not helped the child to make adequate    progress, and the school asks for outside advice from the LEA’s support services, or from health or social work professionals. This could be advice from a speech and language therapist on a language programme or an Occupational Therapist’s suggestions or a medical diagnosis and report giving recommendations as to how to work differently with the child in class. It might be information about the child’s home circumstances that explains the changes in the child’s behaviour and attitudes to learning which can then help the school to work with others to      resolve the situation.

At Sedgefield Community College we believe that every student is an individual, and we       provide several programmes to help where necessary, including:

• The Gifted and Talented programme for outstanding individuals
• The Special educational Needs department to help students who have learning, physical or behavioural needs
• ‘The Base’ which provides individual learning programmes
• Special literacy, Numeracy and thinking skills lessons for all students in Years 7, 8 and 9 to enhance basic skills
• Out-Of-Hours revision programmes for students preparing for examinations
• A team of Mentors available for individual students
• A trained Student Counsellor available for any help and guidance

Many non teaching assistants and teachers work alongside teachers in classrooms to give
extra help where necessary