The Dorset Studio School Special Educational Needs and Disabilities
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The Dorset Studio School Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Information Report 1 Contents Special Educational Needs staff and contact details Page 6 What kind of special needs does the Dorset Studio School make provision for? Page 7 What type of support do we have at Dorset Studio School? Page 9 How do we identify and assess special educational needs and disabilities? Page 10 How do we measure the progress being made by our students with SEND? How do we know that our support works? Page 12 How does the Studio School support students with SEND through transition? Page 13 How do we ensure that students with SEND are not treated less favourably? Page 14 What extra-curricular activities can a student with SEND access at Dorset Studio School? Page 15 2 What training do Dorset Studio School staff have to help them support students with SEND? Page 15 How is the curriculum adapted for students with SEND? Page 16 How are parents of students with SEND involved in the education of their child? Page 17 How are students with SEND involved in their own education? Page 18 How do we deal with complaints by a parent of a student with SEND or by a student with SEND? Page 18 How does the governing body involve other people in meeting the needs of students with SEND including support for their families? Page 19 What provision is there for students who are looked after by the authority and have SEND? Page 20 How is the learning environment adapted for students with SEND? Page 20 How does the Dorset Studio School prevent bullying? Page 21 How does the Dorset Studio School get more specialist help if students need it? Page 21 3 Who are the support services that can help parents with children who have SEN? Page 21 Dorset’s Local Offer Page 22 Post-16 Information Page 23 4 Introduction The Dorset Studio School is designed to equip young people with the skills, knowledge and experience they require to succeed in the land and environmental sectors. Students commence study of GCSEs in Year 9 and enjoy an innovative curriculum including a full range of academic qualifications (equating to 10 GCSEs), along with regular work placements from Year 10 onwards. The school operates from its own new state-of-the-art building, with modern teaching and learning spaces that reflect a workplace environment. Our students also benefit from the facilities on the Kingston Maurward College campus. Students need to have a strong sense of responsibility to enable them to fully participate safely and engage with the demanding expectations of the school, campus and workplaces. We have a qualified part-time SENCo, a qualified part- time Assistant SENCo, a part-time teacher to deliver literacy interventions and teaching staff who ensure that the needs of students with SEND are met. In this booklet you will find information that will answer your questions on Special Educational Needs and Disabilities and how we provide for them at the Dorset Studio School. If you have any further questions do not hesitate to contact our SENCo at [email protected] or 01305 215028. 5 Special Educational Needs staff and contact details Mrs Suzanne Cray, Assistant Principal [email protected] Mrs Kerry Smith, SENCo [email protected] E Parker, Assistant SENCo [email protected] Miss M Loveless, Cover Supervisor/Maths Intervention Support [email protected] Ms R Thomas, Literacy Intervention Support [email protected] Alternatively, staff can be contacted by calling 01305 215028 Kerry Smith’s (SENCo) direct telephone number: 01305 215270 6 What kinds of special needs does the Dorset Studio School make provision for? Our first response to supporting students with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) is to provide high quality first teaching which targets a student’s area of development through a differentiated curriculum. If a student still continues to make less than expected progress the Special Educational Needs Team will assess whether the student has SEN. Any student identified as having a learning need will have at least one of four broad areas of need. This enables us to make sure we are taking appropriate action to support a student’s needs. On the following page, you can see the four broad areas of need and the interventions we put in place, as a school, to support them. 7 Area of Need Examples of support in our School How we check the support is working Cognition and Learning Differentiation through quality Interventions will be evaluated This is when a student learns at a first teaching, some small through lesson observations, slower pace than others in their teaching groups and small group learning walks, teacher class. It may be that they have a literacy and numeracy support. assessment, parent views, low reading or comprehension Individual literacy and numeracy student views, external age. This also includes conditions support may be available. We are assessments, GL assessments and such as dyslexia, dyscalculia and currently using GL Assessments, a Schonell assessments. dyspraxia. literacy intervention called ARROW and professionals from SENSS. Communication & Interaction Differentiation through quality Interventions will be evaluated This is when a student has first teaching and some small through lesson observations, difficulty communicating with teaching groups. Our SENCo has learning walks, teacher others. This may be because they undertaken national autism assessment, parent views, have difficulty saying what they training. Our Assistant SENCo has student views, CSW assessments want to, understanding what is specific experience of working in and external assessments. being said to them or they do not this area and where appropriate understand or use social rules of works closely with students that communication. have a diagnosis of autism or Asperger’s. A member of the Speech and Language Therapy Team visits us and makes recommendations that one of our intervention team delivers. Social, emotional and mental Differentiation through quality Interventions will be evaluated health difficulties first teaching and some small through lesson observations, These difficulties may include teaching groups. Some 1:1 or learning walks, teacher becoming withdrawn or isolated, small group support is available assessment, parent views, as well as displaying challenging, from our Assistant SENCo. We student views, external disruptive or disturbing endeavour to work with assessments, attendance data, behaviour. These behaviours may Children’s Adolescent and Mental behaviour data and PASS. reflect underlying mental health Health Service (CAMHS), as well difficulties, such as anxiety and as the social care team and the depression, self-harming, eating Educational Psychology Service. disorders or substance misuse. Other children or young people may have disorders such as attention deficit disorder, attention deficit hyperactive disorder or attachment disorder. Sensory and/or physical needs Differentiation through quality Interventions will be evaluated This is when a student has a first teaching and some small through lesson observations, disability that hinders them from teaching groups. Risk assessments learning walks, teacher using the educational facilities will be carried out and reasonable assessment, parent views, generally provided, such as a adjustments will be made (e.g. student views, and external visual, hearing or multi-sensory accessibility, health and safety). assessments. impairment. 8 What type of support do we have at Dorset Studio School? At Dorset Studio School we endeavour to ensure each student with SEND gets the support they need. Subject teachers are responsible for the progress and development of students in their class. High quality teaching, differentiated for student’s needs, is the first way we respond to students who have SEND. Additional intervention and support cannot make-up for a lack of good teaching. To support this, teaching at Dorset Studio School is regularly reviewed. We also have a range of interventions to support students with SEND. These include: Differentiation in lessons through quality first teaching Some small class teaching Maths Intervention Literacy Intervention including a programme called ARROW and guided reading SEMH Interventions delivered by the Assistant SENCo A member of the Speech and Language Therapy Team visits and makes recommendation that one of our intervention team will support students with Visits from a member of the SENSS Interventions will be evaluated every 6 weeks to ensure that students are making progress. The impact of interventions will be assessed using a variety of methods such as teacher assessment, student and parent feedback, reading assessments, spelling assessments, GL assessments, external assessment, learning walks and lesson observations. Interventions will be adapted and changed if a student is not making progress. Advice from outside agencies 9 such as SENSS or an Educational Psychologist may also be sought if progress is not being made. How do we identify and assess special educational needs and disabilities? We will initially use transition information from the student’s previous school and carry out GL Assessments. Discussions with parents and students may also identify SEND. We appreciate that parents have a unique insight into their child. Please contact our SENCo, Mrs K Smith, if you wish to discuss the possibility that your child may have SEN. We deliver training to our staff to ensure their understanding of strategies to support and identify vulnerable students is up-to-date. We monitor the grades given to the students by their teachers and also track other forms of data such as attendance and behaviour. We may carry work with external agencies to undertake further assessment. These external agencies include Dorset SEN Specialist Service (SENSS), Speech and Language Therapists, Educational Psychologists and Children’s Adolescent and Mental Health Service (CAMHS). When a student is identified as having SEND we use a four-step process to ensure barriers to learning are removed and effective provision is put in place.