Updated: September 2018 To be reviewed: September 2019 Gosforth Federated Academies: SEN Information The Learning Support teams, at both Gosforth Academy and Gosforth Junior High Academy, are fully inclusive and aim to help every child and young person to reach their full potential. We recognise the need for a full range of educational and pastoral support and aim to help children and young people, with special educational needs and disabilities, in order for them to make the same good levels of progress as achieved by other pupils. We believe in an ethos where children and young people of all backgrounds and cultures are welcomed and valued and where pupils are supported, effectively, to make the very best progress that they can. We aim to remove barriers to learning and participation and to promote the development of children and young people as confident and independent learners. We understand and acknowledge that children and young people have individual educational needs and require personalised strategies for learning and participation and benefit from a range of different teaching approaches and experiences and we will endeavour to meet these individual needs. Outlined below are details of the support packages we offer to our children and young people with additional needs. Other useful documents, such as our SEN and Disability Policy and Accessibility Plan, give further SEN information and can be found on the Gosforth Academy website. If you require any further details, about the support that we can offer, then please do not hesitate to contact Sylvia Jordan (Gosforth Junior High Academy – 0191 2851000, Option 1) or Lara Grant (Gosforth Academy - 0191 2851000, Option 2). For all children and young people at Gosforth Academy who have an additional need: We work in partnership with parents and carers as we recognise and value the expert role which families play in their children’s lives. We set clear targets and needs-based plans for children and young people. We involve the child or young person, parents and carers in the writing, reviewing and implementation of provision maps and individual education plans. We deliver high quality teaching, adapting the curriculum and our resources to support access to learning and to promote progress. We seek support and advice from a range of outside agencies such as SENTASS, Educational Psychology Service, CYPS, Speech and Language Therapy, School Health etc to ensure that barriers to success are fully identified and responded to. We operate a graduated response based upon need: assess, plan, do, review. We support access to teaching and learning, for children with SEN, monitored through our self- evaluation process. Lessons are as inclusive as possible with adjustments made depending on need. We routinely evaluate teaching resources to ensure that they are accessible to all children and young people. We evaluate our intervention groups and strategies on a regular basis. We use ICT hardware and software to promote access to the curriculum. We use strategies to promote emotional wellbeing and reduce anxiety. We ensure that our educational visits and extra-curricular activities, as far as possible, are accessible to SEN children and young people. We strategically place support staff, where they are most needed throughout the Academy, to ensure pupil progress, independence and value for money. We evaluate whole school policies (such as those for behaviour, anti-bullying and SEN) on a regular basis with a focus on the impact upon pupils with SEN. We ensure that staff receive on-going training in relation to meeting individual needs within the Updated: September 2018 To be reviewed: September 2019 classroom. At Gosforth Academy, we allocate Specialist Plan Managers, to support SEN children and young people, who support individuals with their target setting, monitor progress, provide pastoral support, act as advocates for individuals, help the child or young person prepare for their reviews and who act as links between home and school. We offer support to families and they are signposted to services and organisations which may provide appropriate input or advice via the Newcastle Local Offer https://www.newcastlesupportdirectory.org.uk/kb5/newcastle/fsd/localoffer.page?localofferchannel=0 We offer First to Middle, Middle to Secondary and Secondary to Post-16 transition support to children, young people and parents and carers. In addition to the above, we also offer further support to those children and young people who have a higher level of additional need, and have an Education, Health and Care Plan. This support includes: Very detailed planning and monitoring of progress. Individualised programmes of work across several areas. Specific, targeted interventions. Provision specified in an EHC Plan. Annual reviews of an EHC Plan with recommendations submitted to the Local authority. Multi-agency planning and assessment of targets at interim reviews. Specific provision is also provided for the different areas of need: Communication and Interaction Cognition and Learning Needs Social, Emotional and Mental Health Needs Sensory and Physical Needs Updated: September 2018 To be reviewed: September 2019 The following tables give more information regarding strategies and resources used to support these areas of need: Type of SEN for which provision is Support/provision made at Gosforth Academy and Gosforth Junior made at Gosforth Academy and High Academy Gosforth Junior High Academy Updated: September 2018 To be reviewed: September 2019 Communication and Interaction We use visual supports e.g. visual timetables etc, according to need. E.g. We have areas of low distraction/stimulus. Autistic Spectrum Disorder We offer support and supervision at unstructured times of the (ASD)/Social Communication day e.g. break and lunchtime, when appropriate. Disorders We offer social skills programmes/support including strategies to enhance self-esteem e.g. social skills/nurture groups. Speech, Language and We use social stories and comic strip conversations etc to help Communication Needs (SLCN) children learn how to approach different social situations. We offer small group, targeted intervention programmes to improve skills in a variety of areas, including life skills, independent travel etc. We spend time with children and young people helping them to identify situations which cause anxiety and finding ways to relieve this e.g. through regular “check ins” with identified members of staff, ‘time out’ etc. We use strategies/programmes to support speech and language development in partnership with relevant agencies e.g. individual speech and language therapy programmes. We use ICT, where appropriate, to reduce barriers to learning. Support is offered to families and they are signposted to services/organisations for further advice, where appropriate, via the Local Offer. The Support Bases offer various forms of support, which are tailored to individual needs. Updated: September 2018 To be reviewed: September 2019 Cognition and Learning Needs We use strategies to promote and develop literacy and mathematical skills with increasing independence. E.g. We support access to the curriculum, through a variety of interventions and deployment of human resources, to develop Moderate Learning Difficulties skills for independent learning. (MLD) We access the expertise and support of the Special Educational Needs Teaching and Support Service (SENTASS) to support Specific Learning Difficulties (SpLD individual needs. – Dyslexia, Dyscalculia, Dyspraxia) We provide resources to support children and young people with specific needs e.g. coloured overlays, ACE Spelling Dictionaries etc for dyslexia. We use ICT to reduce barriers to learning, where possible. We assess children regularly and report progress to parents/carers and staff. We assess children and young people for Examination Access Arrangements and provide the necessary support in examinations and assessments. We offer curriculum support to children with English as an Additional Language (EAL). We use small group and 1:1 targeted intervention programmes to improve skills in a variety of areas e.g. small literacy groups, small numeracy groups, Nessy, Memory Skills, Rapid Reading, Toe by Toe, Literacy Toolkit etc. We offer support before and after school e.g. homework clubs, revision sessions, catch-up sessions etc. We have a variety of specifically targeted IT programmes, available to support learning, including Nessy and Literacy Toolkit etc. We offer reduced class sizes for the lowest achievers in English and Mathematics. We offer targeted 1:1 small group support, in class, from the class teacher and Learning Support Assistants. We encourage the use of additional processing/thinking time for responding to questions, completing tasks, sharing ideas etc. Support is offered to families and they are signposted to services/organisations for further advice, where appropriate, via the Local Offer. The Support Bases offer various forms of learning support, which are tailored to individual needs. Updated: September 2018 To be reviewed: September 2019 Social, Emotional and Mental Health Clear sanctions and rewards are followed, through the PRAISE Issues code, which offer structures and routines. Risk assessments are carried out to ensure the safety and E.g. inclusion of all pupils, in all activities. Gosforth Junior High Academy and Gosforth Academy provide Social Difficulties excellent social and emotional