Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND)
Students have special educational needs if they have a learning difficulty which calls for special educational provision to be made for them.
Students have a learning difficulty if they:
have a significantly greater difficulty in learning than the majority of children of the same age
have a disability which prevents or hinders them from making use of educational facilities of a kind generally provided for children of the same age in similar schools
Students must not be regarded as having a learning difficulty solely because the language of their home is different from the language in which they will be taught. These are considered EAL (English as an Additional Language) students.
Areas of need
The Special Educational Needs Code of Practice (Guernsey) states ‘The main areas of learning difficulty are Cognition and Learning; Behaviour, Emotional and Social Development; Communication and Interaction; Sensory and/or Physical Impairment.’
Further information for parents can be found by clicking this link.
https://www.gov.gg/sen
Special Educational Needs and Disabilities at St Sampson’s High School
At St Sampson’s High School we value the achievement of students with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) and encourage all students to reach their potential.
We believe in positive intervention, removing barriers to learning, raising expectations and levels of achievement and working in partnership with other agencies in order to provide a positive, meaningful educational experience for all our students.
The school motto is ‘Learning Together’. All students are valued as individuals and encouraged to work with their peers. The school community is committed to the academic and personal development of all students regardless of ability. We recognise the diverse and individual needs of all of our students and consider the additional support required by those children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND). We strive to provide the opportunity for all students, regardless of their specific needs, to make the best possible progress.
The objectives of St Sampson’s SEND provision are:
To maintain and develop an inclusive ethos in which every student can grow to personal fulfilment and realise their full potential and character.
To ensure access to a broad, balanced and relevant curriculum for all students.
To identify students with additional needs and disabilities and to implement appropriate programmes/strategies to meet those needs as far as resources will allow.
To raise the self-esteem of students with additional needs and disabilities and to assist them to develop their independence.
To create an environment where school, parents/carers and outside agencies work together for the benefit of SEND students.
To provide appropriate advice and guidance for teaching staff to help them meet the needs of SEND students in the classroom.
Supporting SEND students at St Sampson’s High School:
We aim to support our students with SEND and their parents and carers so that they can achieve their potential and increase their life chances.
Provision and support exists throughout the school for students with special educational needs and disabilities. SEND provision is an integral part of our overall school provision. Teachers use the SEND data we collect from primary schools and our own information and assessments to plan lessons and differentiate provision for students with SEND.
Learning Plans and Pupil Passports are in place for students with SEND who require specific adjustments to be made for them in school. All teachers have access to this information via Classcharts.
The provision may be, but not exclusive to; targeted interventions for memory difficulties, dyslexia and literacy, numeracy, social skills development, curriculum support, handwriting development, behaviour management, mentoring, support with organisation and planning. We aim to be quick at identifying under-achievement and addressing it at individual or group level.
We offer in-class support with a team of highly dedicated Learning Support Assistants.
We have a Student Support Centre (SSC) where specialist staff work with students requiring interventions and support with learning. The SSC also provides a base for more vulnerable students at the start of the school day, during break and lunchtimes.
We are an inclusive school and have students with a range of SEND in our year groups. The Inclusion Team strives to support students across the 11 – 16 age range by working closely with other departments, outside agencies and Educational Psychologists to personalise the learning of SEND students and maximise their learning opportunities.
The SEND Department’s work includes:
Providing focused in-class support/targeted interventions/mentoring as far as resources will allow.
Monitoring, assessing and observing students that teachers are concerned about and providing expertise around individual student’s needs and strategies for supporting them.
Partnership work with our primary feeder schools.
Preparing reports in relation to students’ needs for outside agencies.
Managing any SEND referrals to outside agencies or specialists.
Working in multi-disciplinary teams supporting SEND students with complex needs or who are vulnerable.
Providing Access arrangements for examinations for students with SEND.
Mr Ian Edwards, Special Educational Needs Coordinator (SENCO), manages the SEND team and can be contacted by email: [email protected]
SEND Information Report
https://gov.gg/sen
