Learning Support

Useful Websites/Information for Learning Support

Provision
All teachers are teachers of students with special educational needs. Teachers should deliver the National Curriculum programmes of study in ways that meet the particular requirements of their students. The National Curriculum Inclusion Statement emphasises the importance of providing effective learning opportunities for all students and offers three key principles for inclusion:

• Setting suitable learning challenges
• Responding to students' diverse needs
• Overcoming potential barriers to learning

The Special Educational Needs Code of Practice recognises four dimensions of need:

1. Cognitive and Learning
Moderate Learning Difficulties, Specific Learning Difficulties, Severe Learning Difficulties and Profound and Multiple Learning Difficulties.
2. Behaviour, Emotional and Social Difficulties
Behavioural difficulties which may substantially and regularly interfere with the student's own learning or that of the class group.
3. Communication and Interaction
Speech and Language difficulties and Autistic Spectrum Disorders.
4. Physical / Sensory
Hearing Impairment, Visual Impairment, Physical and / or Medical Difficulties or Disabilities.
Schools adopt a graduated response when helping students who have special educational needs.

School Action

Students at School Action receive additional and different provision to help them to make progress. This could be an individual programme or small group work and include programmes such as Social Skills, Paired Reading, Reading for Meaning, Direct Phonics and Rapid Reading. Students may also receive additional monitoring and support for learning from the Mentor, Head of House, Key Worker or Learning Support Team. In addition, extra support may be given in the mainstream classroom from the Learning Support Team.

School Action Plus
If a student is not making sufficient progress in spite of provision at School Action, it may be necessary to seek help from external services. They may offer advice, give training to staff or work with the student. The external agencies currently involved with our students include:

• The Educational Psychologist
• Physiotherapy Service
  • Learning Improvement Team
  • Vision Impairment Service
  • Hearing Impairment Service
  • Occupational Therapy
  • ASD Outreach Team
  • Speech and Language Therapy
  • Behaviour Improvement Team
  • Counselling Services
  • The School Nurse
  • BDP

A Statement of Special Educational Needs
A very small number of children may need the support provided through a Statement of Special Educational Needs. This is a legal document and states the types of support a child should receive. The Statement is reviewed each year to see if the provision is still appropriate.