How are Successful Transitions Implemented?

The SENCo works with primary school colleagues to ensure a transition plan is in place for Year 6 students with an EHCP or SEND Support. As part of the transition period students attend an Induction Week, with those acknowledged as having SEND joining a bespoke session, compromising a ‘Getting to Know You’ presentation delivered by the SENCo, an introduction to the SEND Team. For further information in relation to transitions, please see the school’s SEND Policy.

How will we know if Students with SEND are Progressing?

Assessment points and monitoring takes place for every student across all subject areas, and information is used to inform targets. Termly reports detail effort, attitude and attainment grades, providing parents/carers with an indication of strengths and difficulties, alongside end of year targets. In addition, Parent Evenings provide an opportunity to discuss report information, and the SENCo is available to join discussions should it be required.

SEND small group/1:1 interventions are monitored with the use of relevant assessment, depending on the support type offered.

How does the Curriculum meet Students’ SEND?

It is our expectation that all students are able to meet their aspirational targets and make exceptional progress. To ensure this vision is realised, teaching staff are informed of student needs via our learning platform, Ello, Pupil Provision Plans (PPP), and One Page Profiles (OPP).

PPPs and OPPs are completed in collaboration with students, parents/carers, and, when necessary, external services. The documents are used to inform teachers about specific needs and strategies to assist students within the classroom, and also outline reasonable adjustments required to ensure young people are able to access mainstream classes. Staff are supplied with their own individual OPP booklet, which forms a working document allowing for teacher/student communication, and assessment of strategies.

Lessons are planned with clear aims, detailing ‘big questions’ to show students where their learning will take them, and ‘small questions’ to focus attention on specific skills acquired through QFT and engaging activities. Live marking is deployed to give students frequent and prompt advice for improvement, and build a trusting environment enabling young people to have the confidence to share their work and ideas.

LSA support is used both within classrooms and to deliver separate intervention, dependent on student needs. The aim of LSA deployment is to remove barriers to learning, and increase resilience and independence. To meet this vision it is imperative that LSAs never finish student tasks, or work on a dedicated 1:1 basis within the classroom, as this would be detrimental to progress, impacting negatively on the acquisition and development of skills. Ellowes Hall Sports College’s in class support deployment is informed by the Education Endowment Foundation’s (EEF) framework, which outlines the most effective ways in which to reach learnings who have SEND.

What is the School’s SEND Referral Process?

Teachers must ensure that QFT is applied in the first instance. Thereafter, department interventions are to be used and measured for outcomes. If a young person has failed to make progress following this process, teachers are asked to liaise with tutors, and Heads of Year, to assess whether this is a subject specific issue, or a matter experienced more widely. At this point, and with the knowledge of Heads of Year, a SEND Referral can be made via the Teacher Toolkit, which must include supporting evidence of QFT, and subject intervention strategies.

Should parents/carers feel their child has an additional need, which has yet to be identified, they should, initially, contact the relevant Head of Year, who will ensure the above steps are taken.

If the parent/carer of young person, already identified as having SEND, feels their needs have changed, they are advised to contact both the SENCo and Head of Year via email, initially.

How do we know if a Student Requires Additional Support?

The process of identification requires the use of a graduated response and application of the Access, Plan, Do, Review (APDR) process. Further information about APDR can be found in the school’s SEND Policy. Document can be found on the SEND page.

Other methods of identification are listed below:
- Discussion with parents/carers
- Expressions of concern from teachers via the school’s referral process.
- Extensive liaison with primary schools
- Information and advice from external services

What Training and Experience do our Staff have?

Learning Support Assistants (LSA) receive extensive training, empowering them to offer high quality interventions, which enhance classroom learning. Their expertise ensure they can work collaboratively with teaching staff, starting with the end in mind, allowing for the identification of student aspirations and implementation of processes which help students realise their true potential. LSAs are trained in the following areas:

- Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)
- Catch-Up Literacy and Numeracy
- Conduct Management and Restorative Justice
- Dyslexia Support
- Emotional Literacy and Self-Regulation
- Maximising the Impact of TA Support
- Mental Health First Aid
- Nurture Provisions and Boxall Profiling
- Promoting English with EAL Students
- Risk Assessments
- Safer People Handling
- Sensory and Physical Impairments
- Speech and Language Needs

Which External Services do we Work with?

To advise in the early identification of SEND, the involvement of external services may be required. To access this support, the school will obtain permission from parents/carers. In some cases, and where students are over a certain age, self-consent is required. The services we work with are listed as follows:

- Autism Outreach Service (AOS)
- CAMHS
- Connexions
- Dudley SEND
- Educational Psychology Services (EPS)
- Hearing Impairment (HI)
- Learning Support Services (LSS)
- Mental Health School Trailblazer (MHST)
- Occupational Therapy (OT)
- Physical and Sensory Impairment Services
- School Health Service
- Social Care Teams and Early Help Services
- Speech and Language Therapists (SaLT)
- The What Centre
- Visual Impairment (VI)

What Provisions Do We Offer?

To enhance QFT and meet the needs of students, it is sometimes necessary to provide short-term focused interventions. As part of our commitment to ensure the best possible outcomes for students who have SEND, or who require assistance in accessing mainstream lessons, the following support is available, dependent on suitability and assessment outcomes:

• Academic Resilience Groups (Literacy and Numeracy)
• Attendance Support Contact (Dedicated LSA)
• BTEC Clinic (KS4 students)
• Catch-Up (Literacy and Numeracy)
• Classroom Assistance (LSA allocation based on class needs)
• EAL Support Sessions
• Emotional Literacy Sessions (Restorative Practice)
• Homework Hub
• Key worker Allocation
• Nurture Provisions
• Mental Health Trailblazer Sessions
• Reintegration Programme
• SEMH Support Groups
• Social Skills Intervention

In addition to the above small group/1:1 interventions, Ellowes Hall Sports College also offer the following support, dependent upon suitability and parental/carer agreement:

• Access to laptop use if a student’s needs can be supported by this type of technology and/or it is
stated in an EHCP

• Access to reader pens, particularly in support of students with low literacy levels, diagnosed dyslexia,
and/or decreased processing speeds

• Coloured overlays for students who have been diagnosed by a specialist as having visual stress

• Online dyslexia screening, used to identify areas of need, traits, and the likelihood of possible dyslexia.
Parents/carers should be aware that this doesn’t provide a diagnosis

What Facilities can we Offer?

Although, primarily, it is our aim to support students with the deployment of QFT, we recognise, at times, students may require a temporary increased level of provision. The recently renovated Sunflower Centre provides young people with a calming and secure environment in which they are able to access a range of additional provisions. Our facilities are as follows, and access is determined after an assessment of needs:

The Green Room is a welcoming space offering a homely atmosphere for students experiencing anxiety, or are currently accessing a reintegration plan. The room compromises a kitchen, dining, seating, and classroom area. Our student centred approach is vital to the development of whole school wellbeing, and to ensure a sense of belonging, our young people have been instrumental in designing and developing the sensory wall located within the room.

The Teaching Room is large enough to support the deliverance of mainstream classes, but is primarily used for academic interventions. Decorated in calming tones, and uplifting floral wall art, we aim to ensure students feel positive about the additional provisions they access.

The Computer Room allows access to seventeen computers within the department, ensuring students who are identified as having SEND can use technology to support their learning.

The Reflection Room is suited to meet the needs of students who are identified as requiring restorative interventions. This facility is not intended for long-term provision, but allows young people the opportunity to take time out, under supervision, if they are overwhelmed during lessons, and are unable to self-regulate their behavioural patterns.