Curriculum Support (Special Educational Needs)
The Curriculum Support Department works in all the subject areas at both Key Stage 3 and 4 in a variety of ways in order to provide the extra help and support some pupils may need to access the National Curriculum.
A team of Teaching Assistants work in-class to support pupils who have a wide range of special educational needs including difficulties with literacy, numeracy, behaviour, speech and language, specific learning difficulties (SpLD), co-ordination, hearing impairment and English as a second language.
Support staff also work with both individual pupils and small groups at various clubs and support groups.
A number of intervention programmes are run by the Curriculum Support Department besides the above mentioned clubs and support groups and include an intensive reading programme (aimed at increasing the reading and spelling skills of pupils with a reading age of below 8 years), Lexia and Successmaker which are individualised computer programmes aimed at raising levels in reading and spelling.
Pupils placed on the SEN register at School Action are monitored via a profiling system. Those at School Action Plus or have a statement of special educational needs all have an Individual Education Plan (IEP) drawn up with specific targets and strategies to meet pupils needs. These are reviewed and monitored on a termly basis and information is shared with staff, parents and pupils to ensure we are giving the pupils the best help possible.
Dyke House Sports and Technology College has strong links with its primary feeder schools. Support staff work in-class with Y6 pupils and the SENCO attends Y6 SEN review meetings. This helps to make the move from primary to secondary school as smooth as possible for pupils making the transition.
The ‘Inclusion Project’ also exists to include more pupils from special schools into a mainstream setting through close liaison between mainstream and special schools.
Specialist assistance is provided by outside agencies including The Educational Psychologist, Speech and Language Services, Hearing Impaired Service, Education Other Than at School (EOTAS), Youth Services, The Children’s Fund, English as a Second Language Service and The Connexions Service amongst others.
The school operates an open-door policy and this also applies to the Curriculum Support Department, so parents are welcome to come in to school to discuss any issue with the SENCO.
The SEN policy is an integral part of the whole school teaching and learning policy, which promotes equal opportunities for all pupils within the school regardless of race, gender, ability, or social and economic background.
The school aims to enhance the learning opportunities for all pupils thereby enabling them to realise their full potential within the school. We further aim to encourage feelings of worth and to develop the self-esteem of pupils and so enable them to have the confidence to explore and appreciate the feelings and values of others.
Disability Provision
The school is an inclusive community which makes strenuous efforts to comply with, and exceed, the requirements of the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA). All pupils of the school are able to fully access the National Curriculum. Community users have access to all the resources on offer where and when appropriate. Facilities are in place to ensure physical access around the building.
SEN Objective
We seek to:
- Improve standards of achievement of pupils by raising their expectations, and what is expected of them.
- Enable all pupils to achieve higher scores in examination results.
- Develop sustainable and appropriate vocational courses for SEN pupils.
- Develop methods of monitoring existing links with parents, especially parents of pupils with SEN, by creating a partnership with the parents in line with the Code of Practice.
- Encourage and maintain links with special schools in the immediate and wider community.
- Assess, monitor and evaluate the needs of SEN pupils by implementing a 3-stage procedure in line with the Code of Practice.
- Provide opportunities for the development of literacy and numeracy skills.
- Continue to work with external support agencies for the benefit of SEN pupils
- Provide training in SEN for staff in the school.
- Include pupils, whenever possible, from special schools as part of an on-going inclusion project.
- Provide educational opportunities for pupils at risk of exclusion or of excluding themselves.
