There are four main types of SEND. Some students with SEND will have needs which overlap into several areas, However, we do categorise their most significant need as being their primary area of concern.
Communication and Interaction
- Difficulty in ignoring distractions
- May require prompts to stay on task
- Friendships may be fragile or may find social relationships and conversational norms difficult to maintain.
- Language processing difficulty
- Speech and Language- may require Speech Therapy
Cognition and Learning
Cognition= Thinking/processing information
- Students may find it difficult to remember what they have learnt
- Memory and organisational skills
- Understanding of number and problem-solving
- Fine and gross motor skills
- Decision making and information processing
Social, Mental and Emotional Health
Students may experience depression or low self-esteem
- Isolation
- Attention disorders
- Attachment disorder
- Issues with self image
Sensory and/or Physical Need:
Students have a medical need or genetic condition that will need extra support and a sensitive approach within school
- Examples:
- Hearing Impairment (HI)
- Visual Impairment (VI)
- Physical needs and Disability (PD)
- Sensitivity to light, noise, food/ chemical allergies
- Self care and help with personal hygiene routines
BEHAVIOUR is not a category of SEN; behaviour is an outcome of an underlying condition or emotion. We have to look for a cause in order to respond effectively to any challenging behaviours.
How do we identify students with additional needs?
Effective assessment is key to identifying potential areas of need. The assessments carried out are scrutinised every term and we use many powerful analytical tools in order to gain the most information from our data (packages such as SIMS and 4Matrix)
A supportive pastoral care system where students have the same tutor for five years means that we get to know our students as individuals. We hold the value that everyone is precious in God’s eyes and we strive to treat every student as a unique and valued member of our community.
Regular meetings of pastoral care staff and academic reviews ensure that we can rigorously review the progress of our students.
A commitment to “stretch and challenge” all students, irrespective of ability. They work at a level which is appropriate for them
We value our students own ideas and opinions and value their observations and suggestions.
