Our SEND Provision

We understand that applying to a new school is a big undertaking, and can feel especially daunting if your child has a special educational need or disability (SEND). 

We use a range of methods to identify barriers to learning. Referrals can be made from teachers, parents or pupils themselves or may arise from our termly systematic review of data.

We screen all pupils for SEND in Year 7, 9 and 12 and if possible needs are found we invite families to discuss the next steps. 

Mainstream SEND Offer
Our school is committed to providing an inclusive education where all pupils, including those with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND), can thrive. The mainstream SEND offer ensures that pupils receive high-quality teaching tailored to their individual needs. 

The Orchard – Specialist Resource Provision (SRP) for Pupils with Speech, Language and Communication Needs (SLCN)
The Orchard is our dedicated SRP designed for pupils whose primary need is Speech, Language and Communication. It provides a highly structured and language-rich environment where pupils can develop communication skills alongside academic learning. Key features include:

• Specialist Teaching: Delivered by teachers with expertise in SLCN, supported by Speech and Language Therapists.
• Integrated Approach: Therapy embedded within the school day, ensuring language targets are reinforced across all activities.
• Small Group Learning: Low pupil-to-staff ratios to maximise individual attention and progress.
• Mainstream Inclusion: Pupils access mainstream classes for appropriate subjects, supported by SRP staff to promote social integration and curriculum access.
• Family Partnership: Regular communication and workshops for parents to support language development at home.

The Orchard aims to enable pupils to achieve their potential academically and socially, preparing them for successful reintegration into full mainstream education where appropriate.

Our Approach to SEND support

There are four areas of need: cognition and learning, language and communication, social, emotional and mental health and finally sensory and physical impairment. All these needs are met through universal, targeted and at times specialist provision as described below. 

We meet the needs of these pupils through three layers: 

Universal

We are all teachers of SEND. We work hard to  ensure all lessons are accessible for all.  Great teaching for SEND pupils is great teaching for all pupils. All teachers are trained in evidence based strategies such as chunking of information, clear instructions and explicit vocabulary teaching through the 6 step process. Pupils get a consistent approach to their learning across the school. 

All pupils identified as SEND have a Pupil Passport. The Pupil Passport provides key background information as well as 3 or 4 key strategies which will help the student access learning in the classroom. We expect all teachers to read these and use within their planning. 

Universal also includes: 

• Consistent Expectations and Routines make our school a calm and predictable place to learn, supporting pupils with a range of needs to access learning well.  
• Excellent teaching: All our teachers are trained to support the wide variety of needs a class might have. Differentiated lessons, visual supports, and scaffolding strategies to enable access to the curriculum.
• A structured personal development curriculum which covers the compulsory RSE curriculum and encourages pupils to find their place in the school, local community and global community 
• Clear behaviour policy consistently used across school 
• Breakfast clubs and enrichment for all

Targeted

If a student needs further support, we can put in place targeted provision. There are a number of ways this can be done. At the moment some of these include:

• 1-1 Teaching assistants where needed/stated on EHCP.
• Alternative timetables for pupils who struggle to stay within the classroom for the whole day  
• 1-1 or small group interventions
• Fresh Start curriculum for those with a reading age under 9 years in years 7, 8 and 9 
• Social stories intervention where social communication development is needed 
• Training related to specific needs e.g. epilepsy 
• Transport arranged for some of our pupils 
• Risk assessments for pupils with needs that may pose a risk to themselves or others written by adults with knowledge of needs  
• Place2Be mental health support
• Access Arrangements from Summer term year 9 for assessments and exams including extra time, readers, rest breaks or scribes 
• Inclusive Environment: Adaptations to classroom layout, resources, and teaching approaches to remove barriers to learning.
• Support from the Learning and Wellbeing team in lessons, through interventions and at break and lunch time.

Specialist

This includes specialist care and external agency support. For example: 

• Nurse in school to administer medication to our SEND pupils when needed 
• Specialist 1-1 intimate care for our pupils who need this 
• Multi-agency communications with agencies such as Educational Psychologist, Autism Specialist Team, Pupil Support Services and previous schools  
• Regular reviews with external agencies including Team Around Child and Annual Review meetings 
• Risk assessments for pupils with needs that may pose a risk to themselves or others 

If a parent has any concerns regarding their child and existing or possible SEND needs they are encouraged to contact Beth Bailey, AP Inclusion b.bailey@arkacton.org

Our approach aligns with the SEND Code of Practice and the graduated response model: Assess – Plan – Do – Review.