SEND - Special Educational Needs and Disabilities
The Assistant Head Teacher: Director of Inclusion is responsible for managing and co-ordinating the support for children with special educational needs, including those who have Education Health and Care (EHC) plans.
Special Educational Needs Information
On this page, we explain how we meet our duties towards students with special educational needs and disabilities. This reflects the information we provide to the East Sussex local offer which show the support that is available for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities in East Sussex.
We will review this information every year and will involve students through the Student Council and parents through Parent Voice Groups. If you want to give us your views about the report, please contact the School Office.
Who leads SEND provision at Gildredge House?
Our Assistant Headteacher for Inclusion is the strategic lead of SEND provision at Gildredge House and is the operational lead of secondary SEND provision. Our Assistant Head- Primary School SENCO coordinates SEND provision in this area of the school and the Assistant SENCO supports the operational processes for both primary and secondary SEND provision. These members of staff work together closely to ensure the needs of students at Gildredge House are met.
Mr Tom Addems
Assistant Head Teacher – Director of Inclusion
Mr Matt Stephens
Assistant Head of Primary & SENDCo
Miss Elizabeth Fender
Assistant SENDCo
For Primary SEND communication, please use primarySEND@gildredgehouse.org.uk and for Secondary SEND communication please use secondarySEND@gildredgehouse.org.uk
What needs are we able to support at Gildredge House?
Our school currently provides additional and/or different provision for a range of needs, including:
- Communication and interaction, for example, autistic spectrum disorder, Asperger’s Syndrome, speech and language difficulties.
- Cognition and learning, for example, dyslexia, dyspraxia.
- Social, emotional and mental health difficulties, for example, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
- Sensory and/or physical needs, for example, visual impairments, hearing impairments, processing difficulties, epilepsy.
How do we identify students with SEND and assess their needs?
We will assess each student’s current skills and levels of attainment on entry, which will build on previous settings and Key Stages, where appropriate. Class Teachers will make regular assessments of progress for all students and identify those whose progress:
- is significantly slower than that of their peers starting from the same baseline;
- fails to match or better the child’s previous rate of progress;
- fails to close the attainment gap between the child and their peers; or
- widens the attainment gap.
This may include progress in areas other than attainment, for example, social needs. Please note: slow progress and low attainment will not automatically mean a student is recorded as having SEND.
We use assessments such as Lucid Rapid and Lucid LASS to ascertain whether a student has underlying SEND.
How do we consult with and involve students and parents?
We will have an early discussion with the student and their parents when identifying whether they need special educational provision. These conversations will make sure that:
- everyone develops a good understanding of the student’s areas of strength and difficulty;
- we take into account the parents’ concerns;
- everyone understands the agreed outcomes sought for the child; and
- everyone is clear on what the next steps are.
We will formally notify parents when it is decided that a student will receive SEND support.
How do we assess the impact of SEND interventions?
We will follow the graduated approach and the four-part cycle of assess, plan, do, review.
The Class or Subject Teacher will work with the SENCO to carry out a clear analysis of the student’s needs. This will draw on:
- the teacher’s assessment and experience of the student;
- their previous progress and attainment or behaviour;
- other teachers’ assessments, where relevant;
- the individual’s development in comparison to their peers and national data;
- the views and experience of parents;
- the student’s own views; and
- advice from external support services, if relevant.
All teachers and support staff who work with the student will be made aware of their needs, the outcomes sought, the support provided, and any teaching strategies or approaches that are required. We will regularly review the effectiveness of the support and interventions and their impact on the student’s progress.
How do we support students moving between phases and preparing for adulthood?
We run a comprehensive transition programme for students joining Year 7. Students with SEND will receive additional support during this process.
Students with SEND receive additional support from our Careers Advisor when moving between Key Stage 3-4, Key Stage 4-5, and Key Stage 5 to further education.
Our PSHE curriculum focuses upon a number of topics that aim to support successful preparation for adulthood.
We share information with the schools, colleges and other settings our students move to.
What is our approach to teaching students with SEND?
Teachers are accountable for the progress and development of all the students in their class.
High-quality teaching is our first step in responding to students who have SEND. This will be differentiated for individual students.
What adaptations to the curriculum and learning environment do we make for students with SEND?
We make the following adaptations to ensure all student’s needs are met:
- differentiating our curriculum to ensure all students are able to access it, for example, by grouping, 1:1 work, content of the lesson, etc;
- a personalised curriculum, for example, allowing students with dyslexia to withdraw from Languages so they can complete targeted interventions;
- access to the Treehouse in the Primary phase, or access to the Oasis Centre in the Secondary phase;
- adapting our resources and staffing to meet students’ needs;
- using recommended aids, such as laptops, coloured overlays, visual timetables, larger font, etc; and
- differentiating our teaching, for example, giving longer processing times, pre-teaching of key vocabulary, reading instructions aloud, etc.
What additional learning is available to students?
We have a team of Teaching Assistants who provide in-class support. Some members of the team are trained to deliver specific interventions.
We work with the following agencies who provide support for students with SEND, including but not limited to:
- Child Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS)
- East Sussex Behaviour & Attendance Service (ESBAS)
- Communication Learning Autism Support Service (CLASS)
- Communication Learning Autism Support Service + (CLASS+)
- East Sussex Children’s Integrated Therapy Services (ESCITS)
- Speech and Language Therapy
- Occupational Therapy
- Educational Psychologist Service
- Alternative learning provision – Plumpton College, Sussex Downs, Cuckmere House, College Central, The Workplace
- The Virtual School
- Social Services
- East Sussex Police
- Post Adoption Service
- Early Help team
How do we evaluate the effectiveness of our SEND provision?
We evaluate the effectiveness of provision for students with SEND by:
- reviewing students’ individual progress towards their goals each term;
- reviewing the impact of interventions at regular intervals;
- Student Voice;
- monitoring by the SENCO;
- using provision maps to measure progress; and
- holding Annual Reviews for students with EHC plans.
How do we support students with SEND to engage in the wider school community?
All of our extra-curricular activities and school visits are available to all our students, including our before and after-school clubs.
All students are encouraged to participate in residential trips.
All students are encouraged to take part in Sports Day / school plays / special workshops.
No student is ever excluded from taking part in these activities because of their SEND or disability.
How do we support the emotional wellbeing of students at Gildredge House?
In addition to each student’s Class Teacher / Form Tutor and Phase Leader / Head of Year providing daily support, we meet the wellbeing needs of our students in a number of ways. For example:
- access to our onsite Place2Be counselling service;
- Emotional Literacy Support Assistants;
- Pastoral Support Advisors;
- Oasis Centre Coordinator
- Gateway Coordinator; and
- Behaviour Coordinator.
We have a zero-tolerance approach to bullying.
Which outside agencies do we work with?
As detailed above, we work with a range of outside agencies to support our students.
How do I make a complaint about SEND provision?
Complaints about SEND provision in our school should be made to the Assistant Head Teacher, Director of Inclusion, in the first instance. They will then be referred to the school’s Complaints Policy and Procedure.
The parents of students with disabilities have the right to make disability discrimination claims to the first-tier SEND tribunal if they believe that our school has discriminated against their children. They can make a claim about alleged discrimination regarding:
- exclusions;
- provision of education and associated services; and
- making reasonable adjustments, including the provision of auxiliary aids and services.
What support services are available for parents of students with SEND?
Please follow the link below for details of support provided by the local authority for parents of students with SEND:
East Sussex County Council special needs and disability local offer
For parents and members of the GRT community in East Sussex: