SENCO – Mrs Moore

Identification of pupils with Special Needs.

The school has a policy on Special Educational Needs. Its purpose to increase the likelihood that children with special needs in the school will learn, make progress and grow in confidence in their own abilities.

Pupils who are thought to have difficulties are identified and assessed as early and as thoroughly as is possible and necessary. Referrals can come from several sources.

1. Information from Primary Schools
2. Following diagnostic testing
3. Pupils request
4. Parental request
5. Subject teacher request

The process begins through liaison with our feeder Primary Schools. Pupils with Special Educational Needs are identified and discussed. All staff are made aware of the strengths and weaknesses of these pupils.

At Drumglass High School we provide a wide range of support and provision for pupils with learning difficulties.

• We believe in developing teaching and learning styles most appropriate to the pupil’s needs and abilities.
• We also supply withdrawal support or in-class support for individual pupils or small groups of pupils for both literacy and numeracy.
• We support a multi-disciplinary approach to maximise the educational provision for SEN pupils.
• Peripatetic Support.
• We believe that both pupil and parental support is essential to the implementation of Individual Education Plans (IEP’s). Pupils are encouraged to be involved in the setting of targets and their review in a supportive environment.
• In the SEN Department we strive to make learning a fun experience. We use differentiated teaching and learning approaches, games, the use of audio-visual equipment and a variety of ICT resources to help improve our pupil’s literacy and self-esteem.
• 'OILS' – A computer based open managed learning system that identifies a pupil’s literacy difficulties and creates a series of fun activities on computer to help improve literacy levels.

At Drumglass High School we have a dedicated team of both teacher and learning assistants. We believe in and actively seek to ensure equality of opportunity for all, through inclusive education in a mainstream setting. Therefore we are committed to providing pupils with additional needs, a broad, balanced, relevant and where appropriate a differentiated educational experience to allow for the full range of capabilities, talents and interests. We encourage all pupils to follow as many GCSE subjects as possible and have a built in vocational programme for those pupils whom we believe would most benefit from the learning assistants.

Rationale

• The SEN Departments rationale is to facilitate the equality and inclusion of ALL pupils in a mainstream setting.
• Drumglass High School is dedicated to promoting and rewarding the success of all of its pupils.

Aims of the SEN Department

• To identify, assess and intervene to promote the learning needs of all pupils.
• To provide additional support for pupils in furtherance of target setting.
• To increase differentiation so that all pupils have access to a broad and balanced curriculum.
• To promote confidence and self-esteem among all pupils.

English as a second Language.

Drumglass High School has a growing number of ethnic minority pupils for whom English is a second language. Support is provided for these pupils through our Polish classroom assistant who helps develop their use and understanding of the English language.