Our School

Students with additional needs are supported in a variety of ways to ensure they have equal and equitable opportunities to participate, engage and succeed in all aspects of school life. This includes making excellent academic progress, develop key life-skills and support to enjoy extra-curricular activities. We will achieve this by making reasonable adjustments to teaching, the curriculum and the school environment.

We work closely with both school-based and external colleagues from local and national agencies to ensure access to support services is in place if required.

High quality teaching, tailored to the needs of our students, enables positive outcomes. However, for students with special educational needs or disabilities, additional planning, provision and tracking of progress will be put in place. We follow the “Assess, Plan, Do, Review” cycle set out within the SEN Code of Practice to ensure that any special educational needs are met appropriately allowing our students to excel.

Additional needs are identified in school through induction processes, data analysis, screeners, academic assessments, observations and liaising with other professionals.

Our school SEND policy and information report can be found here

Collaboration

We believe that provision for students with SEND should be a co-production between the school, the dual registered school (if applicable), parents/carers and the student. Communication between all stakeholders is imperative and we fully recognise the expertise parents/carers offer in relation to their own children. Provision of a supportive learning environment is fundamental in enabling students to make excellent progress, both academically and holistically.

For students with Education & Health Care Plans, review meetings take place annually, in accordance with the Code of Practice, wherein the young person and their parent/carer are fully involved in discussions and decisions about the support and resources the young person needs. Individual learning plan reviews-. take place three times a year, at the beginning of each term. Parents/carers do not have to wait for an annual review to discuss their child’s needs and/or progress.

Parents/carers are welcome to contact the SENDCos at any time throughout the school year.

Provision

We offer a significant range of additional provision and can tailor our approach to meet the needs of individuals by providing personalised support and bespoke resourcing where required.

Our offer includes:

  • Access to some one-to-one support in lessons
  • Access to some small groups across the curriculum
  • Appropriate adaptations to the school curriculum
  • Access to additional English and Maths at KS4
  • Access to the following interventions: Talkabout, Lego Therapy, Zones of Regulation, Narrative Therapy, Life skills
  • Access to personal mentoring, well-being support and counselling
  • Screening for dyslexic/dyscalculic tendencies
  • Focused maths and/or literacy support for KS2, KS3 and KS4
  • Whole staff training on particular SEND issues
  • Progress Support Worker (PSW) training on particular SEND issues
  • Access to family therapy, counselling, youth workers or mentoring via EHA process
  • Support at times of transition (KS2-KS3, KS4-KS5, change of educational placement) with additional visits, meeting with parents, liaison with key staff, PSW support during Year 6 New Intake, 16+ support to visit 16+ providers.
  • Social time support during break and lunch

Students’ who have an Education Health and Care Plan (EHCP) are educated in small teaching groups depending on the complexity of their need as indicated in their EHCP. Their EHCP also outlines the resources, teaching and learning programmes and multi-agency involvement. All students follow a broad and balanced curriculum which is adapted to their needs to ensure high levels of interest and engagement, with personalised learning, differentiated to enable them to make progress.

Accessibility

Our accessibility statement can be found here

Staff

At The Harbour School, all teachers are supported in meeting the needs of students with SEND; receiving regular CPD in areas such as ADHD, autism, dyslexia friendly classrooms and children in care. Specialist teams also deliver staff training in visual impairments, hearing impairments, specific medical needs and in speech, language and communication needs.

In addition to high quality teaching, we have a team of pupil support workers (PSW) who work with our students on a daily basis through interventions, in lesson support and social time. The PSWs are a highly trained team offering expertise in areas such as literacy, maths, SEMH, autism and mental health.

Further Information