Learning Support

 

SEN/LEARNING SUPPORT DEPARTMENT

Students with special educational needs at Allerton Grange will initially have their needs assessed by the SEN/Learning Support Department.  These will be met in an inclusive an environment as possible.  The SEN/Learning Support Department is based in FF corridor and comprises a Curriculum Leader for SEN, a Deputy Curriculum Leader, a specialist teacher and a teaching assistant team with a HLTA as team leader.

The SEN/Learning Support team is responsible for the day-to-day operation of the SEN policy.  It co-ordinates the extra support and provision for students with statements of special educational needs, as well as aiding the support and provision for students at School Action or School Action Plus.

The SEN/Learning Support Department offers a range of services throughout the school covering all faculties as well as more specialised support in the base area.  These include: 

• Advising on interventions, teaching strategies and resources for SEN.
• Deployment of Teaching Assistants (TAs) within school to support individual needs.
• Delivery of individual programmes for selected students as well as organising small group sessions to aid further development in literacy, numeracy and social skills.
• Assessing and providing the access arrangements for exams for students with special educational needs.
• Provision of a dinnertime club for selected students.
• Liaising with outside agencies.

The TA Role

Teaching Assistants work under the direction of a teacher to provide support for students with a wide variety of learning, emotional and behavioural difficulties.  They may work on a one-to-one basis with individual pupils, with a small group of students or provide a pair of extra eyes, ears and hands to assist the teacher with a class as a whole.

At present there are approximately 16 Teaching Assistants with a generic role in the Inclusion Department.  They work with a wide range of students and can be mines of information about pupils as they see them in a variety of situations.

The Line Manager is the Inclusion HLTA who co-ordinates the timetables and in-class support and to whom you can speak initially if you have any concerns about support for a student or class.

STUDENT SUPPORT CENTRE

The student support centre offers programmes for identified students to access learning in the classroom by:

• Offering programmes for identified areas of concern
• Learning and practising key social skills.
• Developing emotional skills
• Increasing attendance
• Improving relationships with peers and adults.

We offer the following alternative programmes of work:

• Social skills
• Anger management
• Resolving conflict
• Strategies for motivation
• Building Self esteem
• Friendship group
• Organisational skills
• Identity and stereotypes
• Preventing exclusion
• Addressing bullying - victims and perpetrators
• Numeracy and literacy
• Learning styles

Short term placements of two weeks full time maximum are offered.  Alternatively a programme of sessions within the students timetable may be arranged.

Programmes of work are delivered by the same team of staff as continuity and consistency is vital for optimum success.

Managed by the Student Support Leader and supported by two Teaching Assistants, the Student Support Centre also has teaching input from specialist teachers.