SEND

My child has difficulties with learning and literacy

Learning and Literacy

This can include:

  • Difficulties with reading and spelling
  • Learning and processing information
  • Working with numbers
  • Working memory
  • Concentration
  • Students may have conditions such as Specific Learning Difficulties, dyslexia, general learning difficulties, ASD, ADD /ADHD
  • Students may present with difficulties that do not have a specific title.

What can we offer?

Blackbrook St Mary’s can provide:

  • Quality First teaching with appropriate differentiation in line with best practice.
  • Visual aids to support key vocabulary, concepts and themes.
  • Workstations and small group focussed teaching.
  • Support with homework
  • Daily reading support and appropriate support programmes such as Read Write Inc  Boosters, Fresh Start, Attack Spelling and Beat Dyslexia
  • Access St Helens’ Literacy Support Service and Educational Psychology Service.
  • A committed and caring staff who want to support and inspire children to reach their full potential
My child has difficulties with speech, language and social communication

Sensory and/or physical needs

What if my child has sensory and/or physical needs?

This can include:

  • Understanding language and processing information
  • Using language, difficulties with expressive language.
  • Problems with the clarity of their speech
  • Understanding how to communicate socially with other people.
  • Stammering  and fluency of language
  • Conditions include: Specific Language Disorder, ASD,  speech sound disorders and delay.

What can we offer?

  • Blackbrook St Mary’s can provide:
  • Quality First teaching with appropriate differentiation in line with best practice.
  • A language rich learning environment where adults act as good role models for language.
  • Early intervention for pupils with language difficulties through ‘Speech link’ and Chatterbox programmes.
  • Positive Interaction Groups to support social communication
  • Access to support services Speech and Language Therapy Services, St Helens Neurodevelopmental Pathway
  • A committed and caring staff who want to support and inspire children to reach their full potential.

Support may include:

  • Chatterbox / Speech Link programmes to support early language development
  • Delivery of specialist programmes of work provided by Speech and Language Therapy Services.
  • Listening skills programmes and use of visual cues and timetables
  • Use of specific communication aids such as PECs
  • Positive Interaction Groups to support social communication.
  • Social Communication Programmes such as ‘Ginger Bear’ and ‘Circle of Friends’
  • Social Story Work
My child has difficulties with social and emotional health

Social, emotional health or mental health

This section includes all those young people who experience short but significant periods of high anxiety, stress, distress or anger that affect their education.

It also includes young people who have a range of longer-term recognised mental health conditions.

For both groups, issues can include:

  • Forming and maintaining relationships
  • Bereavement
  • Attitudes to learning
  • Attendance
  • Self-esteem
  • Life outside school

What can we offer?

Blackbrook St Mary’s can provide:

  • Quality First teaching with appropriate differentiation (including best SEND practice)
  • Work stations and small group support
  • Access to homework support clubs.
  • Learning mentor and pastoral team support.
  • Access to assessment for identification of significant needs.
  • Whole School  Reward System.
  • Whole school policy for behaviour management with graduated response.
  • Key Stage and Year Group  transition support.
  • Targeted programmes  to support,  ‘Happy to be me’,
  • Anti-bullying policy.

Targeted support for small groups may include:

  • Breakfast club.
  • Transition support.
  • Positive Interaction Groups and Circle Time.
  • Talking Chairs ‘drop in’ area
  • Worry Boxes
  • Intervention groups (all years)- behaviour/social skills/self-esteem/ anger management.
  • In-class support in some lessons

Support for individual students may include:

  • 1:1 mentoring.
  • Counselling.
  • Outside agency input (e.g. Educational Psychologist, Targeted Youth Support, Early Help Hounslow, CAMHS, Hounslow Early Intervention Service.
  • BIT (Behaviour Improvement Team) and In-class support for students at risk of exclusion.
  • Personal Support Plan- support for students at risk of permanent exclusion.
  • Support from Health and Social Care team/ school nurse.
  • Looked After Children PEPs and support
My child has sensory and / or physical needs

This section covers students who have difficulties with:

  • Vision
  • Hearing
  • Gross motor co-ordination
  • Fine motor co-ordination
  • Independence in organising themselves
  • It includes conditions such as cerebral palsy, hypermobility, physical injury, dyspraxia

What can we offer?

Blackbrook St Mary’s can provide:

  • Quality First teaching with appropriate differentiation in line with best practice
  • Visual aids such as enlarged text to support basic skills , concepts and topic work.
  • Carpeted classrooms to support children with hearing difficulties.
  • School adheres to guidelines on physical access and is fully accessible to wheelchairs.
  • Access to support services School Nursing Team, Occupational Therapy, Children’s Disability Team, Physiotherapy.
  • A committed and caring staff who want to support and inspire children to reach their full potential.

Support may include:

  • Medical Care Plans.
  • Handwriting /fine motor/keyboard skills training ( In Sync Programme).
  • Developmental Movement Play sessions.
  • Meetings and in school support from the school nurse.
  • Access to assistive technology, lap tops,  software,  and IPod applications.
  • Access to teaching assistant support.
  • Personalised  and group provision plans
  • 1:1 Outside Agency support from appropriate agencies
  • Targeted  teacher and TA support for complex medical needs, including practical support.
  • Exam Access Arrangements.

Autism in St Helens

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Chain Lane, Blackbrook, St. Helens, Merseyside WA11 9QY