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Alder Community High School: Our Contribution to Tameside’s Local Offer.
Contact Information:
SENCO: Mrs J Bibby
SEN Support Manager: Mrs S Graham
SEN Support Manager: Miss V Heywood
SLT with responsibility for SEN: Mrs E White, Deputy Headteacher
SEN link Governor: Mrs D Wills
Address:
Alder Community High School,
Mottram Old Road,
Gee Cross, Hyde
Cheshire
SK14 5NJ
What We Do and How We Do It.
The school has no specialism in meeting the needs of children with particular Special Educational Needs; although we are able to support students with a wide range of SEND.
Students are placed on the SEND register with the status of ‘SEND Support’ (SS) if they have a specified special educational need or disability. These needs may have been identified in Primary school or within our setting. Students may also have an EHCP. A concern about a student with regards to SEN can be raised by any member of staff within the school, parents and carers or external agencies.
Students who are identified as potentially having a special educational need will then be assessed further within the school through our own assessment procedures or may be referred to an additional agency. Alder works with the following agencies:
- CLASS
- Speech and Language therapy (SALT)
- Visual Impairment Service
- Hearing Impairment Service
- Educational Psychology
- Occupational Therapy
- Physiotherapy
The SENCO has completed the National SEND Coordination award and has a Post graduate certificate in specific learning difficulties. She is also a specialist assessor for access arrangements. In our Headway support area we have a team of staff who are able to support learners with a wide variety of needs. The team includes our SEND support manager, learning mentor, family liaison worker and a team of teaching assistants who are all proficient in supporting students with a wide variety of additional needs.
How We Will Communicate with You.
A letter is sent at the start of the new academic year informing you of your child’s placement on the register and you will be regularly updated with targets/ provision and progress termly via post. Appointments can also be made to discuss progress with the SENCO or a member of the Learning Support team where necessary. EHCPs are officially reviewed annually and progress reviews may be scheduled when requested.
How We Cater for Students with SEND.
The focus of our support for students with SEND is on delivering quality first provision in the classroom. Teachers have had training on effective differentiation and are made aware of students with additional needs via the SEND register and their individual student profiles. These profiles inform teachers of the difficulties that students may face in the classroom and give them practical strategies to support them in lesson.
If it is required, additional provision may be given in our learning support centre. We focus on literacy and numeracy at key stage three but can be tailored to support other areas in key stage four. We also offer other types of intervention to suit other types of need such as: communication difficulties, specific learning difficulties, motor/ processing difficulties, speech and language difficulties or issues with fine or gross motor skills. Students may need access arrangements to help them access the curriculum across school. These can be put into place from year 7 and then are reviewed yearly until they are formally applied for at GCSE. This can take the form of additional time/ scribe/ readers in exams/ laptops as well as the other forms of differentiation.
All students at Alder study a broad and varied curriculum. Students are placed into classes based upon ability but are mixed for subjects like technology and physical education. This means that the students who are in need of additional support in literacy/ numeracy based subjects can be supported by both the class teacher and a teaching assistant.
All students have their progress reviewed termly via the school’s own reporting system and this information should be communicated via post or at parent’s evenings. Additional progress meetings may be requested at any time by parents or carers/ progress leaders or by the SEN team.
There are a range of extra-curricular activities that take place after school or at lunch time. These activities are inclusive of students with SEND.
How We Support Students with Transition.
Key Stage 2 to Key Stage 3
The Progress Leader and SENCO will arrange to meet with staff and students with SEN in May of year 6. All students are invited to two transition days and at transition evening will have the opportunity to speak to form tutors and the SENCO if necessary. Additional transition experiences may be arranged if necessary. We also run a summer school prior to students starting in September which may be available to some of our students with SEND.
Key Stage 3 to Key Stage 4
At the end of year 9 student’s progress and options will be reviewed. Pathways will be discussed with the students and parents will have a chance to speak to teachers at our options evening. If the student has a statement of special educational need, a representative from the careers team will be there to discuss post 16 options.
Key Stage 4 to Post 16
At key stage four al students attend taster days at college. They have access to careers advice via our school careers support service. We have a careers fair in year 10 and also mock interviews to support with college preparation. Colleges will meet with the SENCO and progress leaders prior to students starting after year 11.
