Special Educational Needs and Disabilities
The Special Educational Needs (SEND) department at the Kings School
is made up of Learning Support Assistants (LSAs), Inclusion Mentors,
and headed up by the Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator (SENCo).
The SEND department is committed to supporting all individuals in
ways which are appropriate to their own needs. This provision is
regularly monitored with the students themselves, parents/carers and
partner agencies. This is all delivered in line with the Kings School
Special Educational Needs and Disability Policy.
Support for students is provided in the form of:
• Supporting individuals through key stage transitions
• Additional support for literacy and numeracy
• One to one classroom support
• One to one and group basic skill and/or social skill development
session
• Identifying and supporting opportunities for work placements
• Supporting individuals’ access arrangements for examinations
The SEND department also works in a wider context, supporting staff
working with challenging groups, and to advise on the differentiation
of work for SEND students.
The aims of this department are:
• To support students with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities
to access mainstream education in an inclusive environment
• To advise and support staff in working with student with Special
Educational Needs and Disabilities including differentiation of work
• To work strategically with individuals to achieve their full academic
potential
• To work in partnership with families, agencies and organisation to
ensure the best support for individual students

QUALITY OF PROVISION
Special Educational Needs In Mainstream School
Special Educational Needs currently
represented in mainstream schools
 Severe Learning Difficulties (SLD)

Moderate Learning Difficulties
(MLD)
Examples of support routinely provided for
SEN pupils
 Teaching Assistant (TA)/ Learning
Support Assistant (LSA) support (1-1)

National literacy Strategy (NLS)
programmes 2nd and 3rd wave. (Early
Literacy Support (ELS), Additional
Literacy Support (ALS), Further Literacy
Support (FLS), etc).

Other Teaching Assistant (TA) support
(small group)

Learning Mentors

Special support units

Adaptation of the curriculum

Disapplication of whole/part of
curriculum

Specific Learning Difficulties
(SpLD)

Emotional & Behavioural
Difficulties (EBD)

Hearing Impairment (HI)

Visual Impairment (VI)

Physical Disability (PD)

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)

Autism (AUT)

Asperger’s Syndrome (ASP)

Use of ICT

Medical

Differentiation of task

Speech and Language

Preparation of material

Communication

Peer support

Combinations of the above

Withdrawal

Possibly Profound & Multiple
Learning Difficulties (PMLD)

Specialist equipment

Specialised programmes

Specialist teachers

Visual timetables

Communication books

Signing, Makaton, British Sign Language
(BSL)
Key Areas of SEN Support
At King’s, the number of pupils with Special Educational Needs is growing. While all of the
above needs may be supported by the SEND department, here are some particular needs
which we support regularly. For further details on, and guidelines for differentiating work
for particular conditions, please look in the Training folder, accessed via the SEND
department file in the staff shared area of the computer network.
Emotional and Behavioural Difficulties



Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD)
Mental Health issues
Students identified as having Emotional and Behavioural Difficulties (EBD) would normally
be supported from the Notional SEN budget and access support in the classroom, from the
use of IT, differentiated work or general classroom support from an LSA. Staff will be able to
access strategies for individual pupils from a Pupil profile and Individual Education Plans. In
exceptional circumstances, a pupil may be issued with a statement to provide individual
support within the classroom. An example of EBD would be ADHD – this is a condition which
typically is observable before the age of seven. The main features are; difficulties in
concentration, task completion, hyperactivity and impulsive behaviour. Pupils with severe
emotional needs can referred to CAMHS via Joint Consultation Meetings or referred to the
school’s Intervention Team with access to Business Mentors, Peer mentors and counsellors.
Learning Difficulties (Severe, Moderate, Specific)






Downs Syndrome
Dyspraxia
Dyscalculia
Dyslexia
Kleinfelter’s Syndrome
Global Developmental Delay
Students identified as having Severe Learning Difficulties will experience issues in every
aspect of a mainstream education and as a result, they will have a Statement of Special
Educational Needs. This will highlight particular areas of need where the student will need
one to one support in lessons to address their Learning Needs. There is a dedicated area
within the SEND department which is a teaching base to underpin basic Literacy, Numeracy
and Lifeskills which works in partnership with the mainstream curriculum.
Students with Specific Learning Difficulties, who are not statemented, are usually placed on
School Action Plus on the SEND register and are supported with resources, ICT,
differentiated materials, Pupil profiles, Individual Education Plan and sometimes withdrawn
for extra literacy or maths lessons. INSET has been delivered to the whole school staff,
training to develop internal expertise with Dyslexia undertaken, resources provided by the
SEND department and visual prompts for classrooms issued. The development of a Literacy
coordinator, Literacy Mentors and a dedicated area alongside further cross curriculum
training is having a positive effect in raising pupils’ reading ages and hence attainment.
Speech Language and Communication Difficulties
 Autistic Spectrum Disorder
 Aspergers Syndrome
 Communication difficulties
 Tourette’s Syndrome
This cohort of pupils may have a statement to support their needs in the classroom or may
be supported by group or peer intervention. Pupil Profiles identify the impact of each pupil’s
individual difficulty, pointing out specific triggers and methods of learning. Previously staff
have accessed whole school training and resources are available on the Shared area. School
continue to work with the Communication, Interaction and Access team (CIAT) to deliver
bespoke training to the SEND team, work with individuals and observe lessons. This year we
have provided a weekly Social Skills group in partnership with CIAT and now is led by
members of the SEND team. The department also provides Social time in our daily Breakfast
Club and a base for breaks and lunchtime with staff on hand to supervise activities such as
board games, Wii activities and access to other computer games.
Physical/Medical Disabilities




Hearing Impairment
Visual Impairment
Speech and Language
Medical
The school works with the appropriate LA team to support each pupil with the appropriate
team and resources. Some pupils require on going support from the Occupational Therapy
Service and Physiotherapy Team and risk assessments and care plans are dawn up. As a
result some pupils will require additional support with their self care skills and moving
around the campus. Additional resources are provided in school as required and are
highlighted in the Pupil Profile. King’s School has an established record of entering teams in
all Disability Sports events locally with resounding successes.
SEND Provision
The Inclusion Base
H6 on the Humanities corridor and the Foundation Learning Building are the bases for
students who cannot be in the classroom for a variety of reasons.
The Foundation Learning Building is primarily used for those pupils who require additional
Literacy support and where the early morning Literacy Reading Club takes place.
H6 is used for the pupils with identified needs which require intensive support for specific
withdrawal sessions. These pupils will work one to one or in small groups and will follow a
dedicated learning programme to their needs. They also have access to ICT, which have a
variety of learning programmes installed on them. Students may only access this area with
prior arrangement with the SEND team. It is not used as part of PD sanctions unless
previously agreed for individual students or accompanied by a member of the SEND
department.
Both areas can accommodate pupils who have Emotional and Behavioural Issues. This may
include arrangements for students using a Time Out Card, students who have completed or
dropped a subject and use these lesson times for extra literacy lessons, extra study and/ or
skill development, students in Isolation who would not cope emotionally with being in the
main Isolation room.
The Learning Centre
This room is fitted with ICT equipment, and stocked with the resources needed to support
SEND students with their learning. The room is a quiet environment for students to work in
who, for a variety of reasons, are struggling to learn in particular classroom environments,
and will benefit from having access to specialised resources and equipment.
Youth Award Scheme
The Youth Award Scheme encapsulates the ASDAN Award programmes, i.e. Bronze Award,
Silver Challenge Award, Forestry School and offsite learning opportunities. It is delivered by
Inclusion Mentors and includes the BTEC Level 2 certificate in Awareness of the Fire Service
in the Community. This is run by the West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service from Castleford
Fire Station. The Scheme is for less academic students who are more practically minded. In
partnership with Featherstone Rovers and Featherstone Study Centre; Students also attend
a six week healthy eating course. There are also many close links with the local community
which offer pupils further learning opportunities outside the classroom.
Withdrawal Groups
These small groups run from the Foundation learning building or H6, depending on the
groups’ difficulties and are delivered by an Inclusion Mentor, a member of the Literacy
Intervention team or an LSA. Students identified for this group are withdrawn from
timetabled lessons to develop basic skills; mostly improving numeracy and literacy.
Literacy Reading Club
Literacy club runs during morning registration. It is targeted towards Key Stage 3 pupils who
need additional support with reading. Pupils from KS4 are encouraged to join in a shared
peer reading program and staff is also on hand to work with individual pupils.
Social Skills Groups
Another small group session, this is for students identified as struggling with social
interaction. The young people are withdrawn from timetabled lessons to work on improving
skills needed for social interaction, building friendships, citizenship etc.
Examination Access Arrangements.
Staff are encouraged to forward any concern regarding an individual pupil who may require
additional support, especially if it will impair their attainment outcomes in examination. The
assistant SENCO regularly updates staff with strategies following any concern and oversees
all testing arrangements which may be required to determine whether a pupil needs further
support in examinations. These arrangements are now placed on the SEND Register.
Partnerships
In our commitment to quality of service to our SEND students, we feel it is important to
access the wide range of opportunities available not just from educational and well being
partners (both statutory and voluntary), but from organisations, projects and businesses
within the community. This supports our department’s ethos around the holistic well being
of the students we work with. We also work closely with all SEND staff within the Pontefract
Academies Trust, having initialised pyramid meetings following the joint Trust Inset.
Positive Discipline and Behaviour Management
Stamps and Credits
Stamps are awarded for effort and high attainment in their work, both in lessons and in SEN
areas. They are also awarded for good behaviour in lessons and around school, in order to
motivate the less able & middle ability pupils as well as the more able.
The credit system operated by the SEND department is that pupils need to gain 3
department stamps in their planners in order to be awarded a department credit.
When a pupil gains 6 departmental credits they will be awarded a departmental postcard.
Stamps can be given by any member of SEND staff. Credits are logged by members of the
SEND team.
Sanctions
The SEND department will aim to follow the guidelines as laid out in the PD policy. SEND
staff members can give warnings and comments in agreement with the subject teacher who
will then log the comment for that subject. Around school comments will be logged by the
tutor and monitored by the Year Achievement Leader. Any sanction which is serious enough
to warrant a period of isolation is discussed with the Isolation team to ensure that it is
appropriate to the needs of the pupil. Sessions can be individual lessons with access to a
mentor or bespoke sessions within the SEND area.
January 2014