SEND Information

The Student Support team, at Jesmond Park Academy is fully inclusive and aims to help every child and young person to reach their full potential. We recognise the need for a full range of educational and pastoral support and aim to help children and young people, with special educational needs and disabilities, in order for them to make the same good levels of progress as achieved by other pupils. We believe in an ethos where children and young people of all backgrounds and cultures are welcomed and valued and where pupils are supported, effectively, to make the very best progress that they can. We aim to remove barriers to learning and participation and to promote the development of children and young people as confident and independent learners. We understand and acknowledge that children and young people have individual educational needs and require personalised strategies for learning and participation and benefit from a range of different teaching approaches and experiences and we will endeavour to meet these individual needs.

Outlined below are details of the support packages we offer to our children and young people with additional needs. Other useful documents, such as our SEN and Disability Policy and Accessibility Plan, give further SEN information and can be found on the Jesmond Park Academy website. If you require any further details, about the support that we can offer, then please do not hesitate to contact the SENDCO (Claire Munro) or the Assistant SENDCO (Jaime Watson) at Jesmond Park Academy on 0191 2818486 or cmunro@jesmondparkacademy.org.uk

The information below outlines the number of SEND students in attendance at Jesmond Park Academy during the current academic year (2023 – 24).

Year	K (SEN Support)	K (SEN Support) % of YG	EHCP	EHCP % of YG	SEN Total	Year Group totals	SEN % Year Group
7	35	10%	13	4%	48	351	14%
8	31	9%	8	2%	39	335	12%
9	45	13%	7	2%	52	336	15%
10	23	7%	5	1.5%	28	331	8%
11	36	12%	4	1%	40	310	13%
			KS3 & 4 SUB TOTAL
12	16	8%	1	0.5%	17	209	8%
13	12	7%	1	0.5%	13	172	8%
TOTAL	198	10%	39	2%	237	2044	12%

For all children and young people at Jesmond Park Academy who have an additional need:

• Each child will be assigned a ‘Key Worker’ member of staff to help monitor their progress and wellbeing.

• We involve the child or young person in preparing a One Page Profile to be shared with all teaching staff.

• We work in partnership with parents and carers as we recognise and value the expert role which families play in their children’s lives.

• We set clear targets and needs-based plans for children and young people.

• We deliver high quality teaching, adapting resources to support access to learning and to promote progress.

• We seek support and advice from a range of outside agencies such as SENDOS, Educational Psychology Service, CYPS, Speech and Language Therapy, School Health etc to ensure that barriers to success are fully identified and responded to.

• We operate a graduated response based upon need: Assess, Plan, Do, Review.

• Lessons are as inclusive as possible with adjustments made depending on need.

• We attempt to offer bespoke Curriculum Pathways which are appropriate to a child’s individual needs where possible.

• We routinely evaluate teaching resources to ensure that they are accessible to all children and young people.

• We evaluate our intervention groups and strategies on a regular basis.

• We monitor access to teaching and learning for pupils with SEN through the schools self-evaluation process and the Inclusion Quality Framework

• We use ICT hardware and software to promote access to the curriculum and to support students with any Exam Access Arrangements that might be needed.

• We assess ALL students for additional needs in exams at the end of KS3.

• We use strategies to promote emotional wellbeing and reduce anxiety.

• We ensure that our educational visits and extra-curricular activities, as far as possible, are accessible to SEN children and young people.

• We strategically place support staff, where they are most needed throughout the Academy, to ensure pupil progress, independence and value for money.

• We evaluate whole school policies (such as those for behaviour, anti-bullying and SEN) on a regular basis with a focus on the impact upon pupils with SEN.

• We ensure that staff receive on-going training in relation to meeting individual needs within the classroom.

• We offer support to families and they are signposted to services and organisations which may provide appropriate input or advice via the Newcastle Local Offer.

https://www.newcastlesupportdirectory.org.uk/kb5/newcastle/fsd/localoffer.page?localofferchannel=0

• We offer Primary to Secondary and Secondary to Post-16 transition support to children, young people and parents and carers.

• All students with additional needs will meet with a Specialist Connexions Advisor to help with Post 16 decisions.

In addition to the above, we also offer further support to those children and young people who have a higher level of additional need, and have an Education, Health and Care Plan. This support includes:

• Very detailed planning and monitoring of progress.

• Individualised programmes of work across several areas.

• Specific, targeted interventions.

• Provision specified in an EHC Plan.

• Annual reviews of an EHC Plan with recommendations submitted to the Local authority.

• Multi-agency planning and assessment of targets at interim reviews.

Specific provision for the different areas of need is detailed in the table that follows:

• Communication and Interaction

• Cognition and Learning Needs

• Social, Emotional and Mental Health Needs

• Sensory and Physical Needs

Type of SEN for which provision is made at Jesmond Park Academy

Support/provision made at Jesmond Park Academy

Communication and Interaction

E.g.

• Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD)/Social Communication Disorders

• Speech, Language and Communication Needs (SLCN)

• We use visual supports e.g. visual timetables or visual prompts according to need.

• We use timers and train and support children to use visual mind-maps to help them begin and structure written tasks.

• We have areas of low distraction/stimulus in the Student Support Area.

• We have a ‘Quiet Area’ for use by students who may need to have time-out.

• We offer support and supervision at unstructured times of the day e.g. break and lunchtime in our Student Support Base and Library areas. Students can have access to computers in these areas.

• We also spend time with children and young people helping them to identify situations which cause anxiety and finding ways to overcome this, for example, through regular “check ins” from Key Workers.

• Similarly we use strategies such as social stories and comic strip conversations to help children learn how to approach different social situations.

• We use strategies/programmes to support speech and language development in partnership with relevant agencies e.g. individual speech and language therapy programmes.

• We use laptops, and ICT where appropriate, to reduce barriers to learning and enhance exam performance.

• We work with Autism specialists and Educational Psychology to provide bespoke timetables, and personalised rewards.

Cognition and Learning Needs

E.g.

• Moderate Learning Difficulties (MLD)

• Specific Learning Difficulties (SpLD – Dyslexia, Dyscalculia, Dyspraxia)

• We have extra literacy and numeracy lessons in Key Stage 3 for small groups of learners. As well as students on pathway I for GCSE receiving 3 extra Literacy lessons a week.

• We offer support before and after school through supported homework clubs (5 days a week).

• Heavily supported revision sessions and catch-up sessions will be offered at various times through the year for KS4 particularly in the weeks and months leading up to exams.

• Additional reading practice (1-2-1 and small group) is provided for KS3 children during morning registrations.

• We regularly access the expertise and support of the Special Educational Needs Teaching and Support Service (SENDOS) to support individual needs and provide training to staff.

• We provide resources to support children and young people with specific needs, for example, coloured overlays, laptops/ ipads, and dictation devices.

• We assess children regularly and report progress to parents/carers and staff.

• We assess children and young people for Examination Access Arrangements and provide the necessary support in examinations and formal assessments.

• We offer curriculum support to children with English as an Additional Language (EAL) and we have a specialist EAL HLTA to work with children where required.

• We offer reduced class sizes for the lowest achievers in English, Science and Mathematics.

• We offer targeted 1:1 and small group support, in class, from the class teacher and additional Learning Support Assistants.

• We encourage the use of additional processing/thinking time for responding to questions, completing tasks, sharing ideas etc.

• We understand the importance of Key Word Lists and our Learning Support team work with teachers to ensure they are provided.

• Support is offered to families and they are signposted to services/organisations for further advice, where appropriate, via the Local Offer.

Social, Emotional and Mental Health Issues

E.g.

• Social Difficulties

• Mental Health Conditions

• Emotional Difficulties

Clear sanctions and rewards are followed, through the PRAISE code, which offer structures and routines.

• Risk assessments are carried out to ensure the safety and inclusion of all pupils, in all activities.

• Jesmond Park Academy provide excellent social and emotional support, for all children and young people, through our robust pastoral system.

• Targeted behaviour and mental health support is provided by pastoral and the SEN and Wellbeing Team.

• We access support from outside agencies and specialists where appropriate (School Health, Children and Young People’s Service (CYPS) Educational Psychology Service etc).

• Small group and/or 1:1 targeted programmes are delivered weekly to develop social skills and emotional resilience, e.g. NUFC Foundation

• Opportunities to attend residential visits are provided and help to develop social, emotional and behavioural resilience, which promote independence.

• We enable access to alternative curriculum options, where appropriate, to provide a differentiated approach to the curriculum and support children and young people with social, emotional and behavioural needs.

• We put in place short-term support for a child or young person with an emotional need e.g. bereavement.

• The Support Bases can be accessed, at unstructured times of the school day e.g. lunch and break times, to provide support to vulnerable pupils.

• We have an ‘ND Provision’ which is led by two highly experienced Higher Level Teaching Assistants which offers 1:1 sessions and a quiet area for students to attend during the school day to self-regulate.

• At Jesmond Academy, we employ a counsellor who provides support for children and young people with social and emotional issues.

• Support is offered to families and they are signposted to services/organisations for further advice, where appropriate, via the Local Offer.

Sensory and/or Physical Needs

E.g.

• Hearing Impairment (HI)

• Visual Impairment (VI)

• Multi-sensory impairment

• Physical Disabilities

• Medical Needs

• Advice and guidance from relevant agencies e.g. Physiotherapists, Occupational Therapists, Newcastle Children’s Vision team and Hearing Impairment team etc is sought, and acted upon, to ensure barriers to success are reduced or removed.

• Staff work with specialists, from other agencies, during relevant training and professional development to support children and young people with sensory/physical/medical needs.

• Strategies and programmes of work from the Occupational Therapy Service are followed, for children with physical difficulties, to support the development of gross and fine motor skills in the classroom and around the sites.

• Physical aids and resources are used, where necessary, or where advised by specialists, e.g. pencil grips, special pens etc.

• We make every effort to be as accessible as possible e.g. disabled toilet facilities, wheelchair ramps etc

• We seek and act on advice and guidance for pupils who have significant medical needs.

• We provide access to medical interventions.

• We provide 1:1 support for gross and fine motor skills in the classroom as, and when, required.

• We use ICT, when appropriate, to enhance access to the curriculum, and we encourage alternative ways of recording ideas/writing/investigations etc.

• Jesmond Park Academy have an Additionally Resourced Provision (ARP) for children and young people with a hearing impairment. We provide HI support in lessons to ensure students have access to the curriculum.