Transition to SBL Academy 

SEND - Equal Opportunity for All Students

If your child is identified as having a Special Educational Need or Disability, a member of the SEND team will contact you by telephone during Terms 5 or 6, in order to gather information from you.  In September we will be welcoming in excess of 30 students who have a SEND need - please bear with us as we work through our records to ensure that we offer a high level of transition support to all of our families. 

At Sir Bernard Lovell Academy we are fully committed to the provision of equal opportunity for all students, to enable them to meet their potential and achieve their personal goals.  We promote care and respect, and all learners are supported to achieve high standards in all aspects of school life.  Our teachers cater for a wide variety of needs by using effective differentiation, target setting and personalised learning in the classroom.  In some cases Teaching Assistants provide additional support in class for learners.  

Ongoing Support
Throughout the year your child’s subject teachers will constantly assess their progress.  Sometimes a teacher may refer to the SEN team if they feel extra support is needed.  If we feel that your child needs a little bit more help to stay on track then we will write and let you know.


Your child may need support with:

The SEND Code of Practice (2014) states that a learning difficulty or disability is a significantly greater difficulty in learning than the majority of others the same age.   

Transition

We work with primary colleagues throughout the year to ensure that we gain a good understanding of your child’s needs before they arrive.  Our SENDCo, Miss Connor or  a member of the SEND Team may attend EHCP meetings during Year 6 to ensure a smooth hand over. 

All children with SEND are invited to an additional SEND afternoon which takes place during term 6, before the full Transition Day.

When September Comes

Children who have an identified SEND will be assigned a Key Worker who will gain an overview of progress for your child and will be the SEN link between home and school.  We hold three SEN parent evenings throughout the year so you will get to know your Key Worker well.

Depending on the needs of each student we offer a range of support methods.  A student may be invited to attend an intervention group to help them to access their mainstream lessons.  These are generally 1 hour a week for 6 weeks and include, Understanding ADHD, Understanding ASC, Internet Safety, Touch typing, Fine Motor Skills, Social Skills, Working Memory, Life Skills, Thrive, Counselling, Mentoring, Nurture Group and Lunch club.

Supporting Literacy

At SBL we believe that improving literacy and building vocabulary is fundamental to the development of every young person.  ALL students in Year 7 will periodically take a ‘STAR’ reading test which provides an up-to-date reading age.  Students use this to engage in the ‘Accelerated Reader’ programme.  Where a student’s reading age falls below approximately 9 years they will be given access to the appropriate intervention depending on their specific reading need.  This work supports students with their access to the learning in all lessons and reach their full potential.