We have a team of dedicated staff whose aim is for all students, no matter how challenging they find their learning, to thoroughly enjoy their lessons, feel valued, motivated and achieve their full potential.
Curriculum
Transition to The Priory School
Our commitment to supporting your child begins before they join us in Year 7. As well as their new Head of Year, we aim to visit as many students as possible throughout the preceding summer term. We also offer additional visits for any student that needs a little extra support. We try to give parents an opportunity to meet with a member of the learning support team in the Summer term of Year 6 or Autumn term of Year 7.
Working Together
We have high expectations for all students and expect them to achieve their potential and to work hard towards their goals. We do everything possible to support them and believe that working closely with families is the best way to ensure this happens. Working as a team, we aim to overcome any barriers to learning and ensure all students are able to fulfil their dreams!
Sharing Information
We believe that knowledge is power and ensure that staff are aware of all the additional learning needs of our students. In September staff receive information on specific strategies to help our new students and this continues throughout their time with us. We review this information often to ensure that we are doing everything possible to allow our students to be successful, and we encourage parents and carers to be part of this process. Our staff have access to all student information so that every individual is supported with their learning and progress in lessons.
Staff Development
We know that the key to successful learning within the classroom comes from teachers’ understanding our students’ needs and the way this may impact their learning. We run regular training opportunities for our staff throughout the year to support their understanding of student needs and further develop their knowledge of strategies in the classroom.
From the Start
All of our students take part in an online reading test when they join us, so we can monitor their literacy ability from the start and identify those that would benefit from extra support. As a school we constantly review the attainment of our students and have a range of interventions that we can put into place where they are appropriate. A few examples are social skills workshops, one-to-one or small group literacy, and access to assistive technology to support learning in the classroom.
Support in Lessons
The support we offer comes in many different forms; it can be something as small as individually checking a student’s understanding and breaking down instructions to the use of assistive technology on their Chromebooks. The way our students are supported varies according to their individual needs and we have the expertise within the department to ensure all of these are catered for successfully. We have three full-time and two part-time additional support teachers who work with us and this has enabled us to offer more small group and one-to-one interventions for a range of needs and to a larger number of students.
We have a committed team of Learning Mentors who do fantastic work and have hugely improved our flow of information to ensure we never miss a beat when it comes to looking out for every student. They have a huge amount of experience and knowledge for us to call upon.
Support in Examinations
If we know that a student has a specific barrier that is affecting their ability to show their potential in exam situations, or their teachers highlight a concern, we are able to assess them to see if they qualify for exam access support. Again, this is dependent on the needs of each student and follows strict regulations that ensure fair access for all students throughout the duration of the course. The time line and process we follow is shared with KS4 parents during the Autumn term but information can be requested for parents with KS3 students if there is a specific concern.
Assistive Technology
We are continually investing in new technology to improve the learning experience for our students. We are discovering new and exciting ways to support them, especially with their literacy skills.
Using the latest software and hardware to promote independent learning and increase motivation, we aim to boost self-esteem and ensure students have the necessary skills to succeed in the future. A good example of this is students who have access to electronic reading software to support their literacy needs.
Additional Support
We offer a supportive environment in which to form new friendships at lunch and break time. Students can take part in various activities, such as board games club, craft club, lego club, homework club and sports teams throughout the year, and are actively encouraged to get involved.
In addition to this we run a Homework Club after school to allow students access to support in all aspects of their work.
Additional Information
For further information, you can find our SEND Policy and SEND School Information Report on the school website.
Staff
- Mrs Kate Emsley – SENDco/Assistant Headteacher
- Mrs Angharad Harrison – Teacher of Additional Provision; Deputy SENCO
- Mrs Toni Crawley – Teacher of Additional Provision; Deputy SENCO
- Mrs Kelly Roberts – Teacher of Additional Provision; Deputy SENCO
- Mrs Cheryl Hamer – Teacher of Additional Provision and Teacher of English
- Mr Richard Stranks – Teacher of Additional Provision and Teacher of History
- Miss Angela Benucci – Learning Support Manager
- Miss Rabia Farooq – Learning Mentor
- Miss Hannah Duckett – Learning Mentor
- Miss Eleni Varacliotis – Learning Mentor
- Miss Deborah Stokes – Learning Mentor
- Mrs Sandra Stokes – Learning Mentor
- Mrs Joy Riglin – Learning Mentor
- Miss Lara Massie – Learning Mentor
- Mrs Celia Lily – Learning Mentor
- Mrs Lisa Kitchener – Learning Mentor
- Miss Izzy Roberts – Learning Mentor