What do we mean by Special Educational Needs?
The Department for Education Special Educational Needs Code of Practice says that children have special educational needs if they have a learning difficulty which calls for special educational provision to be made for them.
Children qualify if they:-
(a) have a significantly greater difficulty in learning than the majority of children of the same age
(b) or, have a disability which prevents or hinders them from making use of educational facilities of a kind generally provided for children of the same age in schools within the area of the local education authority.”
The Code of Practice describes special educational provision as:
“educational provision which is additional to, or otherwise different from, the educational provision made generally for children of their age in schools maintained by the LEA, other than special schools, in the area.”
Students at Holy Trinity Catholic Media Arts College may have special educational needs as a result of one or more of the following:
- Cognition and learning (which includes: general learning difficulties or specific difficulties with literacy, numeracy and/or basic skills
- Emotional, social or behavioural problems
- Speech and language difficulties
- Physical/sensory impairment
We believe, as expressed in our mission statement, that our college must be viewed as a model of justice, where each person is valued as a gift from God and treated with respect.
Therefore, it is important that all our students (including those with special education needs) have access to a broad and balanced curriculum relevant to their individual needs.
Aims for SEN Provision
For the Students
- To be guaranteed equal opportunities
- To follow a broad, balanced, relevant curriculum
- To participate fully in all school activities
- To demonstrate their full potential, acknowledging strengths and weaknesses
- To come to accept responsibility for their own learning and behaviour.
- To grow and develop as whole persons
- To be informed of their progress
- To be involved in decision making
For the School:
- To provide a secure and encouraging environment
- To recognise that all staff are responsible for meeting the individual, educational needs of students
- To ensure that staffing structures enable colleagues to be supported in meeting the individual educational needs of students
- To have an appropriate system for identifying, responding to, recording and monitoring individual educational needs with particular reference to; learning difficulties, social, emotional and behavioural problems, speech and language difficulties and physical/sensory impairment
- To provide a SEN policy statement within each Faculty/Department Handbook
- To meet the individual needs of students within the classroom, where possible, and in the Learning Support Centre as appropriate
- To maintain a Database of students with SEN
- To maintain links with outside agencies
- To evaluate and review its provision for students with SEN
For the Parents/Carers:
- To feel that a positive and on-going relationship has been established with the school and with those staff in particular who work closely with their child
- To feel confident to contact the school to discuss their concerns, with the subject teacher, form tutor, head of house, head of faculty/department and/or SENCO, as appropriate
- To be regularly informed of any special help given to their child and progress made
- To work in partnership with the college to support their child’s work and progress at home
- To be invited to contribute to any review meetings concerning the particular SEN needs of their child
Learning Difficulties
Where a student appears to have difficulties accessing the curriculum in specific subjects and is not responding to ordinary classroom strategies and differentiated material, class teachers will need to consult, initially, with the Head of Faculty/Department and subsequently the SENCO.
The Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator (SENCO) will assess the individual needs of the child and, in consultation with student, parents/carers and staff will judge whether any further intervention is necessary, and whether the student’s name needs to be included on the SEN Database.
The full Holy Trinity SEN policy can be read by clicking here.
Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator (SENCO)
Ms E Yanez
Curriculum Support Assistants:
TA Specialist/Literacy
Mrs N Doyle
TA Specialist/Numeracy
Mrs M Reynolds
Maths
Mrs C Walsh
English
Mrs C Doherty
Pastoral Assistants:
Medical, Healthy & Independent Living
Mrs S Mason
Safeguarding/Child Protection/Looked After Children
Mrs R Burnett
Nurture/Autism
Miss N Ross
