All students are valued and encouraged to achieve to the best of their ability.
Learning Support at Lilian Baylis covers a wide area. The following groups are offered support in their studies by the SEN and/or EMAT Teams:
- Students with a Statement of Special Educational Needs (SEN)
- Students with special needs who are not on the SEN register but who need support in some of their lessons, especially with their literacy
- Students with emotional and/or behavioural difficulties which hinder learning
- Students whose first language is not English, and who need support in learning English so that they can take a more active role in lessons
- Refugees and asylum seekers
- Students who need extra help with their reading skills
- Students with physical disabilities
- Students with Asperger’s Syndrome, or those diagnosed with a disorder on the autistic spectrum
- Some minority ethnic students who need support and guidance in order to achieve their best in school
- Some students who have not coped well in the transition from Primary to Secondary school, and need help in settling in to school
HOW DO WE SUPPORT THESE STUDENTS?
Provision to meet the variety of special needs in the school is made through:
- Differentiation by the teacher of tasks and outcomes within the classroom
- In-class support provided by the Ethnic Minority Achievement Team (EMAT), or the Special Educational Needs (SEN) Team.
- Small group withdrawal of some students for an intensive reading programme of four lessons per week
- Withdrawal from lessons, or in-class support, as appropriate, of students whose first language is not English. Intensive English language tuition is offered
- One-to-One tuition of some students where appropriate
- The opportunity for more able students to take part in extension classes and activities, including provision out of school
- Study Circles to provide support in small groups to students slow to settle
- Pastoral Officers who give students individual attention to help them improve and overcome any barriers to their learning
- RISE, where a very few students in Year 7 and Year 8 benefit from short term withdrawal from some lessons to help them deal with specific difficulties
- Small group work with students who have behavioural difficulties and so find it difficult to concentrate on their lessons
- The Deputy Headteacher (Pastoral) coordinates Learning Support. All support teams meet every 3 weeks at a Support Coordination Group Meeting to review support arrangements and to evaluate allocated support. This is done on an individual basis, where each student’s current individual needs are assessed to decide the level of support needed.
ETHNIC MINORITY ACHIEVEMENT TEAM (EMAT)
This EMAT team aims to cater for the needs of our students who have English as an additional language. Extra English classes are provided in small groups as well as in-class support. The department promotes and celebrates the cultural and linguistic diversity of the school as well as raising awareness of the issues surrounding refugees and asylum seekers.
In addition literacy support is provided for and there are study support groups for Somali and Portuguese students.
SPECIAL EDUCATIONAL NEEDS (SEN)
The Governors seek to provide appropriate support for all students with SEN. During 08/09 the school has:
- Further increased its use of the Education Psychology Service to support the identification and assessment of SEN students.
- Refined the Support Co-ordination Group, which screens all students to identify those who may need further support, so that students are indentified earlier
- Continued to develop its resources for teaching literacy and emotional skills.
- Created homework resources for SEN students in all subjects
- Ensured the full integration of a number of new students with disabilities
- Created a number of new literacy and behaviour programmes to provide targetted support
Areas identified for further development
- Strengthening the use of SEN information by class teachers to inform planning
- Developing the provision for students who require literacy support
- Access arrangements for examinations
- Widening inclusion to cater for a greater variety of student needs including wheelchair users and autistic students.
EFFECTIVENESS OF SEN POLICY
The effectiveness of the SEN policy is monitored through:
- Analysis of student progress
- Observing students and staff in class
- Education Psychologist reports
- Visiting consultants’ recommendations and self evaluation.
ADMISSION ARRANGEMENTS
Students applying for admission to the school who have existing statements are referred to the Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator (SENCO) who advises the Headteacher as to how the applicant’s individual needs can be met within the school. If appropriate an interview is then arranged with the SENCO to discuss the student’s support before s/he starts.
Download LBTS SEN Policy from here
STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES
ADMISSION ARRANGEMENTS FOR STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES
The school arrangements for the admission of students with disabilities follows the requirements of the 1996 Education Act and the 1995 Disability Discrimination Act together with appropriate Health and Safety legislation. On receiving a request for a statemented student with disabilities from the LEA, the Headteacher, with advice from the SENCO, considers the request and any concerns are forwarded to the LEA. If appropriate an interview is then arranged with the SENCO. It is school policy to find ways to include all those students who wish to come to Lilian Baylis Technology School in all the activities of the school.
FACILITIES FOR STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES
The new school building allows full and unhindered access to disabled students. The school ensures, subject to the conditions set out in section 317 (4) of the Education Act 1996, that students with disabilities join in everyday activities with other students. The school has a fully inclusive access plan which is available on request to the school. Last year the accessibility plan prioritised improving access for students who are visually impaired through signage and tonal painting. This year we are prioritising staff training and re examining whether internal doors can be made easier to open.
STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES AND STATEMENT OF SPECIAL EDUCATIONAL NEEDS
Students with disabilities are advised by the Local Authority (LA) to name Lilian Baylis Technology School in their statement of special needs as the school is very accessible to disabled students. All students who choose to attend Lilian Baylis Technology School who are identified as having a disability have an Individual Education Plan put in place. This ensures their full participation in all activities of the school. The school currently complies with existing and/or intended provisions contained in the ‘SEN Act 2001’, the ‘Revised SEN Code of Practice’ 2002 and the ‘Disability Discrimination Act’ 1995. Regular feedback is solicited from disabled students, external specialists, parents and staff to ensure that disabled students are not being treated less favourably than other students.