The Learning Support Team at Christ the King aims to help students to access all opportunities so that they can learn, grow and achieve their potential in a supportive, caring environment. The team consists of the following key staff:
Mrs M Young:
Special Educational Needs Coordinator (SENDCO) – who oversees the management of the department,
Mrs A Hamilton:
Higher Level Teaching Assistant (HLTA) – who oversees the day to day running of the department,
The team also consists of 7 classroom support assistants, many of whom have specialisms and interests in areas including literacy, visual impairments, ADHD and autism. The department facilities include the Learning Support Centre classroom and Sensory Room, all of which are housed close together in a prominent ground floor area, which is located in a very accessible part of school. Interventions, support, and clubs take place here for all students at different times throughout the school day.
SEND stands for "Special Educational Needs and Disabilities" and refers to children and young people who require extra help to learn because they have a learning difficulty or disability.
This support is necessary because their needs are different from or additional to those of other learners in a mainstream setting. SEND can impact a child's ability to learn, socialize, communicate, or their physical and sensory development.
What SEND means
· Learning difficulty:
A child has a learning difficulty if they find it significantly harder to learn than most children of the same age.
· Disability:
A child has a disability if it hinders their ability to use the educational facilities generally provided to other children of the same age.
· Need for special provision:
The key indicator is that the child needs special educational provision, which can be a temporary or long-term requirement.
Examples of what SEND can affect
· Cognition and learning: Difficulty understanding information, retaining knowledge, or developing skills like reading and writing.
· Communication and interaction: Challenges with speaking, understanding others, or interacting with peers.
· Physical and sensory development: Issues with mobility, hearing, or vision.
· Social, emotional, and mental health: Problems with behaviour or making friends.
At Christ the King High School we employ a proactive and thorough approach to identify students who may require additional support for Special Educational Needs. Our process includes:
Transition from Primary School:
· Our SENDCO liaises closely with Year 6 teachers and SENDCOs from feeder primary schools to gather detailed information about students' needs and support strategies already in place.
· We review primary school records, including SEND Support Plans and any existing EHCPs.
· Targeted transition visits and additional familiarisation opportunities are arranged for vulnerable students.
Upon Entry to Christ the King:
· All Year 7 students complete baseline assessments (e.g., standardised reading and spelling tests) to help identify literacy and numeracy strengths and areas for development.
· Information from these assessments is reviewed alongside primary school data and teacher observations.
Ongoing Monitoring & Assessment within School:
· Teacher Referrals: Class teachers are constantly observing and assessing students' progress. If a student is making less than expected progress despite Quality First Teaching, a concern form is raised with the SENDCO.
· Progress Data Analysis: We regularly track student progress across all subjects. Significant concerns are highlighted and investigated by the SENDCO.
· Pastoral Team Liaison: Our dedicated pastoral team plays a key role in identifying students who may be experiencing social, emotional, or behavioural difficulties impacting their learning.
· Student and Parent Voice: We encourage students and parents to share any concerns about learning or well-being with their form tutor, Learning Manager, or the SENDCO.
Once a potential need is identified, the SENDCO will discuss concerns with parents/carers and the student, and determine if further assessment or support is required.
All of this forms part of the Assess, Plan Do, Review Cycle or Graduated Approach.
In line with the Disability Discrimination Act, we recognise a broad definition of disability covering a wide range of physical and mental impairments.
Our pupils’ Special Educational Needs include, but are not limited to:
-
Speech and Language Difficulties (SLCN)
-
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)
-
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
-
Oppositional Defiance Disorder (ODD)
-
Pathological Demand Disorder (PDD)
-
Sensory Disorders (SD)
-
Elective Mutism (EM)
-
Cerebral Palsy
-
Dyslexia, Dyspraxia, Dyscraphia (SpLD)
-
Moderate Learning Difficulties (MLD)
-
Tourette’s Syndrome
-
Hearing and Visual Impairments (Physical Disabilities- PD)
-
Social, Emotional and Mental Health (SEMH) needs
-
Medical needs such as severe allergies, diabetes, Guillain-Barré Syndrome, and Neurofibromatosis, hypermobility
At CTK, we provide a graduated approach to SEND support, ensuring that all students receive the right level of intervention at the right time. Our provision is structured into three "Waves":
Wave 1: Quality First Teaching (Universal Provision)
-
Description: This is the high-quality teaching that every student receives in the classroom. All teachers are teachers of SEND and are trained to differentiate their lessons to meet the diverse needs of all learners.
Examples:
-
Differentiated Instruction: Adapting tasks, resources, and questioning techniques to suit different learning styles and abilities.
-
Accessible Resources: Providing visual aids, simplified language, knowledge organisers, and alternative formats for materials.
-
Clear Instructions: Breaking down complex tasks into smaller, manageable steps.
-
Strategic Seating: Planning classroom layouts to support engagement and minimise distractions.
-
Formative Assessment: Regularly checking understanding to identify and address misconceptions immediately.
-
Reading Curriculum: Our strengthened reading curriculum ensures a clear emphasis on developing pupils' reading and vocabulary knowledge. This is delivered through a new intervention programme called, ‘Reading Quest’. Already, this intervention is showing significant impact on reading progression in school.
Wave 2: Targeted Support (Small Group/Individual Interventions)
-
Description: For students who require additional support beyond Wave 1, we provide targeted interventions, usually delivered by Learning Support staff or specialist staff, either in small groups or individually.
Examples:
-
Literacy Boosters: Focused reading and spelling programs (Thinking Reading, paired reading, IDL, precision teaching, phonics-based interventions).
-
Numeracy Support: Small group sessions to reinforce foundational mathematical concepts.
-
Social Skills Groups: Sessions to develop communication, emotional regulation, and peer interaction skills.
-
Nurture Provision: A dedicated space and support for students who require additional social, emotional, and behavioural support to access learning effectively.
-
Dedicated Clubs: The Learning Support Centre facilitates various clubs designed to offer targeted support in a relaxed environment, such as our daily Homework Club, our popular Lunchtime Games Club, and various extra-curricular sports sessions. These provide additional opportunities for students to develop essential skills and receive personalised guidance.
Wave 3: Specialist Provision (Individualised & External Support)
-
Description: For students with more significant and complex needs, often identified through formal assessment, we provide highly individualised support, frequently involving external specialist services. This level of support may lead to or be part of an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP).
Examples:
-
Individualised Timetables: Adapted timetables to accommodate specialist provisions or therapies.
-
One-to-One Support: Dedicated learning support assistant support for specific learning tasks or during transitions.
-
Therapeutic Interventions: Signposting to external services like CAMHS (Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services).
-
Direct External Specialist Involvement: Regular sessions with professionals such as Speech and Language Therapists and Occupational Therapists, with their recommendations integrated into the student's provision. When a student's needs are more complex and require in-depth understanding, we may refer to an Educational Psychologist for specialist assessment and advice. Their evaluations help us to better understand individual learning profiles and guide the development of highly targeted, bespoke interventions to support the student's progress.
-
EHCP Reviews: Annual reviews for students with EHCPs, involving parents, student, school staff, and external agencies to review progress and plan next steps.
For students identified as SEND and on the SEND register, we develop Pupil Learning Plans. These are concise, practical documents which are personalised to each individual student. These aim to:
- Highlight the student's strengths and interests.
- Clearly identify their specific SEND needs.
- Outline the barriers to learning they may face.
- Detail the specific strategies and provision that will be put in place to support them across the curriculum and in school life.
Pupil Learning Plans are created collaboratively with the student, their parents/carers, and key school staff, as much as possible. They are reviewed termly to ensure the provision remains effective and responsive to the student's evolving needs. This puts the young person at the heart of their provision. These Pupil Learning Plans are shared with and actively used by all teaching staff, to inform their lesson planning, classroom strategies, and ongoing support for every student with SEND across all subjects. This ensures a consistent, whole-school approach to meeting individual needs. For some students who may need further support to close the gap to their peers, specific SMART targets are also integrated into their Pupil Learning Plans to guide their progress and interventions more precisely.
