Special Educational Needs and English as an Additional Language

Special Educational Needs and English as an Additional Language.

Our Ethos.

As a non-selective independent prep school, we endeavour to reasonably, inclusively and comprehensively support every educational need.

Our Aims.

Our aims in identifying, planning, providing and reviewing such support are:

• To help each child to fulfil their potential.
• To encourage each child to become a happy, confident individual, ready to progress to the next stage of their education.
• To ensure that each child can access every area of the curriculum.
• To build an excellent relationship with parents and carers, keeping them informed of progress and considering their views and wishes when planning support.

Our Approach.

We have a straightforward approach to identifying and responding to SEND.

There are four broad areas of need, and it is understood that a child will often have needs in more than one area.

Communication and Interaction

This will encompass children with speech, language and communication needs. It will also include children who experience difficulties with social interaction.

Cognition and Learning

This will encompass children with a range of needs who may be learning slower than their peers despite appropriate differentiation. It may include specific learning difficulties such as dyslexia, dyspraxia and dyscalculia.

Social, Emotional and Mental Health

This will encompass a range of social and emotional difficulties, which may reflect underlying mental health issues. It also includes children who experience difficulties such as ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder) or ADD (attention deficit disorder).

Sensory and Physical needs

This will encompass children with various physical needs, such as vision or hearing impairments or physical disabilities. We aim to support every child reasonably within the constraints of a 19th-century building where children move between classes.

How we deliver support.

The school follows the graduated Assess–Plan–Do–Review approach. When a child joins the school and throughout their education at Hale Prep, progress is assessed and monitored. If a teacher feels that, despite differentiated teaching, a child requires additional support, they will initially discuss a range of interventions, such as small group support and differentiated classroom strategies, with the Senco. Parents/carers will be consulted throughout the process, and their views and wishes will be sought and considered.

If, after careful monitoring, further targeted support would be beneficial, the Senco will consult the parents/carers to ask for their approval to put an IEP (Individual Education Plan) in place. This will set specific targets for the individual child, to be reviewed at half-termly intervals. The targets and how the child will be supported to achieve them will be discussed with the parents/carers, and the responsibilities of the school, the parents/carers, and the child will be considered. The child may then receive interventions such as targeted 1:1 support, differentiated homework and mentoring to help them achieve their targets. It should be emphasised that the child’s self-esteem and confidence are fundamental to their success and happiness, and every child should be able to access and enjoy all curriculum areas. The effectiveness of interventions and their impact on a child’s progress is regularly assessed and discussed with parents/carers, whose views are considered when setting new targets.

In some circumstances, a teacher may think it beneficial to screen a child for the likelihood of dyslexia or dyscalculia. This will always be done with the approval of the parents/carers. The school has access to screening tools, although it is stressed that a screen does not provide a diagnosis but can identify a likelihood.

In some instances, external support and pathways will be required. Parents/carers may engage external agencies or professionals for more specialised assessments. We are happy to help with suggesting specialists, completing the necessary documentation and advising on the services offered by Trafford Local Authority.