Students with Special or Additional Learning Needs: our approach
Educational Inclusion
At Howell’s School and College, we have high expectations of all students and we aim to promote achievement through the removal of barriers to learning and participation. Our aim is to ensure the full integration and inclusion of all students in the life of the school and to maximise their learning potential.
Differentiated support
Although we are a selective school, we recognise that some students might have difficulties accessing the curriculum: in these cases effective and differentiated support is provided within the classroom by the subject teacher. Students with A.L.N., however, may require structured learning support which is different from the more general classroom support given to other students of the same age.
How do we define students with Additional Learning Needs?
Students who need specialist support with their learning include those with the following types of learning difficulty:
How do we identify students with learning needs?
To ensure early identification and assessment of a student’s learning difficulties, we work with the student and parents to provide appropriate support. To help us identify students with learning needs we make use of the following:
Intervention
Many students with mild learning difficulties make adequate progress within a supportive environment without any additional intervention other than differentiated work provided by the teacher. The School and College have regular revision skills programmes as part of PSHE, while study and revision strategies are consolidated by staff through their subject teaching.
If, however, adequate progress is not being made, then intervention will follow a graduated approach as set out in the SEND Code of Practice (2014). The first stage is when a member of staff raises concerns about a student with the Additional Learning Needs Coordinator who will consider if further intervention is needed which may mean some or all of the following:
Parental permission is always sought before individual screening or assessment tests are carried out, and the results are communicated to parents.