SEND and Intervention

West Coventry Academy is an inclusive, mainstream school that aims to offer a range of provision to support pupils with needs in the following areas:

• Communication and interaction
• Cognition and learning
• Social, emotional and mental health
• Sensory difficulties with sight or hearing, or physical difficulties

The SEND (Special Educational Needs and Disability) and Intervention department (SID) consists of staff who are available to support young people to access the curriculum and learn effectively. We work to establish, promote and sustain a culture where there are ambitious expectations for all students with additional needs. Supporting our SEND students and the wider families and community is central to what we do. Teachers work in partnership with our SEND department to develop their expertise in supporting across the four areas of needs and reasonable adjustments are made to remove barriers to learning.

We use Interventions as an essential element of helping our young people to access high quality teaching provision to ensure progress is made for all. Our interventions are research based, using models from a diverse range including CBT models along with current educational research. We work in partnership with pastoral teams and classroom teachers on developing a toolkit and skill set which allows for emotional regulation and helps to remove barriers impacting upon student cognitive load and ability. 

At West Coventry Academy the percentage of SEND students varies between 12-15%. All students, including SEND students, are expected to make good progress by achieving the targets that we set for them.

We identify students as having SEND when:

• they have an Education, Health and Care Plan;
• their academic attainment falls significantly below the average range for their age group;
• they have an identified or diagnosed difficulty which affects their learning;
• they have consistently failed to make progress and the cause of this cannot be attributed to any other external factor.

We also monitor the progress of all our SEND students and use a point system in addition to this to ensure that the SEND register targets the right students and students are not missed.

Meet the team:

How will I know if my child is receiving SEND support?

If a student is identified as having SEND, the school will contact parents/carers (and other relevant parties, where appropriate). An invitation will be arranged for parents to come into school to discuss how all parties, including the student, can work together to ensure that progress is made.

Identified SEND students will have a learning plan to support them in school. The learning plan is reviewed and updated accordingly every term. SEND students will meet with a member of the SEND/Intervention department to discuss their plan.  The plan is then shared with staff and parents. This ensures all stakeholders are involved and have an understanding of the plan.

Is there any extra support to help students with SEND in their learning?

Where there is a lack of progress, additional support may be needed. Any support provided will always be considered in the light of the type of need, the purpose of the support and expected outcomes. Students with SEND might be supported in any of the following ways:

• Individual or small group work (which may take place out of mainstream lessons or before school)
• A specialist class or group
• In-class support from an Education Assistant
• Access Arrangements for examinations, based on need, history of need, and whether it is the student’s usual way of working;

If appropriate, the advice and support and Intervetion of outside agencies can be sought. The school works with:

• The Complex Communication Team (CCT)
• The Social Emotional Mental Health and Learning Team (SEMHL)
• Looked After Children’s Education Service
• Educational Psychology Service
• CAMHS
• Mental Health and Schools Team

and can support or may suggest referrals, where appropriate, to:

• School Nursing Service
• Integrated Primary Mental Health Team
• Compass Aspire (Self-esteem, alcohol and drug awareness)
• Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS)
• Social Care
• The local Family Hub (Mosaic)
• MHST (mental health school team)

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How will I know that my child is making progress?

The progress of all students, including those with SEND, is monitored, assessed and reviewed regularly using data in each subject area. Parents receive a copy of the student’s latest attainment levels, their progress report at least once per year. Learning plans are instrument in supporting the progress made by children of SEND.

Where can I find information about the school’s SEND policy, or other policies?

You can find the school SEND Policy on our policies page: https://westcoventry.atlp.org.uk/about/policies/

For policies under ATLP, our MAT, please visit: https://atlp.org.uk/about/policies/ 

Who do I contact if I want to find out more about SEND support?

Please contact SEND Administrator Angela Fenn on the details below:

• Tel: 024 76 426200 Extension 1011
• Email: staffabf@westcoventryacademy.org