“Subject leaders have designed the curriculum to support pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Adaptions are made where necessary, but this does not detract from pupils learning essential curriculum content.”
OFSTED 2021
Special Educational Needs
Bridge Learning Campus is an inclusive school. The following information outlines what we offer for pupils with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND).
The SEND team is made up of:
Laura Rudd – SENDCo for Secondary
Carly Berry – Deputy SENDCo for Secondary
Faye Lewis – Assistant SENDCo for Secondary
Angela Treneman – SENDCo for Primary
Holly Moysey – Deputy SENDCo for Primary
How does BLC know if pupils need extra help?
Many pupils arrive at BLC with data from a previous school or Early Years setting. In these cases, information about SEND is transferred and appropriate support can be put into place. Class teachers and one of our SENDCos (Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Co-ordinator) liaise carefully with previous schools and teachers to ensure that appropriate information about a child is shared.
Some pupils are screened by Speech and Language Therapists in Early Years to enable any difficulties to be identified as early as possible. When pupils join the school mid-year, or as part of our Year 7 intake from other Primary Schools, one of our SENDCos will discuss any needs with their former school.
Our Graduated Response ensures student’s needs are monitored and managed appropriately:
- Ensure high quality adaptive teaching is in place in the classroom.
- Track data on progress carefully to see where children may be making inadequate progress or are falling behind.
- Set up school-based support, e.g., faculty-based academic intervention, small group support, personalised behaviour strategies or Exams Access Arrangements.
- Work with the Head of Year to establish holistic learning/wellbeing support initiatives.
- Staff make a referral to the SENDCo if, after interventions and support, they continue to be concerned that a child may have an undiagnosed special educational need.
- The SENDCo assesses whether the child may have a significant learning difficulty. This is carried out by working with parents/carers, gaining the views of the child, learning walks to observe the student in classes, gathering further information from staff who teach or support them including the Head of Year. The SENDCo coordinates the commissioning of external support agencies (e.g. Educational Psychologists, Bristol Autism Team, Sensory Support Team) as necessary.
- Agreement is reached with all about the SEND support required – this may include an Education, Health, Care Plan (EHCP) Assessment once a process of assess, plan, do, review has taken place over a period of at least six months
- Continue to assess progress in all areas and review effectiveness of support in place
How will the curriculum be matched to my child’s needs?
All teachers are teachers of students with special educational needs. Teachers should deliver the National Curriculum programmes of study in ways that meet the particular requirements of their students. The National Curriculum Inclusion Statement emphasises the importance of providing effective learning opportunities for all students and offers three key principles for inclusion:
- Setting suitable learning challenges
- Responding to students’ diverse needs
- Overcoming potential barriers to learning
We anticipate that the vast majority of pupils’ needs can be met within the mainstream classroom environment. For pupils with more complex needs we can offer individual and small group intervention where appropriate. To help students with SEND overcome identified barriers to learning they will be supported with additional provision to help them successfully engage in learning. It is best practise that additional provision supports students to develop into independent learners and therefore in most instances additional provision will be the use of specific strategies to support SEND such as adaptive strategies, chunking, access to paper copies of information presented on the board or use of a laptop. For children with a high level of need, or certain specific physical needs, an EHCP may state that they require 1:1 support. In this instance, an adult will provide support but usually the adult will vary between different lessons. If an adult is supporting a child, where appropriate they will support the pupil with SEND in a pair or group. Any adult supporting a pupil with SEND will use specific strategies to support learning so that the student does not become reliant on adult support.
How is progress towards outcomes measured?
All pupils who are identified as having a Special Educational Need are monitored by the SEND departments. Academic data is entered four times a year by class teachers and this allows the Inclusion Department to check progress towards Age-Related Expectations and predicted grades and offer extra support where needed.
If a pupil has an Education, Health & Care Plan (EHCP), a pupil profile will be issued to all staff and outcomes will be monitored three times a year. In addition, an Annual Review meeting is carried out yearly with a SENCo, parents, the pupil and any relevant professionals working with the pupil.
Pupils without EHCPs may be issued pupil profiles or outcome sheets where appropriate, to enable targets to be set and monitored.
Outcomes are always set in conjunction with the parents and a meeting will be held to enable discussion and agreement of targets. This ensures that parents are aware of their child’s next steps and can support their child to meet these.
How will my child be supported during the school day?
At BLC we endeavour to develop independence in all pupils. However, there are times when your child may need adult support. This may be access to Teaching Assistant support in-class, group or individual withdrawal, access to specialist support or simply a quiet place to go at lunch time. The inclusion department liaises closely with the pastoral team to ensure that pupils’ needs are met.
What support will there be for my child’s overall well-being?
As well as offering learning support, the inclusion team work closely with the Pastoral Team (Behaviour Lead, Heads of Year, Deputy Heads of Year and Learning Mentors) to ensure that pupils’ social, emotional and behavioural needs are met.
What specialist services and expertise are available at or accessed by BLC?
Social, emotional, mental health and well being
Our specialist SEMH team in school includes:
- Ms Lisa Cains – SEMH lead (Mental Health First Aider)
- Mr Ray Cockrum – Senior mental health mentor (Thrive)
- SEMH mentor
- Inclusion mentor
At Bridge learning Campus, we are committed to creating an inclusive and supportive learning environment where every student can thrive. Our SEMH team works collaboratively to foster a culture of excellence and care. We believe in empowering our students with the skills and confidence they need to succeed academically and socially.
The SEMH team offers a range of SEMH interventions. We deliver group interventions that will focus on a specific SEMH need. We deliver 1-1 interventions where we create bespoke provisions of targeted support to address individual students’ needs. As a team we meet regularly with all key stakeholders to ensure we are identifying individual needs, using appropriate, targeted approaches and monitoring impact through our graduated response.
Our duty of care for the health and wellbeing of all members of BLC filters through all aspects of school life. We actively promote a mentally healthy environment supporting our pupils, staff and parents/carers with their mental health and wellbeing.
Our curriculum supports both physical and mental wellbeing.
- An in-depth understanding of young people’s mental health and the factors can affect wellbeing
- Practical skills to spot the triggers and signs of mental health issues
- The confidence to step in, reassure and support a young person in distress
- Enhanced interpersonal skills such as non-judgmental listening
- The knowledge to help a young person recover their health by guiding them to further support – whether that is through self-help sites, their place of learning, the NHS or a mix of these – engaging with parents, carers and external agencies where appropriate
- The ability to support a young person with a long-term mental health issue or disability to thrive
- The tools to help you look after your own mental health and wellbeing
As well as our SEMH team here at BLC we have a counselling service, Butterfly, who work on site to deliver individual therapy. Once a week we are supported by the NHS Mental Health Support Team. This includes an Educational Mental Health Practitioner and a low-intensity Cognitive Behavior Therapist. We have the school nursing team that provide a drop-in service where students can self-refer. School Nurses work with children, young people, and their parents/carers to maximise their health and well-being. School nurses provide information and support on several topics that children or young people come across that can affect their health.
Support helplines, websites alongside some resources which may be of help to your families.
Kooth
Kooth is a free online service offering emotional and mental health support for children and young people, aged 11-25. Users can have a drop-in chat with a counsellor, therapist or book a one-to-one session. They have a monitored online forum, and users can also record a journal. www.kooth.com
Off the Record
Off the Record provides free and confidential mental health support, information and workshops for young people aged 11-25 in Bristol. www.otrbristol.org.uk / 0808 808 9120
Tess
TESS is a text and email support service that is run by Self Injury Support, which offers help to girls and young women up to 24 in the UK who are affected by self-harm. 0780 047 2908 (Open Sunday – Friday, 7-9pm). Visit www.selfinjurysupport.org.uk to access their email service.
Beat
BEAT is the UK’s leading charity supporting anyone affected by eating disorders or difficulties with food, weight and shape. www.b-eat.co.uk / Youthline: 0345 634 7650
Young Minds
Young Minds is the UK’s leading charity committed to improving the emotional wellbeing and mental health of children and young people. www.youngminds.org.uk / 020 7089 5050
How is the decision made about what type and how much support my child will receive?
There is a tiered approach to SEND within Bristol. All pupils’ needs should first be addressed through high quality adapted teaching within the classroom. Some pupils may receive further support in a small group, or in some cases individually if their targets require this or they are not making progress as expected. All pupils with SEND are monitored, regardless of the amount of support they need with their learning.
How are BLC’s resources allocated and matched to pupils’ special educational needs?
Our first responsibility is to pupils who receive additional funding with their EHCP. After this, support is allocated on the basis of need. All interventions are regularly evaluated to ensure that resources are being used to maximise pupil progress. We follow an assess, plan, do, review approach to ensure there is a graduated approach to support.
How are parents of pupils with SEND involved?
From the moment a pupil’s needs are identified, parents are involved regularly. This can be with their tutor, Head or Deputy Head of Year, Pastoral Teams or with the SEND department. Staff from the Inclusion Department are available at parents’ evenings. Our Family and Community Engagement Worker, Caroline Jenkins, offers a variety of courses and workshops for parents, as well as signposting to appropriate support groups.
For Secondary students:
If you have a concern about your child’s needs, please complete this referral form and a relevant member of staff will contact you. You may be asked to complete further paperwork to support us with your enquiry.
If you require further information about Autism or ADHD please follow the links below.
Autism Spectrum Assessment Service – Children and Young People’s Services (sirona-cic.org.uk)
SEND Local Offer (bristol.gov.uk)
If your child has an existing need and is already on the SEND Register you can request a SEND Clinic meeting with our Assistant SENDCo to discuss your concerns. Please call main reception on 0117 353 4472 for availability.
What training is given to the staff supporting children and young people with SEND?
Our responsiveness to children’s learning and other needs is supported by planned in-service training of teaching and support staff. This takes the form of teacher peer support, communication arrangements among staff, consultation with – and training by – our SENDCos, as well as training offered by the Local Authority and other agencies.
How accessible is BLC?
The campus is fully accessible, with lifts available for pupils with mobility needs. We consult with appropriate professionals, organise staff training and put personal plans in place for pupils with additional physical needs. Our priority is for all pupils to be safe and to access the full curriculum and range of activities at BLC.
How will my child be included in activities outside the classroom including school trips?
BLC is an inclusive school and pupils will not be excluded from activities due to SEND. All outside learning and school trips have full risk assessments carried out and modifications are made to ensure that pupils with SEND have access to the full learning experience that BLC offers.
How will BLC prepare and support my child at times of transition to the next stage of education and life?
As an All Through School, BLC is in a unique position to offer an enhanced transition programme from Primary to Secondary phases. We hold transition days for new Y7 pupils in the summer term and there are extended transition opportunities available for pupils with SEND joining the school at any age, in addition to our usual Early Years and Year 7 transition for all pupils. In Key Stage 4 pupils with SEND are offered support with planning the next stages of their education and life. This includes C.V. writing, Work Experience, Further Education applications and careers events.
Who can I contact for further information?
If your child is in primary – Nursery to Year 6 please contact reception on 0117 353 4472 or email SEN@blc.school
If your child is in secondary – Year 7 to Year 11 please contact reception on 0117 353 4472 or email SEN@blc.school
If your child is in secondary and you wish to raise a concern about their needs please complete the referral form above.
Bridge Learning Campus’ offer for pupils with SEND sits within the Bristol Local Offer, which can be found on this link Bristol Local Offer
Special Educational Needs
Our Special Educational Needs, Disability and Inclusion Policy
