SEND - St. Wilfrid's R.C. College

St. Wilfrid’s RC College values the achievement of students with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) and encourages all students to reach their potential.

Mr Jackson is the SENDCo at St Wilfrid’s RC College. He can be contacted by emailing admin@st-wilfrids.org

The child or young person has SEND if they have a learning difficulty or disability which calls for special educational provision to be made for them. A child of compulsory school age or a young person has a learning difficulty or disability if they have a significantly greater difficulty in learning than the majority of others of the same age or they have a disability which prevents or hinders them from making use of educational facilities of a kind generally provided for others of the same age in mainstream schools or mainstream post 16 institutions.

Where a child or young person has a disability or health condition which requires special educational provision to be made they will be covered by the SEND definition.

The objectives of St. Wilfrid’s SEND provision are:

To maintain and develop an inclusive ethos in which every student can grow to personal fulfilment and realise their full potential and character.
To ensure access to a broad, balanced and relevant curriculum for all students.
To identify students with additional needs and disabilities and to implement appropriate programmes/strategies to meet those needs as far as resources will allow.
To raise the self-esteem of students with additional needs and disabilities and to assist them to be autonomous learners.
To work with students to develop their independence.
To create an environment where school, parents/carers and outside agencies work together for the benefit of SEND students.
To support teaching staff in curriculum areas.
To contribute to happiness and wellbeing in all areas of school life.
To ensure teaching and support staff are equipped to meet the needs of all SEND students.

Supporting SEND students at St. Wilfrid’s College:

We aim to support our students with SEND and their parents and carers so that they can achieve their potential and increase their life chances.

Provision and support exists throughout the school for students with special educational needs and disabilities. SEND provision is an integral part of our overall school provision. Teachers use the SEND data we collect from primary schools and our own information and assessments to plan lessons and differentiate provision for students with SEND.

The provision may be, but not exclusive to, extra classes, specifically designed extension opportunities, specific support or self-supported study, literacy enhancement programmes, one to one tuition, mentoring. We aim to be quick at identifying under-achievement and addressing it at individual or group level.

We offer in-class support with a team of highly dedicated Learning Support Assistants.

We are an inclusive school and have students with a range of SEND in our year groups. The Learning Support Team strives to support students across the 11 – 18 age range by working closely with other departments to personalise the learning of SEND students and maximise their learning opportunities. The department policy reflects current best practice in line with the Code of Practice for Special Educational Needs and other relevant legislation.

The Learning Support Teams’ work includes:

Providing focused in-class support/tuition/mentoring as far as resources will allow.
Screening all students for reading, comprehension or spelling difficulties in year 7.
Monitoring, assessing and observing students that teachers are concerned about and providing expertise around individual student’s needs and strategies for supporting them.
Partnership work with our primary feeder schools.
Preparing reports in relation to students’ needs for outside agencies.
Managing any SEND referrals to outside agencies or specialists.
Working in multi-disciplinary teams supporting SEND students with complex needs or who are vulnerable.
Delivering Literacy enhancement programmes.
Providing Access arrangements for examinations for students with SEND.

“Sensory Services in South Tyneside have always had close links with St Wilfrid’s and over the years we had excellent collaborative working. Sensory Impaired students receive excellent support (from their SENCO!) and are fully included in every aspect of school life.” (Sensory Services – Outside Agency)

“Pupils in Year 7 who need support with their reading have improved their ability to read. Pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities are also making gains in their learning.”

(Ofsted Report – Oct 2018)

“Leaders ensure that pupils who are disadvantaged and those who have SEN and/or disabilities are as fully involved as their peers in the wider curriculum. (Ofsted Report – Oct 2018)

“Leaders have taken action to ensure that teaching assistants are effective in the support they provide to pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities, with the result that these pupils make good progress. The quality of the support for these pupils is an important factor in the creation of aspirational learning environments, where pupils from all starting points can thrive. (Ofsted Report – Oct 2018)

Documentation and Policies

Click on the links below to view relevant documentation and policies.