Wingfield Academy is dedicated to ensuring that all of our young people achieve their full potential. We are committed to working closely with our students to break down any barriers that they may have to learning or social situations though a wide range of interventions and strategies depending on the student’s needs.
If you would like more information about your child’s Special Educational Needs/ Disability (SEND) and the support that is available both at Wingfield and locally, we have created brochures specific to your child’s need.
Home Learning
Resources to support home learning from Inclusion Support Services- particularly useful for students with SEND
- Link to home learning support PDF
- Children Guide to COVID 19
- Covid 19 Leaflet
- Feeling Anxious?
- Top Tips
- SEND Support at Home
Useful Links
The ELSA support website has some great free resources on emotional literacy, understanding feelings and supporting well-being. Please select link below
Neurodiversity-support-for-families
Questions & Answers
You can find answers to most common questions here, but if you have any other questions please consider using our contact page to get in touch.
How does the academy know if students need extra help with learning?
Students are identified as being in need of extra provision in a variety of ways:
Feeder Schools
SEND transition forms are completed for all students on the SEND register. All relevant documentation is collated by the Academy and discussed with the Inclusion Team. There are formal transition meetings with parents/carers and the feeder school primary SENCOs. The Inclusion Team within the Academy is invited to Y6/Y5 Annual Reviews and other relevant reviews. The Academy makes numerous visits to other schools prior to transition and offer enhanced transition packages as appropriate.
Screening
Key Stage 2 information regarding SAT levels is collated and distribution to teaching staff. All students on entry to Y7 will have standardised assessment in reading comprehension and spelling. Some students may require further assessment to support progress. Support for developing literacy development is then determined. Screening is repeated at each Key Stage.
By the Academy’s Inclusion Team
Staff within the Inclusion team are trained to identify specific SEND profiles within the four broad areas of need. This may be done through observation, assessment and referral to other bodies.
Parental Request
Parental requests can be made at any time by phone, e-mail or letter to the SENDCO.
Subject Teacher Request
Staff who have concerns regarding a student may email or discuss their concerns with either Lauren McKay (SENDCO), Maureen Connolly (ASENDCO), or Rachel Holford (ASD Advercote ). This is then discussed at weekly referral meetings and a plan of action is identified in order to continue to support the student/staff member.
Student Self-Referral
Self-referrals may be made by students and will be considered with equal status.
What should I do if I think my child has special educational needs?
Contact the SENDCO (Lauren McKay) or the ASENDCO (Mo Connolly) directly to discuss any concerns you may have. This can be done via phone, e-mail or letter to the SENDCO.
Tel: 01709 513002 x219
How will the Academy support my child?
Our SENCO Lauren Mckay oversees all of the support and progress of any child requiring additional help across the school. The class teacher will oversee, plan and work with each child with special educational needs or disabilities in their class to ensure that the student progresses and learns in accordance with their aspirational target grades.If students require additional support then the following may be identified:
Additional adult support in the classroom – departments have Learning Support Assistants (LSAs) who support the teacher in helping the learning of the whole class and individual students. This may be conducted through support within the classroom or the withdrawal of students to work on specific areas of the curriculum.
Timetabled interventions – Intervention that takes place through the Inclusion department is: Every One Can Read (a literacy based intervention), IDL (a dyslexia friendly intervention), speech intervention, dyslexia screening, handwriting intervention, Y7 peer reading intervention. However when identified, subjects will identify their own subject related interventions
Personalised Learning – The SENDCO works closely with the Senior Leadership Team (SLT) to create manageable yet challenging timetables for Key Stage 4 students. When creating students’ the SENDCO and SLT carefully discuss the students’ specific learning needs and identify the appropriate provision in order to support their GCSE journey.
Key Workers – All children with SEND are given a Key Worker who work with students identified as needing additional individualised intervention, the Key Worker will then liaise with staff and parents/carers to discuss the progress and interventions. All students that are on our Grids for Learning are given an Key Worker who will contact home.
How will the curriculum be matched to my child’s needs?
All students at Wingfield Academy have a right to participate in a broad, balanced and relevant mainstream curriculum appropriate to their needs. Strategies include:
- setting within the curriculum
- enhanced staffing
- specialist provision and equipment within the academy
Exam access arrangements are reviewed and implemented as required.
The Academy’s three year Accessibility Plan takes into account the Equality Act 2010. It is published on the Academy’s website on the Policies page. The main priorities of the Accessibility Plan are to improve the physical environment of the school and to ensure curriculum access for any disabled student, staff or visitors to the site. The governing body remains committed to improving provision for students and adults who find access to and movement around the site difficult. The SENDCO works closely with appropriate agencies to serve the best interests of the students, for example, the Hearing Impaired Service and the Visually Impaired Service which assist in providing specialist equipment and training for our students as and when required. they monitor the progress of students with impairments through the academy.
How will I know how my child is doing?
Monitoring progress is an integral part of teaching and learning at Wingfield Academy. Parents/carers, students and staff are involved in reviewing the impact of support for students with SEND. Following the ‘Assess, Plan, Do, Review‘ model we ensure that parents/carers and students are involved with each step. In order to determine the effectiveness of provision a baseline is recorded which can then be used to compare the impact of support.
Half-termly rigorous analysis of monitoring data allows for timely review and amendment of SEND support. Parents/carers, students and staff regularly contribute to the evaluation of this support and its effectiveness.
How accessible is the Academy?
Lifts and ramps are available to access the building and lessons are timetabled on the ground floor where appropriate. The Academy has access to disabled toilets and changing facilities and staff are trained in moving and handling procedures.
What support is available for improving emotional and social development?
Provision includes key workers to support students emotionally and socially as well as the continued support from staff through The Hive (located on the inclusion corridor ) for vulnerable students. Students can also discuss their wellbeing with our newly appointed student wellbeing ambassadors who will support from a peer point of view. Drop in sessions are available in the Hive with our send champion from 8am-8:30am and from 2:45pm-3:45pm.
How does the Academy work with other bodies?
The Academy maintains strong links with other bodies including health and social care, LA support and voluntary organisations to meet SEN needs and support families. If appropriate they conduct assessments and provide reports with recommendations. The Academy shares a commitment with other bodies to provide timely and relevant information to agencies such as CAMHs, attend multi-agency meetings to support children, young people and their families. This can include submitting reports for, attendance at, Core group meetings, statutory reviews for looked after children, Early help meetings and Team around the Child meetings. The Academy has regard for confidentiality issues and data protection.
What are the arrangements for handling complaints?
The governing body will make efforts to ensure that anyone who wishes to make a complaint, including a complaint in relation to children and young people with SEN, whether they have EHC plans or not, is treated fairly, given the chance to state their case, provided with a written response, and informed of their appeal rights.
Any parent/carer who wishes to discuss or make observations about the Special Needs provision for their son/daughter at Wingfield Academy should:-
- Telephone or make an informal appointment to see the SENDCO who will review the situation and arrange for it to be discussed within 5 working days of the complaint being made.
- If you remain dissatisfied the complaint should be submitted formally in writing to the Headteacher who will investigate the complaint and arrange a discussion within 5 working days.
- Parent/carers have the right to complain:-
- To the chair of the governing body via the Academy (Tel. 01709 513002) or the Headteacher
- SENDIASS on 01709823627
- Parent and Carer forum at www.rpfc.co.uk
- If the parent/carer is still not satisfied they can complain to the Education Funding Agency acting on behalf of the Secretary of State.