Meet the SEND Team
The Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Team
All teachers and many support staff have responsibilities for the progress and success of students with Special Educational Needs. However, certain staff have additional responsibilities or work largely with SEND students as shown below:
The Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Leadership Team:
Ms McLeish, MA, BA (Hons) PGCE, QTS, is a member of the Leadership Team, line manages SEND and works closely with the SENCOs to deliver high quality SEND provision for our students.
Ms S Nicholson is our Trust SENCO and holds the following relevant qualifications: BA (Hons) PGCE, QTS, SENCO Qualification, Exam Qualification
Ms Nicholson has overall responsibility for the progress and support of SEND students across both Trust schools and work in both schools. She also holds a Lead SENCO role within the Local Area.
Mrs S Chowdhury is our SENCO and holds the following relevant qualifications: BA (Hons), PGCE, QTS, CPT3-A and the SENCO Qualification.
Ms A Jahnke is our Deputy SENCO and holds the following relevant qualifications: BA (Hons) PGCE, QTS.
The Support Staff team:
SEND Manager and SEND Admin Assistant
Mrs Maidman provides administration and clerical support for the SEND team. This includes the organisation of Annual Reviews for EHCP students and other external meetings. Mrs Maidman is also responsible for the day to day management of the LSAs across the school. Mrs Craig provides administration and clerical support to the SEND team.
SENCO Assistants
The SENCO Assistants, Miss Boateng and Miss Mirza, provide support to the SEND and PLUS team through liaison with students, parents/carers and external agencies.
LSAs
We have a significant number of learning support assistants (LSAs) who give support to both students and staff across the school. All LSAs take a role before school, during break/lunchtimes and after school in duties, supervision of students, homework club and other activities as appropriate.
Learning Support Assistants support individual students with an EHCP or with a SEND Support Plan through support in lessons, interventions or social times as well as any allocated private study sessions. They may also be allocated to a class for general support eg English support groups. Some LSAs are predominately allocated to English, Mathematics, or Science areas.
Specific LSAs have been trained in the delivery of the Fresh Start Programme – a catch-up phonics programme for those students who are below expectations in reading. Other training would include delivery of therapy sessions as directed by a therapist or strategies linked to these areas that can be delivered as general good practice. Some LSAs also have had ELSA training (Emotional Literacy Support Assistant) and have supervision arrangements by an Educational psychologist. Many of our LSAs have specific training to support intervention sessions and mentoring.
Lead LSAs
These are the LSAs who will take on additional duties, whether induction of new LSAs, sharing best practice or leading interventions and supporting others to do so in intervention programmes such as Speech and Language. They also support students directly as indicated in the LSA role.
PLUS team
This team specialises in interventions for social and communication needs for students referred by the SEND Leadership team, including behavioural difficulties and emotional needs. This may be support in class, delivery of intervention programmes, mentoring or one-off review sessions.
Assistant Psychologists
The school also contracts the services of two Assistant Psychologists who works closely with the Educational Psychologist contracted by the school to deliver specific interventions.
Training
All our LSAs and members of the PLUS team undergo regular training sessions based upon the needs of their students and for their own professional development. Outside therapists also train our staff in the delivery of interventions on speech and language and occupational therapy.