Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND)

Public examinations are a vital way in which students can realise their ambitions and progress to the next steps in their future, so it is important that all students are set up for success in these examinations and appropriately equipped to achieve their best. Wherever possible, and in line with the SEN Code of Practice, reasonable steps are taken to allow equal opportunity for all. 

Here is a list of the main access arrangements and what they mean: 

• Extra time: Students may be given 25% (or more) additional time for each examination to allow for processing or language needs, or to accommodate for other accessibility requirements.  
• Live speakers: Students who are deaf or hard of hearing may have an adult present in the room to speak aloud elements for listening exams in modern foreign languages such as French and Spanish.
• Modified papers: Students who are visually impaired or who are unable to access standardised examination papers may have larger or otherwise modified copies of the question paper.  
• Prompt: Students with additional needs relating to focus or attention deficit may have an adult present with them to prompt and appropriately encourage them during an examination. 
• Reader: Students who require a reader will be provided with a digital C-PEN to help read the text for them outloud in the examination.
• Scribe: Students who are unable to write due to physical disabilities or other needs may have an adult present with them to write their answers for them in the examination.  
• Rest breaks: Students with needs relating to social, emotional and mental health (SEMH), or who face processing challenges may be permitted to take rest breaks during the examination which do not count towards their total allotted time. 
• Word processing: Some students may write their examination answers using a laptop rather than by handwriting. Our word processing policy is available here.  

Please see the linked information for EAA – including a form for parent referrals.

EAA Important Info for Parents.

• Additional Educational Needs (AEN)
• English as an Additional Language (EAL) 
• Special Educational Needs or Disabilities (SEND)
• Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP)
• Quality First Teaching (QFT)
• Speech and Language Therapist (SALT)
• Speech and Language Needs (SLCN) 
• Educational Psychologist (EP)
• Child and Adolescent Mental Health Team (CAMHS) 
• Social, Emotional and Mental Health (SEMH) 
• Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
• Autism Spectrum Condition (ASC)
• Visual Impairment (VI)
• Qualified Teacher for the Visually Impaired (QTVI)
• Qualified Teacher of the Deaf (QToD)
• Examination Access Arrangements (EAA) 

Cognition and Learning – includes needs relating to pace and specific learning difficulties including dyslexia, dyscalculia and dyspraxia

Communication and Interaction – includes speech, language and communication needs, difficulty understanding social rules and conveying wants, and autism.  

Social, Emotional and Mental Health (SEMH) – includes attention deficit disorder (ADD), attention deficit hyperactive disorder (ADHD) or attachment disorder, along with issues associated with underlying mental health issues. 

Sensory and Physical – includes physical disabilities such as vision impairment (VI), hearing impairment (HI) or a multi-sensory impairment (MSI) as well as muscular and movement disorders. 

Universal – for all students 

• Training for all teachers on quality-first teaching, including the SEN common needs strategies
• Seating plans to accommodate for student needs. 
• SEN and EHCP in-class observations
• Clear routines embedded into lessons – The Sedgehill Academy lesson cycle
• Homework club in room 1.22 – 3-4pm on Mondays
• SEN homework club during prep
• Subject Clinics after school

Targeted strategies 

• Departmental interventions with the specialist teacher, targeted for specific students to help support their progress with the curriculum.
• Use of chromebook and touch typing interventions for students who require a laptop as their usual way of working. 

Reading and literacy interventions:

• Ruth Mishkin, Fresh Start and Direct Instruction English for our KS3 readers who need support catching up. 
• Reciprocal Reading with Key Stage 4 students.
• Vocabulary Enrichment Programme through Knowledge Organiser – to help students understand the fundamentals of the key subject language and enhance their vocabulary skills linked closely to the curriculum.
• Oracy.

Neurodiversity Learning Coach interventions: 

• Neurodiversity check-ins 
• Visual timetables

Speech and language interventions:

• Language for Thinking and Language for Behaviour and Emotions – working on identified strategies from speech and language assessments to support language development. 

Specialist provision 

• Screening by our qualified assessor for access arrangements to help identify key needs and help put support in place for them in lessons. 
• Educational Psychologist assessment to help identify key needs and recommend strategies for supporting learning in school. 
• EHCP needs assessment – applied for by the school or parent – please see your Local Authority website for details on this process.
• CAMHS referral for identification and assessment of neurodiversity, and support with SEMH.

Implementation and coordination of specialist provision funded by EHCPs:

• Speech and Language Therapy 
• Occupational Therapy 
• Physiotherapy 
• Specialist equipment needed for physical disabilities 

If you think your child would benefit from any of our support interventions please contact Diana Edmonds in the first instance. 

We understand that transition to secondary school can be an anxious time for all students, but particularly those with special educational needs and disabilities.  

We work closely with feeder schools, students and parents to share information, offer reassurance, and create opportunities for acclimatisation to the secondary school environment in a managed, non-threatening way. 

We recommend: Starting secondary school - BBC Parents' Toolkit - BBC Bitesize 

Visit our Transition page for more information.

Where can I get free additional advice about SEND 

• Lewisham SEND Local Offer https://lewisham.gov.uk/myservices/children-and-young-people-service/services-for-children-with-complex-needs-and-disabilities/local-offer 
• Lewisham Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Information Advice and Support Service (SENDIASS) https://www.kids.org.uk/sendiass/services/lewisham-sendiass/ 

What is the process for referring my child for an ADHD/ASC assessment 

• In the first instance, please consult with your GP as they will be able to provide advice on the referral process. 
• We can support the referral with teacher collated evidence. 
• Once the assessment process has begun, the school will be contacted by the relevant assessment service (usually CAMHS) to provide evidence based on questionnaires from key teachers of your child.
• The whole process can take up to 2 years.
• If a referral to services to assess has been accepted, we can put together a pupil profile for your child with key recommended strategies for teachers to adapt. 
• We are also able to refer to our Autism Advisory Team in the meantime for advice and guidance on the process and support for strategies to use in school. 

What do I do if I suspect my child needs further support in school? 

Assess: 

• Contact the relevant member of the SEND team, via the info@ email address. 
• We will seek teacher feedback on their progress and any support they are currently putting in place as part of the graduated approach, as well as observe your child in the classroom. 
• If appropriate, we can refer to our specialist assessor who can screen for reading, writing and processing needs.

Plan: 

• We will then arrange a phone call/meeting with you to discuss your concerns and the plan to approach these. 

Do: 

• We will implement any suggested targeted/specialist strategies and monitor your child’s progress. 

Review: 

• We will review their progress half-termly, and if no progress has been made, discuss next steps with you and add your child to the SEND register. 

To contact the school’s SEND team, please email info@sedgehillacademy.org.uk ith the name of the staff member you wish to contact included in the subject line.