SEND and Learning Support
King’s Oak Academy is an inclusive all-through academy which caters for a diversity of educational needs.
Our SEND Coordinators
Our Head of Inclusion and Lead SENDCO is Lou Roscoe, and she can be contacted on: [email protected]
Learning Support
Our Learning Support Team support students with a range of learning needs including Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) including medical needs, Young Carers, Looked After Children (LAC) or Previously Looked After Children (PLAC) and students with English as an Additional Language.
What is SEND – Special Education Need and Disabilities?
A child has SEND if they have a learning difficulty or disability which calls for special educational provision, in addition to what is provided for their other peers, to be made for him or her. Special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) can affect a child’s ability to learn. They can broadly affect their:
- Ability to understand/process information socially and in learning
- Reading, writing, numeracy
- Ability to concentrate and focus on a task
- Emotional or mental health –maintaining a positive self-esteem and feelings -leading to anxiety or low mood
- Behaviour – learning to regulate their emotions; and social interaction – the way they talk to adults and other children
- Sensory / Physical ability, including visual, hearing, motor coordination, spatial awareness or medical.
What other learning needs are there?
Children may have other learning needs such as English as an additional language or having missed gaps in education for various different reasons. The Learning Support Team also provide support for students who are Children in Care or previously looked after children and those which have medical needs.
What happens if your child is struggling to access learning at King’s Oak?
Our teachers plan their lessons to a high standard to meet a wide range of needs in their classes. Some children require more support than others, so the teacher will change their teaching to meet the needs of these children. This is known as Quality First Teaching. If a child seems be struggling more than ‘usual’, the teacher will inform the Year Team and you.
The teacher and Class or Year Team will help and support with possible strategies talking with SENDCo. They will check for impact of this support and check the progress of your child. The extra support usually means the child starts to make progress and gets back ‘on track’.
If your child does not show signs of making progress, the teacher will refer to the Learning Support Team. We will contact you to discuss your child’s needs. Further assessment may be completed. We will put in place more support for them and regularly check their progress. This stage is called SEND Support and your child will now be added to the SEND register.
The extra support may be from in school provision- including assessments, interventions, assistive technology used in lessons or access to additional adult support. We may seek the help of appropriate outside agencies, but we’ll talk through this with you. We may also ask you to visit your GP to further investigate your child’s needs. You will be updated about your child’s progress and next steps through parent’s evenings, learning support evenings, communication from teachers/SENCo and reports.
If your child’s needs are complex, long term and personalised support is needed for them consistently to access their learning, then we will consider the following:
We may start having Annual Reviews and put a Support Plan in place so that we can look at progress and needs over time.
We may ask an Educational Psychologist, Speech and Language Therapist, Paediatrician or another specialist to meet with you and your child.
We may apply for additional funding for your child, through South Gloucestershire Local Authority to support their individual needs as provision is above what the school gives for other SEND students.
We may talk with you about applying for an Education, Health and Care Plan issued by the Local Authority.
Who can apply for an Education, Health and Care Plan?
Anyone involved with the child – parents, carers, social worker, education and health professionals – can apply to the local authority for a needs assessment for an Educational Health and Care Plan.
You can access further information on EHCPs, SEND and the South Gloucestershire Local Offer via their website Local Offer in South Gloucestershire (southglos.gov.uk)
Who can I talk to find out more?
Any of the following members of staff will be able to assist you in finding out more about Inclusion and Learning Support at King’s Oak:
English as an additional language
Some of the students who join King’s Oak may need additional support as English is not their first language. EAL students are not considered to have a ‘Special Educational Need’ but are seen to benefit from the ability to live and learn in more than one language. King’s Statement of Intent outlines the provision we provide at King’s Oak.
Young Carers at King’s Oak Academy
Kate Twynam: [email protected]
Young Carers Support Centre Bristol and South Gloucestershire
Updated guidance for young people in a caring role
LAC and PLAC Students
King’s Oak works closely with the Virtual Schools and social workers to support our Looked After Children and Previously Looked After Children Please refer King’s Oak’s policy or contact Andrew Marshall-Aherne for any information.
Supporting students with Medical Needs
Some students may require additional support due to a long-term medical condition or a short illness or injury. Please refer to the Medical Policy and Children with heath needs who can’t attend school Policy, for further information.
