SEND Information Report

At Our Lady’s RC High School all pupils are given the support they require to achieve their full potential. Our vision is:

“To create a safe, nurturing and inclusive environment where students’ individual needs are met to enable them to progress academically, socially and spiritually. We aim to create a culture of inclusion and diversity in which all students feel proud of their identity and are able to participate fully in school life”.

At key stage 3, a range of different strategies are used across the curriculum to provide additional support to develop literacy skills such as the teaching of reciprocal reading strategies. For pupils with specific learning difficulties regarding literacy and numeracy, interventions are devised which work on the pupils' specific areas of difficulty and if necessary develop the use of assistive technology to help develop independence. LEGO therapy is amongst the types of interventions that are offered to pupils who require extra support in building self-esteem, confidence, self-regulation and resilience. The SEND provision at Our Lady’s is pupil centered and is devised based on a child’s individual need. Students are also encouraged to take part in reviews and to contribute to their own target setting. If they require support with any aspect of their education the SEND team will work to find solutions and ensure that the child is given the best possible chance of achieving their potential.

A range of alternate curriculum opportunities are offered to pupils at key stage 4 which include Functional Skills, the RE Bishop's Certificate and The Prince's Trust qualification. We have an excellent link with various local Colleges and support pupils with finding appropriate post-16 placements regardless of their attainment at the end of year 11. Transition work happens throughout their final year to ensure they feel as prepared for life at college as possible. Access to the curriculum is supported by a team of teaching assistants who receive regular CPD and access to training in areas such as: Autism Awareness, SLCN, Dyslexia and Literacy support, SEMH, and Pathological Demand Avoidance. We are committed to continuous professional development and regularly engage with external experts to ensure our practice reflects the latest research and guidance.

Where additional expertise is required, we work closely with a range of external professionals, including:

• Educational Psychologists
   

• Speech and Language Therapists (SALT)
   

• Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS)
   

• Occupational Therapists
   

• Specialist SEND advisory teachers from the Local Authority

In addition, at Our Lady’s R.C. High School, we value strong partnerships with parents and carers. Parents of pupils with SEND or suspected SEND are regularly invited to discuss progress and next steps, involved in target setting and pupil support plans, and are encouraged to communicate any concerns with the SEND team asap. We believe that this open collaboration with families ensures the best outcomes for our pupils.
 

All of the information here applies to children with special educational needs, including those who are looked after by the local authority. This information should be read alongside the information provided by the local authority which can be found at Manchester's Local Offer:

Our Lady’s R.C. High School will make provision for pupils with needs across all areas of SEND that include:

• Communication and interaction.
• Cognition and learning.
• Social, mental and emotional health.
• Sensory and / or physical.

The SENDCO at Our Lady’s R.C. High School is Miss Jo-Maria Jones:

0161 507 9640

j.jones@olsc.manchester.sch.uk

You may also speak to the assistant SENDCO Mrs Sheryl McNally:

0161 507 9640

s.mcnally@olsc.manchester.sch.uk

To identify pupils with SEND, Our Lady’s R.C. High School will:

• Assess each pupil’s current skills and levels of attainment on entry.
• Make regular assessments of all pupils to ensure that the intervention:
• Ensures that the child’s progress is similar to that of their peers starting from the same baseline.
• Matches or betters the child’s previous rate of progress.
• Closes the attainment gap between the child and their peers.
• Prevents the attainment gap growing wider.

 The school will provide extra support to pupils falling behind or making inadequate progress given their age and starting point, assess whether a pupil has a significant learning difficulty where pupils continue to make inadequate progress, despite high-quality teaching targeted at their areas of weakness. Below are a series of links to provide you with further information in regards to different aspects of supporting a child with a special educational need.  

In order to ensure you have all of the necessary information about our SEND support here at Our Lady's R.C. High School, below is our SEND Policy.