What is an Access Arrangement?

If a student has an identified learning need or disability that means that he or she is disadvantaged in comparison to other students of similar ability, he or she may qualify for access arrangements for public examinations. There are a number of different types of access arrangement and these are determined by the Joint Council for Qualifications (JCQ). The main ones are listed at the bottom of this document. The criteria that must be met for an access arrangement changes frequently and JCQ issue guidance booklets every year. You can access these online – www.jcq.org.uk for information.

Reasonable Adjustments

The Equality Act 2010 requires an Awarding Body (Exam Board) to make reasonable adjustments where a disabled person would be at a substantial disadvantage in undertaking an assessment.

How reasonable the adjustment is will depend on a number of factors including the needs of the disabled candidate/learner. An adjustment may not be considered reasonable if it involves unreasonable costs, timeframes or affects the security or integrity of the assessment. (JCQ 2017)

When we will assess a student

We will assess all students at the end of year 9 in order to ascertain whether students meet the criteria and subsequently apply for access arrangements to be granted. Any application is only valid for 26 months and it is for this reason that we do not apply earlier.

In order for us to apply we need to provide evidence of an ongoing need and show that the access arrangement we apply for is the student’s normal way of working. Therefore, throughout Years 7, 8 and 9 we may trial various strategies in order to make sure that we are not only meeting the criteria but that we can work out what might be the best provision for your child.

No access arrangement is formalised until the end of Year 9/start of Year 10 and any arrangement made before that time is essentially part of the assessment process. This can be quite confusing for parents as we are aware that students have sometimes been granted an access arrangement for tests at primary school. Please be aware that these do not carry forward and that the assessment process for GCSE examinations, does not occur until year 9/10. Please also be aware that having an Education Health and Care Plan or diagnosis of a Specific Learning Difficulty or ASD or ADHD does not necessarily mean that a student will qualify for access arrangements, even if your child has regular in class support.

In some exceptional circumstances, if there has been a significant change in needs, we may assess your child or apply for access arrangements in the summer of year 10 or year 12. If this is the case, we will still need evidence that the access arrangement is the student’s normal way of working.

Access arrangements information

As you can imagine, the number of applications for access arrangements has increased rapidly over the past few years.

“The SENCo must be satisfied that the candidate has an impairment which has a substantial and long term adverse effect, giving rise to persistent and significant difficulties; and the candidate is disabled within the meaning of the Equality Act 2010”.
Access Arrangements and Reasonable adjustments – JCQ 2018/19

Below is a summary of the current JCQ directives regarding access arrangements.

Supervised rest breaks:

• These must always be considered before applying for extra time.
• These will be allowed where it is the candidate’s normal way of working.
• Medical conditions – rest breaks can be agreed if you have a serious medical condition, examples of this are type 1 diabetes or a sensory need. Medical evidence is required. AD(H)D – if you have a diagnosis we will look at the recommendations and consider whether rest breaks will be helpful in exams. Evidence of your diagnosis is required.
• Evidence from CAMHs of current treatment for a condition that requires rest breaks. However, we do not accept evidence from this service if you have been discharged from treatment.

Please Note: We are not able or allowed to provide rest breaks in advance for anxiety/worry/ stress caused by taking exams. It is normal to feel stressed and worried about exams. Please feel reassured that our exam invigilators are experienced and trained to deal with students who are upset and worried on the day.

Prompter:

• These do not need to be registered on Access Arrangements Online.
• A prompter may be permitted where a candidate has a substantial and long term adverse impairment resulting in persistent distractibility or significant difficulty in concentrating.

25% extra time:

• These must be applied for and registered on Access Arrangements Online.
• Applications will be considered based on either a Statement of Special Educational Need or an assessment carried out no earlier than Year 9 by a specialist assessor to confirm a learning difficulty.
• Candidates with 25% extra time normally sit their examinations in the hall (unless an additional arrangement such as a reader/scribe is in place).
• Candidates must have at least one below average standardised score of 84 or less in either;
  • Speed of reading
  • Speed of reading comprehension
  • Speed of writing
  • Cognitive processing measures.

Allocation of a reader:

• These must be applied for and registered on Access Arrangements Online.
• Applications will be considered based on either a Statement of Special Educational Need or an assessment carried out no earlier than Year 9 by a specialist assessor to confirm a learning difficulty.
• A reader will only be allowed if; language and vocabulary difficulties have a substantial and long term adverse effect on the candidates’ ability to access written text or there is a substantial and long term visual impairment which means the candidate cannot access Braille or enlarged print independently.
• Where substantial impairment is evidenced the SENCO must be able to demonstrate the candidate would be at a substantial disadvantage when compared with other, non-disabled candidates undertaking the exam.

Allocation of a scribe:

• These must be applied for and registered on Access Arrangements Online.
• Applications will be considered based on either a Statement of Special Educational Need or an assessment carried out no earlier than Year 9 by a specialist assessor to confirm a learning difficulty.
• If a word processor is the candidates’ normal way of working within school then it should be used within examinations.
• The use of a scribe must reflect the candidates’ normal way of working within school.
• A scribe should only be used where a candidate cannot use a word processor with the spelling and grammar check disabled.
• A scribe will only be allowed where; impairment has a substantial and long term adverse effect on the candidates’ writing or a candidate cannot write, type or Braille independently, or at sufficient speed to record their answers even with extra time allowed.

Word Processor:
The following criteria details how the centre awards and allocates word processors for examinations and controlled assessments.

• If a candidate believes they should be using a word processor for their examinations and/or controlled assessments they must first speak with the SENCo. The use of a laptop will only be granted to a student if it is appropriate to their needs and approved by the SENCo.
• If the SENCo agrees that a word processor is acceptable for a candidate to use in their examinations and/or controlled assessments (as set out in Section 5.8 of the JCQ Access Arrangements and Reasonable Adjustments), they will inform the examinations officer and subject leader staff by email.
• The examinations officer, will then add this entitlement to their Exams profile so it is recorded for public examination seasons. However, please note that the candidate may or may not wish to use the word processor on the day of the examination and may only use the word processor for certain subjects.
• The subject leader must make sure that the word processor is ready if the candidate wants to use this for their controlled assessment. However, the candidate may or may not wish to use the word processor on the day of the controlled assessment. Please note that word processors cannot be used in controlled assessments if prohibited for that unit and/or specification. The examinations officer will be able to advise and/or contact the relevant awarding body to seek clarification or permission to use a word processor in that controlled assessment unit.
• The JCQ requirement and recommendation for candidates regarding the use of word processors in examinations and/or controlled assessments is that this is their normal way of working.
• Where possible, students taking year group, in class and other tests and assessments will have the opportunity to use a laptop, if one is available. There will be occasions, particularly during the year 11 mock exam series and the summer public exam series, where laptops may not be available to other year groups.

This centre follows the 2018-19 JCQ rules from the Access Arrangements regulation book regarding the use of word processors, noted below:

(AA 5.8.1)

• Provides a word processor with the spelling and grammar check facility/predictive text disabled (switched off).
• Only grants the use of a word processor to a candidate where it is their normal way of working.
• Only grants the use of a word processor to a candidate if it is appropriate to their needs (for example, the quality of language significantly improves as a result of using a word processor due to problems with planning and organisation when writing by hand). The above also extends to the use of electronic braillers and tablets.

(AA 5.8.2)

• Provides access to word processors to candidates in non-examination assessments (including controlled assessments or coursework) components as standard practice unless prohibited by the specification.

(AA 5.8.3)

• Allows candidates to use a word processor in an examination to type certain questions, i.e. those requiring extended writing, and handwrite shorter answers. The centre is also aware that examinations which have a significant amount of writing, as well as those that place a greater demand on the need to organise thought and plan extended answers, are those where candidates will frequently need to type. Examinations which require more simplistic answers are often easier to handwrite within the answer booklet. The candidate avoids the difficulty of visually tracking between the question paper and screen.

(AA 5.8.4)

• In all cases, ensures that a word processor cover sheet (Form 4) is completed and included with each candidate’s typed script.
• Does not simply grant the use of a word processor to a candidate because he/she prefers to type rather than write or can work faster on a keyboard, or because he/she uses a laptop at home

Please note: Re: Maths – The use of a word processor in exams is for students who need to do extended writing. Unless there is a medical reason or a specific need, we do not permit the use of a word processor for Maths

Separate Invigilation: (students sit with others in a smaller room rather than in the Sports Hall) for examinations and controlled assessments.

There is an exceptionally high demand for separate invigilation and we require medical evidence of need from a consultant or specialist. We cannot accept a letter from GPs. This must be dated within one year of the exam to be taken. Unless it is for a serious, acute and/or chronic medical or psychological condition, we cannot provide Separate Invigilation. General anxiety, low mood, stress indicators or other common conditions or factors will generally not provide adequate evidence for separate invigilation. We encourage all students requesting separate invigilation to make use of the school’s pastoral support and BEAT sessions to help with student exam stress.

Individual Invigilation
Individual Invigilation can only be accommodated in highly exceptional circumstances. We require evidence of need from a consultant or specialist which provides details of the student’s condition and states exactly why Individual Invigilation is necessary for that student. A standard, general letter about their condition would not suffice. Following submission of this evidence, the SENCo and Examinations Officer will make a final decision and communicate this back to the applicant and parents/carers.

A broad team of dedicated and hardworking Learning Support Assistants (LSAs), Specialist Staff, Teachers, Administrators & SENCO make up a team of over 20. By far the most extensive department in SJB it supports over 275 children with additional learning needs and disabilities.

Our primary focus is what goes on in the classroom. Throughout SJB, you will find a high number of students being closely supported via LSAs in class, fully included within a mainstream curriculum. The Learning Support department is currently supporting over 450 mainstream lessons per week!

LSAs have regular and continuous coaching to guarantee that the best possible methods are being used to support students. In addition, LSAs will overtly or discretely support a lesson with a range of tactics and methods, ensuring inclusion is paramount. Part of this inclusion is that students will build and learn resilience and independence as they develop up the school, no matter the severity of need.

The school’s Catholic ethos is integral to what we do and no doubt part of the school’s wider success of supporting all students. However, as a department, we go further and pride ourselves on the following values:

• Patience
• Understanding
• Sense of Humour
• Kindness
• Support
• Sensitivity
• Willingness
• Adaptability
• Versatility
• Diplomacy

SJB is a mainstream secondary school providing students with a curriculum that culminates in GCSEs at the end of Year 11 and GCE A Levels at the end of Year 13.

We are committed to providing for students with a range of Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND) including those without an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP). We are also committed to supporting colleagues in school to provide the initial wave of support in the classroom, Quality first teaching (QFT).

SEND Population (Students on the Learning Support Register) 2023-24

The school currently meets the needs of students with and without an EHCP with the following kinds of special educational need:

• Autistic Spectrum Conditions
• Social, Emotional and Mental Health Needs including ADHD and Anxiety
• Speech and Language Needs
• Specific Learning Difficulties relating to literacy or numeracy
• Visual/Hearing Impairments
• Sensory and Physical Needs

SJB has a huge wealth of experience working and providing for students with SEND. We run interventions to meet the need of the students proactively.

Below are some of the key provisions we currently offer. Many of these provisions are available to both students with and without an EHCP.

Before School Club

8.00am – 8.50am Learning Support Department opens first thing for students to have a good calm start to the day. Monitored by a small team of LSAs, students can study and complete homework. This is a great time for many of the students to organise themselves and prepare for the day ahead.

Breaktime Support

10.55am- 11.15am Learning Support offers a safe and calm environment for those who find the playground and canteen overwhelming. At break time students can interact inside, have a snack, play games and chat. As we want students to engage with each other openly during this time, we ask students not to use their iPad over the break.

Lunchtime Support

Learning Support offers a safe calm and supported environment for students who find the canteen overwhelming. At lunchtime, they can eat their packed lunch in Learning Support if they wish. As we want students to engage with each other during this time, we ask them not to use their iPad over lunchtime. Learning Support Assistants are on hand to offer support socially to help set up games, activities as well as having a good chat with anyone who needs it.

Homework Club

15.25pm – 16:30pm Homework club runs every day in The Hub. Supported by a large group of LSAs, it is an environment where students can feel supported in making a good start with their Homework. This club is open to all students not only those with special educational needs.

SEND Mentoring System

Every student with an EHCP (E) or on the Learning Support register as SEN Support (K) will have a Learning Mentor or Key LSA. The Learning Mentor / Key LSA is the students “go-to person”, they will also hold the administrative and communication responsibilities to gather and pass on feedback to relevant people. Effective mentoring can really be the glue that holds all the support together. Overseeing the students’ progress for a minimum of a year some mentors could oversee a student for up to 3 years. The mentor will create the ‘Student Passport’ and ‘SEND Learning Plan’.

Transition Programme (Year 7)

Transition is available to all Year 7 students not just those with special educational needs. It operates a much smaller class size of around 15 – 18 students. These are students who are most in need of support. They are provided with a calm, constant and nurturing environment on their transition to secondary school. Core subjects – Maths, English, RE, Geography and History are taught by one specialist teacher in the same classroom. Science, MFL, Computing, Drama, Music and Art are taught by subject specialist teachers in specialist rooms. For Design Technology, Food and Physical Education the students are taught amongst the rest of Year 7.

Removing the anxiety of multiple teachers, rooms and environments significantly aids the learning and settling in process. It also provides to opportunity for additional literacy and numeracy support where needed. Specific SEND support can also be deployed in the same environment making it more effective.

The students become quickly familiar with the expectations of the school, whilst being able to receive the best possible support from their teachers and the Learning Support department, whilst accessing the full curriculum in an inclusive environment. Overall having a better transition into mainstream secondary education. The school determines who will be placed in the transition programme each year based on the needs of the cohort; placement is not based solely on SEND needs.

Emotional Literacy Support Sessions (ELSA)

Carried out by trained and skilled Emotional Literacy Support Assistants (ELSAs). These sessions are considered early intervention for emotional thinking and understanding. There is a variety of reasons why a student is referred to this support such as family issues, sickness or separation as well as school-related anxieties and concerns, however it is not always obvious.

We run a variety of different programmes to suit the varying needs of our students. The sessions all run once a week for 4-6 weeks and are either small group or one-to-one depending on the programme and the needs of the individuals. These include:

• Social Skills – The sessions focus on age-appropriate aspects of social skills regarding the thinking and understanding of how we communicate and interact with each other, both verbally and non-verbally, through gestures, body language and our personal appearance. For many students especially those on the Autistic Spectrum, it is not automatic, and we need to provide a long-term understanding of our ability to understand why effective communication is so important.
• Friendships and Relationships Skills – In this small group programme the students gain a better understanding of healthy friendships and relationships and explore different challenges that they may face. It also provides opportunity to for the students to build friendships within the group.
• Building Self-esteem – These sessions will deliver an opportunity to reflect and build on the students’ self-esteem with a variety of practical activities.
• Dealing with Low Level Anxiety – These sessions teach the students what anxiety is and provide them with the tools to work through it.

The impact of these programmes is reviewed by the ELSAs at 4-6 weeks and may be extended.

BEAT Sessions

Overseen and created by an Educational Psychologist, this 6-week workshop is delivered by an ELSA to a small group of Year 11, 12 and 13 students who might become anxious about exams. Students who access the group will have greater understanding and will be able to use strategies to help reduce anxieties with exams.

Lexia Power Up Literacy Programme

Lexia PowerUp Literacy is a computer-based programme that adapts instruction to the specific needs of adolescent learners. The activities in PowerUp support and build on English language focusing on developing reading skills in three areas: word study, grammar, and comprehension.

PowerUp uses a structured and systematic approach to filling in skill gaps for adolescent learners. The programme is broken up into three main skill areas since students may have different needs in each:

• Word Study – Students develop reading accuracy and fluency by focusing on sound and syllable patterns in words.
• Grammar – Students learn how written language works in order to improve their writing and reading comprehension. They learn how parts of speech function in sentences and how sentence parts convey meaning.
• Comprehension – Students learn skills & strategies to become independent and strategic readers. Passages include original and authentic texts of multiple genres including informational texts, narratives, drama, and poetry.

Thinking Reading Programme

Thinking Reading is a bespoke one-to-one diagnostic literacy intervention programme offered by our highly trained specialists. All students with a reading age more than two years behind their peers will be assessed for their suitability for this programme.

Handwriting Group

Led by one of our experienced and trained Support Staff, this intervention delivers routine exercises in a quiet and calm space in school. It offers daily practice with fine motor & gross motor skills using a variety of every day and specific items. Students often find this time relaxing as well as an opportunity to have a chat before school. It can be delivered as a group or one-to-one.

Pathway 2

Pathway 2 is an invite-only alternative curriculum at KS4. Considerable time and care is invested into identifying those students who might benefit from this pathway prior to the Year 9 options process. Identified students and their parents are invited into school for a Pathway 2 meeting before the Year 9 options process begins and are given the choice as to which pathway model they would prefer to follow.

This provision provides greater flexibility in the school week by reducing the total number of GCSEs/BTECs taken by the student from ten to nine or eight. This allows us to create additional support lessons on their timetable. These lessons, run by specialist teachers, will focus on Maths/numeracy, English/literacy and Science.

This combination of additional support lessons and study outside the classroom compared to the main pathway, allows students greater time to focus on those subjects that they are following GCSE/BTEC examination courses in. The end result of this is that Pathway 2 typically leads to better academic outcomes at the end of KS4 and to a wider range of options and courses Post-16 for those students following it.

In addition, a small number of students in Year 10 are invited to undertake their Bronze Duke of Edinburgh Award as one of there option subjects.

Functional Skills English (Level 1 and 2)

Each year a very small number of students are disapplied from GCSE English Language and GCSE English Literature and instead work towards the Functional Skills English qualification. Those who achieve a pass at Level 1 in Year 10 go on to study for Level 2 in Year 11.

English & Maths Boosters

Bespoke individual packages of English and/or Maths intervention delivered by a subject teachers or subject specific LSAs help students who find it hard to access the content of the GCSE curriculum. The support on offer will cater to the learning needs of the student, pre-teach and gap-fill in all areas of the subject.

Work Skills

Students will be given the opportunity to have some lessons from SJB Career Advisor, then to follow a plan to ensure they are prepared for life after education giving them the opportunity to complete CV writing, work related life skills, communications and finance.

Paired Reading

Peer-led reading intervention for students in Years 7 and 8 allows students to practice their reading skills with trained tutors from Years 10 & 12. This would take place periodically, usually over a single term.

Speech & Language Therapy

Our in-house Speech and Language Therapist provides treatment, support and care for children who have difficulties with communication. Provision is in small groups or one-to-one depending on need.

Learning Support Assistant

The Learning Support Assistant (LSA) works with students with SEND in and out of the classroom. Supporting academically, physically and mentally; the students wellbeing, social development and focus within the classroom are all supported. This could be in the form of gentle and occasional prompts within the lesson to correct focus to being seated next to a student to physically support them access the curriculum and work set by the teacher.

LSAs are much more nomadic than other support staff and will often support a range of students throughout the school, working across multiple classes and years over the week. LSAs at SJB are broadly linked to year groups and to subjects and will work in all types of lessons. It is extremely rare that LSAs work one-to-one with individuals or for individuals to have full-time support during the school day.

SJB understands the journey all parents have when deciding their child’s next school. With so many factors and pressures on parents, it is understandable that the process and pathways can become overwhelming particularly at points of transition. However, we want to reassure all parents from the outset that we are here to help. We will guide parents and provide concise and easy to understand information that will help them to make the best and most informed decisions for their child.

If a child currently has an EHCP and is in Year 4 or 5, we recommend that parents book a tour to see all about the provision at SJB. The tour, lasting for about an hour will consist of all the significant parts of the school and the Learning Support Department. At the end of the tour, parents will get the opportunity to ask any questions relating to what the school does to support all students. Our SEND Tours start at 9.15 on a Monday morning – please email info@sjb.surrey.sch.uk if you would like to book onto one. It is also important that you have read our SEND policy and other SEND documents if you are planning on naming us as your preferred school for Year 7 so you fully understand the offer we can provide.

Whilst much of our work supports those students with an Educational Health & Care Plan (EHCP), we continue to provide support and expertise to those students with any additional needs throughout the school. More information about what we provide for non-EHCP students is on our provision map.

Starting at SJB does not always mean day one of Year 7. Once a child’s place is confirmed, The SJB SEND team will be in touch to arrange the first visit whilst they are in Year 6. All students who need a supported transition will be offered opportunities to get to know us before they start.

Yr 6 into 7 SEND Transition Morning or Afternoon (June)

These sessions are open to students who, after discussions with primary schools, we feel would benefit from additional support. The sessions will take place largely within the Learning Support Department a week or two before the main Year 6 into 7 Induction Day (see below). After a few introductions we will unpick the schools’ expectations on them as students. The students will then be split into a few groups and supported by our team of LSAs, embark on a tour of the school, several fun lesson-based activities and enjoy lunch together. This is an excellent opportunity for the children to get to know key members of the Learning Support Department and some of the other students joining SJB in September. Students are invited to either the morning or afternoon session dependant upon their need.

Induction Day (July)

Open to all new starters to the school; their first whole day at SJB! The opportunity to start making lifelong friends and getting to know many of their new teachers and support staff who will be working with them for the next few years. This is a fun-packed day anchored around time spent getting to know each other in form groups.

SEND Provision

SJB is a mainstream secondary school providing students with a curriculum that culminates in GCSEs at the end of Year 11 and GCE A Levels at the end of Year 13. This means that it may not be suitable for students who are not able to follow this pathway and need a more alternate provision.

We are committed to providing for students with a range of Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND) including those without an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP). We are also committed to supporting colleagues in school to provide the initial wave of support in the classroom, Quality first teaching (QFT).

SEND Population (Students on the Learning Support Register) 2023-24

The school currently meets the needs of students with and without an EHCP with the following kinds of special educational need:

• Autistic Spectrum Conditions
• Social, Emotional and Mental Health Needs including ADHD and Anxiety
• Speech and Language Needs
• Specific Learning Difficulties relating to literacy or numeracy
• Visual/Hearing Impairments
• Sensory and Physical Needs

SJB has a huge wealth of experience working and providing for students with SEND. We run interventions to meet the need of the students proactively.

Below are some of the key provisions we currently offer. Many of these provisions are available to both students with and without an EHCP.

Before School Club

8.00am – 8.50am Learning Support starts first thing in the morning for students to have a good calm start to the day. Monitored by a small team of LSAs, students can study and complete homework. This is a great time for many of the students to organise themselves and prepare for the day ahead. This is based in the school Hub.

Lunchtime Support

Learning Support offers a safe calm and supported environment for students who find the canteen overwhelming. This is based in the school well-being room. At lunchtime, they can eat their packed lunch in the Well-being room if they wish. As we want students to engage with each other during this time, we ask them not to use their iPad over lunchtime. Learning Support Assistants are on hand to offer support socially to help set up games, activities as well as having a good chat with anyone who needs it.

Homework Club

3.25pm – 4:30pm Homework club runs every day in The Hub. Supported by a large group of LSAs, it is an environment where students can feel supported in making a good start with their Homework. This club is open to all students not only those with special educational needs.

SEND Mentoring System

Every student with an EHCP (E) or on the Learning Support register as SEN Support (K) will have a Learning Mentor or Key LSA. The Learning Mentor / Key LSA is the students “go-to person”, they will also hold the administrative and communication responsibilities to gather and pass on feedback to relevant people. Effective mentoring can really be the glue that holds all the support together. Overseeing the students’ progress for a minimum of a year some mentors could oversee a student for up to 3 years. The mentor will create the ‘Student Passport’ and ‘SEND Learning Plan’. Each age phase (KS3,4&5) is overseen by Age Phase Leads who oversee the SEND provisions in their range.

Transition Programme (Year 7)

Transition is available to all Year 7 students, not just those with special educational needs. It operates a much smaller class size of around 15 – 18 students. These are students who are most in need of support. They are provided with a calm, constant and nurturing environment on their transition to secondary school. Core subjects – Maths, English, RE, Geography and History are taught by one specialist teacher in the same classroom. Science, MFL, Computing, Drama, Music and Art are taught by subject specialist teachers in specialist rooms. For Design Technology, Food and Physical Education the students are taught amongst the rest of Year 7.

Removing the anxiety of multiple teachers, rooms and environments significantly aids the learning and settling in process. It also provides to opportunity for additional literacy and numeracy support where needed. Specific SEND support can also be deployed in the same environment making it more effective.

The students become quickly familiar with the expectations of the school, whilst being able to receive the best possible support from their teachers and the Learning Support department, whilst accessing the full curriculum in an inclusive environment. Overall having a better transition into mainstream secondary education. The school determines who will be placed in the transition programme each year based on the needs of the cohort; placement is not based solely on SEND needs.

Emotional Literacy Support Sessions (ELSA)

Carried out by trained and skilled Emotional Literacy Support Assistants (ELSAs). These sessions are considered early intervention for emotional thinking and understanding. There is a variety of reasons why a student is referred to this support such as family issues, sickness or separation as well as school-related anxieties and concerns, however it is not always obvious.

We run a variety of different programmes to suit the varying needs of our students. The sessions all run once a week for 4-6 weeks and are either small group or one-to-one depending on the programme and the needs of the individuals.

These include:

• Social Skills – The sessions focus on age-appropriate aspects of social skills regarding the thinking and understanding of how we communicate and interact with each other, both verbally and non-verbally, through gestures, body language and our personal appearance. For many students especially those on the Autistic Spectrum, it is not automatic, and we need to provide a long-term understanding of our ability to understand why effective communication is so important.
• Friendships and Relationships Skills – In this small group programme the students gain a better understanding of healthy friendships and relationships and explore different challenges that they may face. It also provides opportunity to for the students to build friendships within the group.
• Building Self-esteem – These sessions will deliver an opportunity to reflect and build on the students’ self-esteem with a variety of practical activities.
• Dealing with Low Level Anxiety – These sessions teach the students what anxiety is and provide them with the tools to work through it.

The impact of these programmes is reviewed by the ELSAs at 4-6 weeks and may be extended.

BEAT Sessions

Overseen and created by an Educational Psychologist, this 6-week workshop is delivered by an ELSA to a small group of Year 11, 12 and 13 students who might become anxious about exams. Students who access the group will have greater understanding and will be able to use strategies to help reduce anxieties with exams.

Thinking Reading Programme

Thinking Reading is a bespoke one-to-one diagnostic literacy intervention programme offered by our highly trained specialists. All students with a reading age more than two years behind their peers will be assessed for their suitability for this programme.

Executive Functioning Programme

Our team of LSAs run functional skills programmes over the course of 6-8 weeks. This programme allows students to develop their skills in areas such as:

• Working Memory
• Emotional Control
• Sustained Attention
• Task Initiation
• Planning And Prioritizing
• Organization
• Time Management.

Pathway 2

Pathway 2 is an invite-only alternative curriculum at KS4. Considerable time and care is invested into identifying those students who might benefit from this pathway prior to the Year 9 options process. Identified students and their parents are invited into school for a Pathway 2 meeting before the Year 9 options process begins and are given the choice as to which pathway model they would prefer to follow.

This provision provides greater flexibility in the school week by reducing the total number of GCSEs/BTECs taken by the student from ten to nine or eight. This allows us to create additional support lessons on their timetable. These lessons, run by specialist teachers, will focus on Maths/numeracy, English/literacy and Science.

This combination of additional support lessons and study outside the classroom compared to the main pathway, allows students greater time to focus on those subjects that they are following GCSE/BTEC examination courses in. The end result of this is that Pathway 2 typically leads to better academic outcomes at the end of KS4 and to a wider range of options and courses Post-16 for those students following it.

In addition, a small number of students in Year 10 are invited to undertake their Bronze Duke of Edinburgh Award as one of their option subjects.

Functional Skills English (Level 1 and 2)

Each year a very small number of students are disapplied from GCSE English Language and GCSE English Literature and instead work towards the Functional Skills English qualification. Those who achieve a pass at Level 1 in Year 10 go on to study for Level 2 in Year 11.

English & Maths Boosters

Bespoke individual packages of English and/or Maths intervention delivered by subject teachers or subject specific LSAs help students who find it hard to access the content of the GCSE curriculum. The support on offer will cater to the learning needs of the student, pre-teach and gap-fill in all areas of the subject.

Work Skills

Students will be given the opportunity to have some lessons from SJB Career Advisor, then to follow a plan to ensure they are prepared for life after education giving them the opportunity to complete CV writing, work related life skills, communications and finance.

Speech & Language Therapy

Our in-house specialist teacher provides support and care for children who have difficulties with communication. Provision is in small groups or one-to-one depending on need. Speech and Language Therapy is provided by the LA when needed.

Learning Support Assistant

The Learning Support Assistant (LSA) works with students with SEND in and out of the classroom. Supporting academically, physically and mentally; the students wellbeing, social development and focus within the classroom are all supported. This could be in the form of gentle and occasional prompts within the lesson to correct focus to being seated next to a student to physically support them access the curriculum and work set by the teacher.

LSAs are much more nomadic than other support staff and will often support a range of students throughout the school, working across multiple classes and years over the week. LSAs at SJB are broadly linked to year groups and to subjects and will work in all types of lessons. It is extremely rare and only in exceptional circumstances that LSAs work one-to-one with individuals or for individuals to have full-time support during the school day.

The Learning Support Department

A broad team of dedicated and hardworking Learning Support Assistants (LSAs), Specialist Staff, Teachers, Administrators & SENCO make up a team of over 20. By far the most extensive department in SJB it supports over 285 children with additional learning needs and disabilities. Overseen by the school SENCO, Age Phase Leads are responsible for the day-to-day support of the students. They in turn oversee teams of LSAs who work within the classroom.

Our primary focus is what goes on in the classroom as excellent teaching is the best way for students to make progress. Throughout SJB, you will find a high number of students being supported via LSAs in class, fully included within a mainstream curriculum. We do not offer 1:1 LSA support as our LSAs work within the classroom to support anyone who needs it. The Learning Support department is currently supporting over 450 mainstream lessons per week!

LSAs have regular and continuous CPD to guarantee that the best possible methods are being used to support students. In addition, LSAs will overtly or discretely support a lesson with a range of tactics and methods, ensuring inclusion is paramount. Part of this inclusion is that students will build and learn resilience and independence as they develop up the school, no matter the severity of need. To this end, it is extremely rare that you will see an LSA working 1:1 with students in lessons. They might prompt, check understanding, scaffold or adapt work to ensure the students fully engage in the learning, however they will never lower the expectations or sit and do the work for them!

The school’s Catholic ethos is integral to what we do and no doubt part of the school’s wider success of supporting all students. However, as a department, we go further and pride ourselves on the following values:

• Patience
• Understanding
• Sense of Humour
• Kindness
• Support
• Sensitivity
• Willingness
• Adaptability
• Versatility
• Diplomacy