Special Educational Needs and Disabilities

Our dedicated team of Teaching Assistants supports students with a broad range of needs, including:
– cognition & learning
– communication & interaction
– sensory & physical
– social, emotional & mental health

This can involve supporting students in mainstream lessons, in small groups or through one-to-one support.

Staffing

Assistant Headteacher, SENCO          Mrs A Balmer     abalmer@stmonicas.stoccat.org.uk
SEND Support Manager            Mrs C Fotheringham   cfotheringham@stmonicas.stoccat.org.uk

About SEND

St Monica’s has an excellent personalised learning area that is open to pupils who has SEND at any given time for intervention to be delivered. We offer a range of clubs that are extremely popular, including break club, lunch club, homework club, Dungeons and Dragons, Football after school club and extra literacy and numeracy support is also available after school.

The Assistant Headteacher / SENCO works closely with the feeder primary schools / Post 16 providers and meets with the students and parents of those who may need extra support following their transition to secondary school or college.

Break time Club

Every day at break time there is a break club available in Room 21 / 22. This is available to all students who are supported by a teaching assistant.

Lunch Club

There is a lunch club available to all students every day in Room 21 / 22. There is a teaching assistant at hand to interact with the students and build on their social skills. Games, Lego, art and homework help is offered during every session.

Homework Club

Homework Club is available to all students after school from 3 pm – 3.30. in Room 21. This is delivered by the Teaching assistants

Dyslexia Screening

One of the teaching assistants screens students for dyslexic traits. If any traits are identified intervention is put into place from one of the IDL programmes. Parents are informed of the findings as well as strategies that are sent to all the students teaching staff.  Overlays are also provided if students find them useful.

Access Arrangement Screening

We have an SpLD specialist that comes into school every 2 weeks to assess pupils for Access Arrangements from Year 9.  If a pupil has lower than average literacy or processing skills they may be entitled to special exam arrangements including extra time or a reader.

KS2 Transition Programme

Every year in the summer term, we offer a transition programme for vulnerable students to familiarise themselves with the school and staff. This runs prior to the whole school transition days. The Assistant Headteacher / SENCO is involved in the programme as all primary schools are visited prior to this intervention starting. The Head of Year & SENCO visits the SEN/vulnerable students who are identified by the primary school SENCO to plan for any intervention they may need once they start St Monica’s.

English as an Additional Language Support

Students who attend St Monica’s and who do not have English as their first language are closely monitored and supported by the SEND department. Students are given extra time in the SEND Department to work on improving their English skills as well as being supported in some lessons. All students who have English as an additional language are provided with dictionaries and a laptop.  Miss Moore SEND Manager is responsible for EAL.