Special Educational Needs

 

Acland Burghley School SEND Information Report

This SEND information report explains the provision and support for children and young people with special educational needs at Acland Burghley School and will be particularly useful for parents deciding on whether Acland Burghley School is the right provision for their child.

At Acland Burghley School (ABS) we have a strong focus on inclusion and equality. We provide a high-quality education for all students, including those with Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND), and a welcoming and supportive school environment.

We use the heading Additional Educational Needs (AEN). This includes SEND and any other barrier to learning that means a student may require additional support to achieve their potential.

Our vision

The Governors and Staff at ABS are committed to the inclusion of students with Additional Educational Needs (AEN) in the full life of the school, with equal access to a broad and balanced curriculum.

We will provide the support and personal encouragement our students need to participate and make progress to achieve their full potential, and, to make a successful transition to adulthood. We work in partnership with parents and carers to achieve this vision.

Where can you find out more

This page set outs the provision available at Acland Burghley School (ABS) for students with Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND). It aims to provide a clear and simple overview.

You can find more detail in our Special Educational Needs Policy on the Policies page.

Please also refer to your Local Authority’s Local Offer for further services and support available to you and your family:

• Camden Local Offer
• Islington Local Offer

Contact

Dylan Owen

Director of Learning – Inclusion and Safeguarding
Designated Safeguarding Lead and SENDCo
sen@aclandburghley.camden.sch.uk

Glossary

SEND: Special Education Needs and Disability

EHC plan: Education Health Care Plan

SaLT: Speech and Language Therapist

EP: Educational Psychologist

K Student: A student that receives SEND support but does not have an EHC plan

ARP: Additionally Resourced Provision. The school offers additional support for Autistic student with complex needs that have been identified as needing more support than can be provided in a mainstream classroom.

AEN: Additional Educational Needs. Any barrier to learning that means a student may require additional support to achieve their potential. This includes SEND.

The Base: An area within the school for Autistic students with complex needs as part of the school’s ARP (See above)

SEND Register: a list of all the students at Acland Burghley who have special educational needs and/or a disability.

CAMHS: Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services

 

What types of SEND are supported at Acland Burghley School?

Our Mainstream Provision

We welcome students with special education needs relating to:

• communication and interaction,
• cognition and learning,
• social, emotional and mental health and
• sensory and/or physical needs.

 We welcome consultations from all students and families that are interested in joining Acland Burghley School.

Our Alternative Resourced Provision (BASE)

Our Additionally Resourced Provision is for Autistic students with complex needs. Young people who are given a BASE placement will have an Education, Health and Care (EHC) plan and a diagnosis of autism. These are students with the most exceptional complex needs. Decisions about entry to the BASE are managed by Camden Local Authority and not the school. 

 

How does Acland Burghley School identify pupils with SEND and assess their needs?

If a student has been receiving SEND support at their Primary School, they will automatically be placed on our SEND register when they join in year 7.

If a teacher, student or parent/carer has identified a possible learning difficulty for a student who joined after the start of Y7, or who wasn’t previously identified as having SEND, we will carry out a needs assessment.

Our team of Lead SEND Practitioners will assess the student using standardised tests (such as LUCID screeners) as well as observing them in the classroom. This will help us find out whether there is a learning difficulty, the type of learning difficulty and its impact on the student’s ability to engage with their education.

We group students into four broad areas of SEND to determine what kind of support is most suitable. These are:

• communication and interaction,
• cognition and learning,
• social, emotional and mental health
• sensory and/or physical needs,

We have an expert team of education psychologists, a speech and language therapist, CAMHS workers and an occupational therapist who help us assess student needs. 

 

Who are the key members of staff for AEN?

How does the school communicate with students with SEND and their families?

We want to make sure students and their families are involved in decisions about their education and the support they receive at school.

Students take part in regular reviews and can also share their opinions through daily conversations with staff.

If your child has an EHC plan they will be assigned a Key Worker who will communicate regularly with you. This is your first point of contact if you have a question or concern. You will also be able to discuss your child’s provision during annual and termly reviews.

If your child is a K student (A student that receives SEND support but does not have an EHC plan), a member of the wider AEN team will be assigned as their key worker to coordinate any interventions and strategies being put in place and measure the impact.

You can contact the Lead SEND Practitioner responsible for their primary area of need if you have a question or concern.

Other opportunities for feedback

We convene student panels once a term to gather feedback on our general approach and we use the findings to make improvements.

There is an AEN Parent Network Group who meet to share experiences and support each other. These meetings are attended by the SENCO and provide an opportunity to share views and help the school to keep improving.

 

How do we teach pupils with SEND and what additional support is available to SEND students?

Our approach varies according to a student’s needs. It includes:

Wave 1 – Quality First Teaching

At Acland Burghley, all our teachers use ‘Quality First Teaching’ in all lessons. This style of teaching emphasises high quality, inclusive teaching for all pupils in a class. It includes adaptive learning, such as using visual resources and breaking down instructions into smaller chunks of information. These techniques meet the learning needs of some students with SEND without the need for additional support or interventions.

See section 9.5 of the SEND policy for more details on our Quality First Teaching strategy (hyperlink).

Wave 2 – Additional SEND support

Some SEND students need additional support. This can include in-class additional support from a trained professional such as a Teaching and Learning Assistant (TLA) or interventions to develop learning or learning related skills that can be applied to education and life skills.

Our interventions are grouped to meet the needs of students in the four broad areas of SEND and include:

• For Communication and Interaction: Circle of Friends; Positive Interaction, Life Skills and Zones of Regulation.
• For Cognition and Learning: Use of laptop in lesson, rapid reader, touch typing, homework club, differentiated homework
• For Social, Emotional and Mental Health needs (SEMH): Emotional Literacy Support Assistant (ELSA), mentoring, restorative conversations
• For Physical and sensory needs, including medical needs: Ear defenders, sensory diet, morning gym, daily living sessions

Wave 3 – Specialist Support

Some SEND students need specialist and intensive support. This can include direct work with our Educational Psychologists, Speech and Language Therapists or external professionals such as CAMHS.

6. Do we adapt the curriculum for pupils with SEND?

Key to our approach is the understanding that all students benefit from strategies that support SEND students. This is captured in the school’s QFT strategy. This is a style of teaching that emphasises high quality, inclusive teaching for all pupils in a class. At Acland Burghley, all our teachers use ‘Quality First Teaching’ in all lessons. QFT includes adaptive learning, such as using visual resources and/or breaking down instructions into smaller chunks of information. 

For a small number of students with significant needs we run a parallel curriculum in a number of subjects which is adapted to be accessible to students with SEND. This parallel curriculum continues to meet the subject requirements of the National Curriculum, but it is delivered to students in smaller class sizes by specialised SEND teachers. Students with significant SEND needs can access some or part of the parallel curriculum, for example they may access the parallel curriculum for one or two subjects but be in mainstream lesson for other subjects.

How do we assess and review student progress?

All students at Acland Burghley, including those on the SEND register, are given aspirational targets for each subject. These are based on the student’s past scores in national examinations such as the Year 6 SATS in primary school. Student progress is measured against these targets so we can assess if a student is making expected progress, is below expected progress or is exceeding expected progress.

In addition, students on the SEND register have additional targets that may not be linked to academic performance. These help us to assess the impact of our interventions and SEND support.

For students with EHC plans, these targets are taken from Section E of the EHCP. They may include outcomes relating to education and employment, independence, friends, relationships and community involvement and health and wellbeing.

Students on the SEND register (E and K) may also have short term targets relating to specific interventions. Examples include students being able to use strategies to regulate behaviour or to share concerns and problems with a trusted adult.

We then periodically review students’ progress against these targets. This is complete at appropriate intervals for the student but will, on average, happen each half-term. We review progress by comparing targets with the data submitted by classroom teachers, along with attendance data, behaviour data, student and parent voice.

 

How do we know our provision for students with SEND is working?

We use a data led approach to evaluate the effectiveness of our support for SEND students.

At least once a term, we assess the progress of each student on the SEND register against their targets and review the impact of any intervention they have been receiving.

This information is shared with the students and families who are invited to give their views on the next cycle of support. This includes discussing whether to move support from specific interventions (Wave 2) back to Quality First Teaching (Wave 1) or forward to specialist support (Wave 3).

How do we support students to transition between phases of education and to prepare for independent living?

Moving from primary to secondary school (KS2-KS3)

Before joining Acland Burghley, we invite students to come to the school for transition days. They will have a tour of the school, meet members of staff, attend taster lessons and take part in team-building exercises. This helps students to become familiar with the school surroundings and procedures.

Students with an EHCP are invited for a 4-week programme which is overseen by our Associate SENCo. Each session is an hour to an hour and a half long and helps students to overcome any pre-secondary school anxieties, understand our rules and processes and feel more comfortable when it comes to starting with us in September. The four sessions for students with an EHCP are:

1. An introduction to Acland Burghley
2. Tour of the school overseen by student ambassadors
3. Trial lesson and session with our SaLT
4. Cooking lesson in our cooking classroom

Students work through a booklet during these four weeks which they take home after the final session.

For our K students there are two sessions where students also work through a booklet which is taken home at the end of the final session.

The two sessions are:

1. An introduction to Acland Burghley
2. Tour of the school overseen by student ambassadors

 

Moving into Y10 (KS3-KS4)

The transition from KS3 to KS4 sees students select their GCSE options. We run an options event where students and parents/carers can find out about different GCSE courses and speak to teachers. Students with a key-worker will be able to discuss options with them in more detail.

Students with AEN who need extra support for exams will be assessed for Access Arrangements by a trained member of the AEN Faculty. Access Arrangements might include extra time, the use of a scribe to write or use of a laptop.

 

Preparing for sixth form, college or work based training (KS4-KS5)

Students are supported in making choices about post-16 options such as sixth form, college or apprenticeships. This includes assistance with applications, CVs and interviews.

Students with EHCPs are supported with their transition by members of the AEN Department who go with them to visit their chosen college and help them to understand what a day at college is like. 

 

Are staff trained on SEND?

All staff complete Making Sense of Autism training and other training from the Autism Education Trust (AET). New staff who join Acland Burghley complete this training as part of their induction.

We run regular training sessions for staff on different aspects of SEND that is delivered by our educational psychologists, speech and language therapist, CAMHS clinician and occupational therapist. Staff also attend external training sessions on topics such as dyslexia, dyscalculia, access arrangements, first aid etc.

Our experienced team also run in-house training for the whole staff in ways to support student with SEND in and outside the classroom along with delivering student specific training sessions where a student's SEND needs and the effective strategies are shared and explained to staff.

How accessible is the Acland Burghley building to students with physical disabilities?

ABS is a Grade 2 listed building that was built in the 1960s. It has a unique design which is appreciated by many but may not be suitable for all learners. We welcome and encourage families to visit so that they understand the layout and structure of our school.

Our Accessibility Plan on the Policies page includes information on how we have increased accessibility for disabled pupils. We regularly review this and look for opportunities to further improve accessibility for disabled students. 

 

Is there a lift?

Yes, this is located in one part of the school so that students can access the ground and 1^st floors. We are able to make classroom adjustments to ensure full coverage of the curriculum for pupils who require the use of the lift. 

 

How do we ensure pupils with a disability are treated equally?

At Acland Burghley School, we pride ourselves on our inclusive approach to education. We have put clear policies in place that comply with the 2010 Equality Act and these include our Medical Needs Policy, Behaviour Policy and Accessibility Plan.

We review these three key documents regularly to ensure our practice is inclusive including for pupils with a disability. We also monitor key data such as attendance, progress and behaviour data to make sure we’re applying our policies in practice. This data is submitted to our governing body for scrutiny. We take swift action if we find any incident that is not consistent with a fully inclusive education.

 

What training and expertise do staff at Acland Burghley have to support pupils with SEND?

All staff at Acland Burghley School receive ‘Making sense of Autism ‘and ‘Good Autism Training’ as part of their staff induction programme. One of our AEN team is the lead trainer for the Autism Education Trust training programme and contributes to AET training for schools across Camden.

We have a large team within our Additional Education Needs Faculty which includes at least four LEAD SEND practitioners that specialise in each of the four broad areas of SEND. These colleagues regularly train members of the AEN Faculty and teachers and staff across the school on their area of specialty.

Our Lead SEND specialist practitioners, along with our Educational Psychologists and Speech and Language Therapist run specific intervention strategies for groups of students or individual students where best practices are share and reviewed.

All staff receive regular training from the SENCO around best practices and our Pupil Profiles and Individual Education Plans are shared with staff to help to adapt their teaching to meet the needs of different students.

 

 Which external professionals do we work alongside?

We work alongside a range of external professionals to ensure our students receive the best support they can. The high level of need in the school means these sessions are allocated to students that need it most. These include:

• 3 Educational Psychologists who are based at Acland Burghley School for the equivalent of 1 day per week each.
• 1 Speech and Language Therapist who is in school 3 days per week.
• 1 CAMHS (Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services) Clinician who is in school for half a day per week.
• 1 School CAMHS Practitioner who is in school 2 days per week.
• 1 Occupational Therapist who is in school 4 days per term.
• Social workers who are assigned to families.
• Learning mentors from different organisations.

We also work closely with SENDIAS which is an impartial, confidential and free service to families that offers advice and support to young people with SEND and their parents/carers.

To contact SENDIAS at Camden please email SENDIASS@camden.gov.uk 

 

How does Acland Burghley enable students with SEND to engage fully in school life?

On average over 25% of pupils at Acland Burghley School are on the SEND register. Our inclusive approach to education ensures there is no segregation and students with SEND have the opportunity to engage with all aspects of the school’s curriculum including our extracurricular activities and clubs.

We regularly review attendance at extracurricular activities to ensure SEND students are taking part. Where we notice a lack of SEND students attending we speak to the students that have shown an interest and their families to understand any barriers. For example, we have had cases where a student with high levels of anxiety might find it difficult to attend an activity. We support students in overcome this, for example, by having a Teaching and Learning Assistant to support the student or using a buddy system where the student is paired with another student to encourage attendance. 

 

How do we secure equipment and facilities to support pupils with SEND?

If a student requires additional equipment beyond what is available in school and that cannot be covered from the money assigned to that student, we will request additional funding from the relevant local authority. 

 

What anti-bullying measures are in place?

At Acland Burghley School we take a zero-tolerance approach to bullying. We do not accept bullying of any kind. Our behaviour policy outlines the rigorous systems that we have in place to ensure bullying is not part of the school culture - see section 16 of the behaviour policy.

Disagreements are an inevitable part of human interactions, and the frequency of disagreements is higher among young adults as they learn how to positively interact with others, including those with different personalities and mindsets. Our goal is to equip our students with the necessary skills to work through disagreements.

Feedback from our students shows that they feel confident about talking to staff when problems arise. Students can always turn to their tutor or a trusted member of staff and every lunch time we run the Place2Talk service (on the first floor in yellow block) where a trained member of staff is available to talk to individuals or to groups of students about their concerns. We also have an anonymous and confidential application called ‘Whisper’ where students or parents can alert the school about concerns.

We see education as key to tackling bullying and this is an important component of our Personal Development Curriculum for all students. For example, these are some of the topics that were taught to students at the start of anti-bullying week.

Year 7 topic: Bullying Vs Banter (social media included)

Year 8 topic: Emotional literacy and the power behind hurtful language (social media included)

Year 9 topic: Being a leader and creating change in your community by standing against bullying

Year 10 topic: Our role in the wider world (digital footprint)

We also run parent workshops. For example, recent sessions looked at:

1. Open discussion - A chance for parents/carers to talk about the emotional challenges of dealing with bullying. The trainer offered steps and techniques to help parents support their children.
2. Understanding “modelling behaviour" – A look at how your experiences and behaviour may influence your child and exploring positive ways to communicate.
3. Assertiveness training – Covered assertiveness skills and how families can practice these with their child, as well as everyone’s role in tackling bullying. 

What if I am not happy with how my child is being supported?

If you are not happy with the support your child is receiving, have raised issues with relevant staff and these are still unresolved, then you can follow the school's Complaints Policy on the Policies page of the website.

We also work closely with SENDIAS which is an impartial, confidential and free service for families that offers advice and support to young people with SEND and their parents/carers.

To contact SENDIAS at Camden please email SENDIASS@camden.gov.uk . To contact SENDIASS at Islington please email islingtonsend@family-action.org.uk

 If you have any concerns email send@aclandburghley 

What if my child is Looked After and has SEND?

Acland Burghley School works alongside the Virtual School and the local authority to ensure Looked After Children receive the support they need. Dylan Owen, the school’s SENCO is also the school’s Designated Teacher for Looked After Children. He works with the local authority to ensure that a student’s personal education plan (PEP) is implemented and reviewed regularly. This PEP sits alongside any SEN support being implemented and would be routinely reviewed and updated.

Progress, attendance and behaviour data for Looked After Children are reviewed at least termly and presented to governors at least annually for scrutiny to ensure appropriate support is in place. 

Base (ARP) Information

What If I think my child needs a place at the Base?

Our Additionally Resourced Provision is for Autistic students with complex needs. Young people who are given a BASE placement will have an Education, Health and Care (EHC) plan and a diagnosis of autism. These are students with the most exceptional complex needs. Decisions about entry to the BASE are managed by Camden Local Authority, not the school. 

Young people who are given a BASE placement will have an Education, Health and Care (EHC) plan and a diagnosis of autism. These are students with the most exceptional complex needs.

Decisions about entry to the BASE are managed by Camden Local Authority, not the school. 

There are 20 places at the Base, meaning 4 base students per year group.

What is the purpose of the Base?

The Base provides targeted support for students with autism and complex needs in a mainstream school setting. This support enables young people to make progress, achieve their identified outcomes, and to access the mainstream curriculum to the fullest extent possible whilst benefiting from specialist interventions.

The Base provides a flexible approach, tailored and adapted to the needs of each individual pupil. The Base is intended for pupils who need to spend significant proportions of their time away from large class settings in order to receive high levels of targeted support, while also maximising their access to the school’s broader learning and social settings. The extent to which this can happen will be dependent on an individual young person’s needs. Students receiving support from the Base are on the mainstream school’s roll but receive more intensive support to deliver the interventions specified in their EHC Plan. 

What support does the Base offer?

The aim of the Base is to meet the needs of its pupils and to eliminate the physical, organisational and attitudinal barriers experienced by young people with autism so that they feel fully and equally part of the school and wider community. Acland Burghley will:

• Offer every young person with a Base placement an education in social and learning contexts alongside their mainstream peers to the greatest extent possible. We want Base students to see themselves as part of a mainstream class/tutor group as far as each individual base student is able to manage
• Provide support as needed for the young person in the context of the classroom or activity. Support is guided by assessment and will vary between: independent access in a specific context, subject or activity; support pre-and/or post activity (pre-teaching, study skills, revision/over-learning and reflection); support to and from the activity; and scaffolding to support the activity by an adult.
• Provide a differentiated curriculum to support the young person’s preparation for adulthood
• Tailor parts of the curriculum to meet each young person’s individual needs. 

What Curriculum do students follow in the Base?

All Base students follow the national curriculum which is adapted to meet their needs. Base teachers, in collaboration with other teachers in the school will adapt curriculum materials and deliver special educational provision to meet the needs and objectives in pupils’ EHC plans.

Base students study academic subjects both within mainstream classes alongside their peers and within the Base. In the Base, students are taught 1:1, 1:2 or in small nurture groups and they are generally supported 1:1 or 1:2 in mainstream larger classes. As students develop greater independence, academic and/or social emotional support is gradually reduced as appropriate, to help students achieve positive outcomes and make a successful transition into adulthood.

Some KS4 Base students study for GCSEs, while others may receive a tailored curriculum or study one of the courses from our AEN pathway.

What Facilities are there in the Base?

Physical adaptations such as workstations	Yes
Small group teaching spaces	Yes
Low sensory demand spaces	Yes
Toilets with easy reach of teaching spaces	Yes
Sensory room	Yes
Quiet/accessible outdoor space	Yes
Gym	Yes