SEND

Somercotes Academy is a mainstream secondary school committed to inclusion and ambitious outcomes for all pupils, including those with SEND.

Our SEND provision is built on the belief that pupils with additional needs should access the same high quality education, experiences and opportunities as their peers. We focus on removing barriers to learning while maintaining high expectations for progress, independence and personal development.

This shared ethos ensures that SEND is seen as a wholeschool responsibility rather than the role of individual staff or departments.

We aim to ensure that pupils with SEND:

• Access a broad and balanced curriculum
• Are fully included in school life
• Make strong progress from their starting points
• Are prepared well for their next steps

Quality of Education for Pupils with SEND

Highquality, adaptive teaching is the foundation of our SEND provision. Teachers routinely adapt teaching approaches, resources, scaffolding and assessment to ensure pupils with SEND can access learning alongside their peers. The Academy prioritises improving classroom practice so that barriers to learning are anticipated and addressed early, reducing reliance on targeted intervention wherever possible.

High quality teaching is the first response to meeting SEND needs this includes:

• Carefully planned adaptations within lessons
• Clear explanations and modelling
• Structured routines and visual supports
• Opportunities for overlearning and retrieval
• Removing barriers to learning.
• Supporting independence and confidence
• Identifying strengths as well as areas of need.

What is SEND?

A child or young person is considered to have SEND if they have a learning difficulty or disability that means they need additional or different support to access learning and make progress, compared to most children of the same age.

Children and young people with SEND may have needs related to how they:

• Communicate and interact with others
• Learn and think, including difficulties with reading, writing or numeracy
• Manage emotions, behaviour or mental health
• Access the learning environment, due to sensory or physical needs

Some pupils may have needs in one area, while others may have needs across more than one area. Needs can also change over time as children grow and develop. SEND support is about removing barriers to learning, providing the right help at the right time, and making sure every child feels included, valued and supported in school life. In our Academy, we recognise that every child is different. Highquality teaching that is adapted to meet individual needs is the foundation of our approach, and some pupils may need additional support alongside this to help them achieve their best and develop confidence, independence and resilience.

Identifying and Assessing SEND:

Identifying a child’s special educational needs is a careful and ongoing process. We aim to identify needs as early as possible so that the right support can be put in place promptly.

All pupils are carefully monitored through highquality teaching and regular assessment. Class teachers are responsible for noticing when a child may be experiencing difficulties with learning, communication, behaviour, emotional wellbeing or accessing the learning environment.

Pupils are identified early through:

• Ongoing teacher observation and assessment
• Monitoring of progress and attainment
• Discussions with parents and carers
• Information from previous setting
• Information from outside agencies.

SEND support and Graduated Response

Supporting children with special educational needs is an ongoing process. We use a graduated response to make sure support is carefully matched to each child’s needs and adapts over time. The graduated response follows a fourstage cycle: Assess, Plan, Do, Review. This approach helps us identify what works well for a pupil and make changes where needed.

This includes:

• Assessing a pupil’s strength and needs
• Planning appropriate strategies and outcomes
• Delivering targeted support
• Reviewing impact regularly

SEND Support within the classroom and Reasonable Adjustments:

Reasonable adjustments are used across the Academy to ensure pupils with SEND can access learning and demonstrate understanding. These adjustments are built into classroom practice and shared with staff to ensure consistency across subjects.

Adjustments are designed to support independence, organisation and confidence while enabling pupils to engage fully in lessons.

Classroom adaptations may include:

• Adapted tasks and resources
• Visual supports and structured routines
• Clear instructions and chunked learning
• Alternative ways to record work
• Flexible grouping and targeted adult support.
• Use of assistive technology where appropriate

Targeted and additional support:

Where additional support is required, targeted interventions may be put in place alongside classroom learning. These are carefully planned to address specific needs and are reviewed regularly for impact. Interventions are selected to support access to the curriculum and develop transferable skills such as literacy, numeracy or emotional regulation.

Some of these strategies may include:

• Small group or short-term interventions
• Support to develop literacy or numeracy skills
• Social emotional or communication support.

SEND Single Page Profiles:

Pupils receiving SEND Support are provided with a single page profile. At secondary level, pupils are encouraged to understand their strengths and areas of need and, where appropriate, contribute to planning and review.

A single page profile includes:

• The pupils’ strengths
• Areas of need
• Strategies and adaptations used in school
• Outcomes that promote independence

Social, Emotional and Mental Wellbeing:

We recognise that emotional wellbeing is closely linked to achievement, attendance and behaviour. Support focuses on helping pupils develop strategies to manage emotions, build positive relationships and engage confidently in school life. Pastoral and SEND staff work together to provide early and appropriate support where needed.

Support May include:

• Pastoral support and check ins
• Emotional regulation strategies
• Support with friendships and social skills
• Creating a safe, supportive learning environment

SEND information and policies:

Our SEND policies and documents outline how we meet our statutory duties and support pupils effectively within a mainstream secondary setting.

Please use the links below to find further information:

• SEND Information Report
• SEND Policy
• Accessibility Plan
• Supporting Pupils with Medical Conditions
• Local Authority Local Offer