SEND (Special Educational Needs and Disabilities)

“Meeting individual needs”

Mr Brooks, Assistant Headteacher – SENDCo and Ms Allanson, Deputy SENDCo, oversee the whole provision of Special Educational Needs and Disabilities across the school. They are supported by Mrs Peckham, SEND Administrator.

In addition to this, we have a team of teaching assistants, some of whom have specialist responsibilities supporting specific groups of students, such as those with communication and interaction needs, cognition and learning needs, literacy and numeracy difficulties.

A SEND Teacher works closely with students who have literacy difficulties in Years 9–11 through the Enhanced Learning Centre (ELC), our small-group literacy support provision.

A number of Emotional Literacy Support Assistants (ELSA) support students on a referral basis with social, emotional and mental health needs.

To contact the SEND Department, please use the email address below.

Email the SEND department

Liaison with Primary Schools and Parents Prior to Admission

This begins in the April, prior to September intake. Primary schools are asked to inform us of students who are transferring to Blenheim who are on their SEND Register and the level of support they feel is required.

Staff from Blenheim visit feeder primary schools to discuss pupils' needs to ensure a smooth transition.

On Joining Blenheim

Upon entry to the school at any time, students are tested with a range of literacy, numeracy and cognitive screening tools to ensure that all students’ needs are identified and appropriate provision is in place. This also ensures that any needs not identified during primary transition are picked up promptly.

SEND provision at Blenheim reflects the SEND Code of Practice (2015) and therefore based on the principle that all students should have access to a full and balanced curriculum. To this end much of the support within school is facilitated through the principles of inclusive teaching and the deployment of teaching assistants to curriculum areas and interventions.

Support Provision Within School

Some students require additional support to ensure they make progress and receive appropriate provision. Provision available includes:

Cognition & Learning – targeted support for working memory, processing, organisation and specific learning difficulties.
Literacy – interventions to develop decoding, reading fluency, comprehension and spelling.
Numeracy – small-group support and practice to strengthen core numeracy, including number fluency.
Communication & Interaction – support for vocabulary development, social understanding and interaction skills.
Social, Emotional & Mental Health – mentoring, ELSA support and structured programmes.
Access Arrangements & Exam Support – assessment and applications for appropriate reasonable adjustments (subject to eligibility).

Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Policy

School Partnership Information

The school has a SEND Register that is updated regularly and is available to all teaching and support staff. Teaching staff also have access to assessment data and strategies to implement for students with Special Educational Needs. The placement of children on the register is based on assessment data and liaison with teaching staff. Parents are informed when students are placed on the register.

Individual targets for students on the SEND Register will be set within the curriculum and by teachers/teaching assistants in identified intervention. This will be based on their individual need.

The SEND Department also works very closely with an array of outside agencies in order to access extra, more specialist support. Referrals to external agencies are made in partnership with parents and are based on identified needs. Please see the local support services link below that may be helpful if you have concerns.

How Parents Can Help

Parents and carers play a vital role in supporting their child’s education. Some practical ways to help include:

Maintaining regular communication with the school so we can respond quickly to concerns.
Encouraging your child to read for 10–15 minutes daily, even if this means reading together.
Supporting routines at home, such as organisation, homework planning and ensuring correct equipment.
Attending review meetings and sharing strategies that work well at home.
Helping your child practise basic numeracy skills such as times tables, number bonds or using money in everyday situations.
Encouraging use of recommended learning tools, such as reading overlays, checklists or planners.
Letting us know promptly if anything changes at home that may affect wellbeing or learning.

We recognise that every family is different, and we will always work in partnership to find approaches that fit your child’s needs.

Progress Monitoring

We regularly review the impact of support through progress data, classroom observation, teacher feedback and student voice. Provision is adjusted when needed to ensure the best possible outcomes.

A final word…

We are here for our students and their parents. If you would like to discuss your child’s progress or have any concerns about how they are coping academically or socially, please contact the SEND Department.