SEND/ Inclusion/ Medical Needs

For most students information about their learning needs is gained by our strong transition arrangements with our feeder schools. We may  also find that a young person needs additional help when concerns are raised by a parent/carer, by  the young person’s teacher or by the young person themself. We may be alerted to these needs by a teacher or parent/carer if a  young person was making limited progress or if there was a change in their behaviour. We are also alerted to additional needs through health and care professionals.

Parent/carers can contact the child’s tutor at any time should they be worried about their child and they will be kept informed of the assessments conducted to identify a need. If necessary a meeting will be arranged with the Academy ‘s SENCo, parent/carer and young person to discuss the support needed and make plans. These plans would then be reviewed regularly throughout the year. Further assessment may involve specialists such as the Academy’s Educational Psychologist.

SEN Provision Map 2024-2025

• Curriculum differentiation
• Support development (individual mentoring, small group sessions)
• Literacy and Numeracy support
• Specific Individual Support
• Support for Health needs (School nurse, Brook, Plan B, CAMH)
• Breakfast club, break and lunchtime facility, after-school homework club
• Departmental support sessions to support revision
• Holiday revision sessions
• Access to our Inclusion Rooms
• Personalised Learning
• Liaison with other agencies that can offer support

• Planning and Review meetings
• Advice on how to support learning at home
• Regular contact between home and school (email, phone calls, letters)
• Individual student/teacher conversations
• Consultation evenings
• Parent partnership meetings

Academic progress is recorded at Queensbury Academy four times a year in October, December, January and March, and information is sent home as a progress sheet or a written report. We also measure progress by considering a young person's individual needs and learning targets, and these are assessed through discussions between the SENCo and staff supporting the student. Meetings with parents/carers and students will also occur to discuss this information and agree on new or additional targets.

The training needs of all staff are identified and implemented via the Academy’s Continual Professional Development Plan.  The Academy SENCo has the required National Award and can deliver training or call on the assistance of specialist providers as necessary ( e.g. Hearing Impairment Team, Educational Psychologist )

We have a ramp enabling wheelchair access to Technology and Art in the West Building and a ramp allowing wheelchair access to Science in East.

Accessibility Plan

Next review September 2026

All students are encouraged to participate in all Academy activities. They are allocated responsibilities around the school on an equal basis and may join the school council and/or become a mentor, buddy or prefect. School trips are accompanied by teaching staff and Learning Support Assistants. Any external agencies who work with our students are expected to include all interested students.

Teaching staff are made aware of the variety of learning needs and plan lessons to ensure all are included and make progress accordingly

Careful consideration is given to preparing all students for transition to the Academy. Meetings are arranged during the summer term  with the feeder schools and with the parent/carer  to discuss need. Learning Support Assistants liaise with the support staff from feeder schools and will meet with the students.  Visits to the Academy are arranged well in advance in order to help prepare the young person for the move to the academy.

Arrangements for Supporting Children and Young People with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities

https://Localoffer.centralbedfordshire.gov.uk.

On 1 September 2014 the Government introduced a new Code of Practice for children and young people with special educational needs and disability (SEND).

By 1 April 2018, local authorities must have transferred all children and young people with Statements to the new system. For the vast majority of children and young people with Statements, this will mean that they will be transferred to an Education Health and Care (EHC) Plan.

The EHC Plan is a document that will set out a child or young person’s educational, health and social care needs in one single document. The timing of the transfer to EHC plan will depend on the child’s age, the type of school they go to and their individual circumstances. The priority  will be young people who are transferring from school to a post-16 institution or apprenticeship (in Year 11), or are moving to further education colleges or transferring from primary to secondary education.

If your child has a Statement of Special educational Need, when it is time for it to be converted, we will invite you to a Transfer Review Meeting to start the process of converting the Statement into an EHC Plan. This will take place instead of your child’s annual review meeting. We will contact you before the meeting to find out who you would like to be invited to the Transfer Review Meeting. Independent Support is available to guide you and your child through the transfer process. A leaflet about this support can be obtained from

www.centralbedfordshire.gov.uk/localoffer/parentpartnership

You can get more information about these changes or about the support and services that are available locally by visiting the Local Authority’s ‘Local Offer’. The Local Offer is a dedicated section of the Central Bedfordshire website that provides lots of information for children and young people with special educational needs and/or disabilities, and their families. It can be found at:

www.centralbedfordshire.gov.uk/localoffer

You can also be kept up to date with news and changes to the Local Offer by signing up to receive email alerts at

http://bit.ly/LocalOffer