SEND Information

At Horbury Academy we are proud to offer support for students with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND). We have a large, dedicated team of staff who ensure that all students, including those with Special Educational Needs, are supported to reach their full potential. All policies related to SEND can be found on the academy policies page.

Our SEND team:

• R Paul – Assistant Principal for Inclusion
• N Porteous-Kaur – SENDCo
• J Londsale – SEN Learning Manager
• K Painter – SEN Admin

Our SEND Support

Here at Horbury Academy, our SEND support ensures that:

• The needs of pupils are identified early through our thorough collaborations with our primary feeder schools. Our detailed transition process allows for students to have the very best start with us in September.
• All students, including those with Special Educational Needs, are enabled to make progress due to the high-quality adaptive teaching that goes on in the classroom. Progress is monitored closely with concerns being raised quickly, as they arise, to ensure that we can provide responsive and timely support where needed.
• Parents, carers and students are involved in all aspects of the Access, Plan, Do, Review cycle to ensure that the child is at the very heart of everything we do.
• Parents, carers and students are given information, advice and support that allows them to make well-informed decisions which lead to the best outcomes possible for the young person. Parents, carers and students are involved in the evaluation and review of SEN support regularly throughout the year with next steps being planned collaboratively.
• SEND support is bespoke for each student with provision being reviewed regularly to ensure that it is having the highest levels of impact.
• If we identify that your child has SEND, we will contact you to discuss and plan the support we can offer.

SEND at Horbury Academy and the Wakefield Local Offer

Horbury Academy recognises as stated in the Special Educational Needs (SEND) 0-25 Code of Practice that:

• A child or young person has SEND if they have a learning difficulty or disability which calls for special educational provision to be made for them.
• A child of compulsory school age or a young person has a learning difficulty or disability if they:
  • have a significantly greater difficulty in learning than the majority of others of the same age, or
  • has a disability which prevents or hinders them from making use of facilities of a kind generally provided for others of the same age in mainstream schools or mainstream post-16 institutions.
• Children and young people with SEND all have learning difficulties or disabilities that make it harder for them to learn than most children and young people of the same age. These children and young people may need extra or different help from that given to others.

Horbury Academy can help to support students to succeed, in communication with and working alongside parents/carers. Please see our School Information Report and Frequently Asked Questions to see the specific support provided for children with SEND at Horbury Academy.

To learn more about SEND support in our area, please visit the Wakefield Local Offer.

Engaging with Parents and Carers

We recognise the important of ensuring that parents and carers are involved in all aspects relating to their child’s special educational needs. To ensure that parents and carers are given the opportunity to evaluate, review and plan the SEND support their child is receiving, we offer the below provisions:

• Opportunity to book an appointment with the SENDCo as part of your child’s parents evening.
• Termly review opportunities of SEN documentation as set out by the SEND Code of Practice.
• An easy-to-use enquiries email address that can be used to contact the SEND team directly: send@horbury.accordmat.org.

FAQs for Students

What should I do if I am worried about something?

You can talk to our Student Support Team, your Pastoral Support Officer or your Form Tutor who you see every morning. We also have a team of Learning Mentors who are really helpful people who you will see in lessons. They can help by talking to a teacher for you or helping you to solve the problem.

How will I know if I am doing as well as I should?

Every subject has a scheme of work so teachers know what has to be taught. If you get extra literacy or numeracy support then you will be tested at the start and at the end of the programme so we see how much progress you have made. You may also follow the FreshStart, RapidPlus, Reading Buddies or Numicon Intervention programmes to help you.

Are there staff in Horbury Academy who are trained to work with students who need help?

Ms N Porteous-Kaur oversees our Special Educational Needs provision, however there is a team of staff who also help children with a wide variety of additional needs. We have a Safeguarding Team, Medical Room and a range of outside agencies who visit our academy regularly to help support individual and groups of students.

FAQs for Parents and Carers

How does Horbury Academy know if children need extra help and what should I do if I think my child may have special educational needs?

Information is passed on during our transition process from primary schools so we know about students coming to our school. The same happens if your child transfers from another school or academy.

Academy staff may identify a student in their class and raise it with the Special Education Needs Co-ordinator (SENDCo). If you feel your child has a special educational need contact the academy and they will pass the information on to the SENDCo who will contact you to discuss your concerns and take the appropriate next steps. Our SENDCo is Ms Natalie Porteous-Kaur.

How will Horbury Academy staff support my child?

The SENDCo will oversee support for those with Education Health Care Plans and other students with a Special Educational Need. The support for these students will come in a variety of ways such as SEN Learning Mentors, class work suited to the child’s ability, extra literacy/numeracy support, specialist teaching, reading interventions, alternative groupings or lessons and options choices. This will be personal to the child as not all children will require the same support. Your child may also receive support from their Pastoral Year Leader and Form Tutor.