At Five Acres High School we have a Graduated Response to pupils' needs. All teachers receive training on what this looks like for pupils in our School and their roles and responsibilities in this process.  The diagram below shows this process:

A pupil has SEN if they have a learning difficulty or disability that requires special educational provision to be made for them.

They have a learning difficulty or disability if they have:

• A significantly greater difficulty in learning than most others of the same age; or
• A disability that prevents or hinders them from making use of facilities of a kind generally provided for others of the same age in mainstream schools.

Special educational provision is educational or training provision that is additional to, or different from, that made generally for other children or young people of the same age by mainstream schools.

Our school currently provides support for a range of needs, adhering to the broad areas of need outlined in the Code of Practice:

• Communication and interaction: e.g., Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD), Asperger’s Syndrome, speech and language difficulties.
• Cognition and learning: e.g., Dyslexia, Dyspraxia.
• Social, emotional and mental health (SEMH): e.g., Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).
• Sensory and/or physical needs: e.g., Visual impairments, hearing impairments, processing difficulties, epilepsy.

We assess each pupil's current skills and levels of attainment on entry, building on previous settings. Class teachers make regular assessments of progress. We identify pupils whose progress:

• Is significantly slower than peers starting from the same baseline.
• Fails to match or better the child's previous rate of progress.
• Widens the attainment gap.

We employ a Graduated Approach following the four-part cycle of Assess, Plan, Do, Review. When deciding if special educational provision is required, we consider desired outcomes, expected progress, and the views of the pupil and parents.

On entry, we assess each pupil’s current skills and levels of attainment, which will build on previous settings and Key Stages, where appropriate. We carry out additional diagnostic tests for any pupil scoring below a standardised score of 90 in their reading assessment. We also carry out speech and language screeners for all pupils who have come up to the school not yet working at age related expectations.

Class teachers make regular assessments of progress for all pupils and identify those whose progress:

• Is significantly slower than that of their peers starting from the same baseline
• Fails to match or better the child’s previous rate of progress
• Fails to close the attainment gap between the child and their peers
• Widens the attainment gap 
• Demonstrates high levels of dysregulation

This may include progress in areas other than attainment, for example, social needs. Attendance and behaviour data might also be used to identify which pupils require additional support.

Slow progress and low attainment will not automatically mean a pupil is recorded as having SEN.

Where a parent/carer has a concern about their child, parents are asked to speak with the class teacher(s)/form tutor so that appropriate observations and assessments can be undertaken. 

Pupil Passport

A pupil passport is a regularly reviewed document that contains the needs, strengths and individual strategies for every student with an EHCP or on SEN Support. These are developed in partnership with pupils and their parents/carers. Where appropriate, they might also include strategies recommended by other professionals. 

Learning Plan

Some pupils who require more specialised support will have individualised learning plans to complement pupil passports. For example, an individualised learning plan will be used to:
 

• Track progress against long-term outcomes in Educational, Health and Care Plans (EHCNAs) for pupils working below age related expectations
• Inform medium-term and daily curriculum planning and provision where children are accessing adapted curriculum pathways
• Inform intervention planning

Five Acres High School ensures that a universal provision of high quality teaching is able to address gaps in foundational knowledge and skills. Through evidence informed classroom routines and a well planned curriculum, teachers are able to address reading fluency and accuracy, communication and language skills, writing composition and number facts.
Furthermore our carefully selected and sequenced curricula ensure foundational subject specific knowledge is secure at every step. For some students, effective in classroom targeted support ensures gaps are identified and tackled quickly through our responsive and adaptive classroom practice.

Teachers are responsible and accountable for the progress of all pupils in their class. Our primary approach is High Quality Teaching, which includes modelling, chunking information, and checking for understanding.

Curriculum Strategies for Support

We implement evidence-informed approaches to ensure all students, including those with SEND, can access our world-class curriculum:

• Consistent Routines: All lessons follow a predictable structure starting with a Low Stakes Quiz (LSQ) and 'Turn and Talk' activities. This consistency reduces cognitive load for SEND students.
• Knowledge Organisers: These specify key knowledge and vocabulary, making learning transparent and reducing working-memory strain. They serve as an accessible reference tool for revisiting learning.
• Retrieval Practice: Frequent low-stakes quizzing helps build long-term memory and allows teachers to identify gaps early without the pressure of high-stakes testing.
• Vocabulary Development: Through platforms like Vocabulous and structured 'Turn and Talks', we explicitly teach vocabulary to strengthen reading comprehension and reduce the "passivity gap."

 Specific Interventions

We differentiate our curriculum by grouping, 1:1 work, and adapting resources. Specific interventions include:

• Literacy & Reading (Sparx Reader, Read Write Inc.)
• Social Skills Groups
• Handwriting & Touch Typing
• Mentoring (Internal & External)
• Numeracy Support (Sparx Maths)
• ELSA (Emotional Literacy Support)
• Speech & Language (Secondary Language Link)