Initial identification of SEN takes place during the transition process from Year 6 into Year 7. This is based on information from feeder primary schools but also through CAT 4 tests which provide data around verbal and non-verbal reasoning, as well as a standardised reading and spelling assessment which all Year 7 students sit in the first week. This provides additional information which is used to identify students who may need extra support and intervention. All year groups through 8 – 11 also complete the reading and spelling assessments annually to allow us to track literacy progress and identify students in need of additional support.

Teachers and teaching assistants are trained to identify students who appear to have special educational needs based on our shared definition and make referrals to the SENCO. There are additional half termly meetings with SEN champions from different departments who put forward names of individual students they have concerns around.

If a student is identified as a concern, there are a range of assessment tools and screeners employed by our learning development team which are used for identification and further assessment these include tests for processing, comprehension and reasoning as well as pre-screeners for dyslexia, ASD and ADHD.

Parents are encouraged to speak to their child’s tutor, Head of House or the SENDCO if they have any concerns around their child’s progress or needs. This will normally trigger an assessment process where members of the learning development department will carry out observation and assessments to identify and the SENCO will arrange a meeting with the parents and student to discuss findings and next steps.

There are a range of measures we put in place to make provision for all students with SEN. These are evidence based approaches which we regularly assess for effectiveness and impact and update where necessary. We monitor the impact of interventions through regular meetings, use of attitudinal surveys, student and teacher questionnaires and tracking of student data through Arbor (academic, attendance and behaviour).

Our primary focus for our students with SEN is quality first teaching; we aim to support all teachers to deliver high quality, inclusive teaching that is “for all” and meets the needs of SEN students in their classroom. For this aim, we provide regular CPD on evidence based interventions in the classroom including the use of metacognitive strategies and the most effective deployment of teaching assistants. The SENDCO uses data including progress and behaviour data, as well as pupil feedback to identify classes and subject areas where this might not be the case and intervene with additional training as appropriate.

All students on the SEND register have a student profile which outlines their strengths and areas to support, plus detailing strategies which are applicable to the individual (via provision mapping).  This is shared with parents/carers, the young person, their teachers and support staff. There is key information within this document about how best to support the young person in the classroom. The use of these profiles is subject to a quality assurance process and the profiles are regularly updated to reflect changing needs.

Other interventions run by the Learning development department are detailed below.  We aim for short but regular interventions as we believe these to be most impactful:

• Catch up Literacy and Numeracy
• Maths and English 1:1
• ASD intervention and social skills
• ELSA support
• ELKLAN and Speech and Language interventions
• Dyslexia 1:1 support
• Transition groups
• EAL support
• Lunch Club
• Homework Club
• Use of assistive technologies

Please refer to our SEND Provision Map which gives more detailed interventions.  

Our focus at Warlingham School & Sixth Form College is on ensuring that the curriculum across all subjects is accessible “for all”. Heads of department and teachers work hard to ensure that they differentiate and adapt the curriculum appropriately and there is regular CPD for all staff on the teaching and learning approaches that best support this.

From Year 7 – 11 setting happens in Maths and English and in other core subjects from Year 8 onwards. This allows students who need additional support in any of these subjects to have access to slightly smaller classes with a more focussed curriculum. In addition, for Year 8 and 9 students who are working below a Level 4 in English, we run additional literacy intervention lessons with a specialist teacher and TA. To accommodate these, we run a slightly adapted and reduced MFL curriculum tailored to their needs which allows them to continue to participate in MFL but to receive intervention in literacy as well.

One to one work, small group work and withdrawal are all used to support the students, however, the priority of these is always to support accessibility to the curriculum, as opposed to an alternative curriculum, for example, in the pre-teaching of vocabulary.

On rare occasions, students will be given an adapted timetable e.g. for a physical difficulty and, for some students, an alternative placement may be considered for either part or all of their timetable.

All students participate in termly tracking and assessments. These are used by the SENDCO and learning development department to track the progress of all of our learners using a range of measures, including progress and attainment data in relation to benchmarks and targets, attendance and behaviour data. In addition, following each key assessment point the SENCO and Senior Leadership Team (SLT) collate and triangulate this data with pupil voice surveys, teacher feedback and work scrutiny. Using this data, students are identified for additional support and they will be allocated a keyworker who will support them in a target setting process and help to monitor individual progress towards agreed goals.

Parents/carers will receive termly updates via the usual reporting system for all students including the data above, however, they are encouraged to feed back any concerns raised regarding their child’s progress or tracking reports to the tutors, Heads of House or SENCO directly.

Parents are invited to a parents evening with all of their child’s teachers annually at which the SENDCO is also available for meeting slots. Additionally, the SENDCO will arrange meetings with students who are identified as needing additional support or assessment. Parents are also welcome at any time to ask for an appointment with the SENDCO to discuss their own concerns and how best to support their own child’s learning.

There are additional parental information evenings set up throughout the year on a range of topics, including an introductory meeting for all parents of new Year 7 students with SEN, as well as supporting students with mental health and wellbeing.

As a school, we believe in a holistic approach to student’s health and well-being and the SENDCO works closely alongside the pastoral team and the attendance and safeguarding teams to ensure that we are supporting students in their overall wellbeing. This takes place formally in fortnightly pastoral meetings, as well as daily in support of the students.

The school has a traditional and well established House system and our staff are regularly trained to provide a high standard of pastoral support. The pastoral hub consists of a dedicated team of Heads of House and deputies who are all deputy DSLs and who respond quickly and collectively to any concerns around a students wellbeing. The SENDCO is also a deputy DSL so receives safeguarding updates and is involved in relevant meetings particularly for students on EHCP or with SEN provision.

In addition, within the SEN department we have four Senior TAs who are assigned to one of the four houses; these members of staff work alongside individual students identified and allocated by the Heads of House or SENDCO for concerns around their overall health and wellbeing. We also have a senior TA who works with students who are either looked-after or young carers.

In terms of our mental health and wellbeing provision, the SENDCO is a Senior Mental health lead and we have three trained ELSA workers, as well as two trained counsellors on staff. We also receive support from an identified counsellor from Learning Space who comes in once a week. The team work together to identify and support students and if necessary signpost and refer to external organisations.

We have our Bridge facility which is for students primarily struggling with school based anxiety and attendance and our two members of staff work to coordinate provision and support students back into school and into lessons, as well as providing one to one and group sessions on areas such as transitions, social skills and self-esteem.

Relevant staff are trained to support medical needs and, in some cases, all staff receive training. We have a medical policy in place with medication managed by Student Services. We regularly monitor attendance and take the necessary actions to prevent prolonged unauthorised absence.

All of the above is in addition to our universal support for students' general Social Emotional and Mental Health, as detailed further in our Social Emotional and Mental Health Provision Map.

We have a very experienced team of Senior Teaching Assistants who have a range of specialisms and qualifications including qualifications in Dyslexia, Autism, ELKLAN, ADHD, Mental Health, ELSA, Bereavement and Youth Work. There are a couple who also have additional professional qualifications in counselling.

We have a number of established relationships with professionals in health and social care. We regularly receive support from the STIP (Specialist Teachers for Inclusive Practice) and a number of our students benefit from the Behaviour Management Service who meet one-to-one with students. We have close links with the Speech and Language Team at Surrey who work particularly closely with our own trained ELKLAN team within school. We also have had training and support from the services for students with hearing and visually impairments.

We receive support from the Outreach Service at Limpsfield Grange who carry out observations, complete reports, give advice and offer support to our ASD team within school. We have also received support and training from Mindworks Surrey around ADHD.

We have external partners who run some of our interventions including the School of Hard Knocks who run a rugby mentoring programme, as well as additional interventions by youth workers in Surrey including around Anti-Social behaviour and self-image.

As well as working with social services, we also have input from alcohol and drugs services, such as Turning Point and, where necessary, we put in additional short term intensive programmes for our students including with the Youth Engagement Service and Viewpoint Horse Intervention.

For those of our students really struggling with school, we can also refer for short to long term alternative placements, for example KS3 intervention at Reigate Valley College or Saffron Valley or a couple of our students are involved in longer term placements at Springboard, Cotelands and East Surrey College.

All external partners we work with are vetted in terms of safeguarding and, when buying in additional services, we monitor the impact of any intervention against cost, to ensure a value for money service.

Our SENDCO is a qualified teacher with a degree in Psychology with Neuroscience from the University of Leicester. She has completed the PGCE in Special Educational Needs and is in the process of completing her NASENCO Award at the University of Canterbury. In addition, she has qualifications in Dyslexia and British Sign Language, as well as attending and delivering a range of training on many areas of SEN.

Our team of teaching assistants are very experienced and have a range of qualifications and specialisms, including qualifications in Dyslexia, Autism, ELKLAN, ADHD, Mental Health, ELSA, Bereavement and Youth Work. There are a couple who also have additional professional qualifications in counselling. Dependent of the growing needs of the school, the SENDCO will liaise with the learning development team and identify areas for development and offer training in these areas. There are currently two members of staff in the learning development department who have JCQ qualifications and can support with access arrangements. 

The school plan continuous professional development training according to individual and whole school needs. We also ensure that other specialists can provide INSET in relation to SENDS and for specific interventions. These have included medical training for epilepsy, allergies and a ‘button’.  Specific training about mental health, restorative approaches, EdClass, speech and language impairment including about students with a stammer, Specific Learning Difficulties, Autistic Spectrum Conditions, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and Behaviour Management strategies have all been offered over the last three years. In the past year, the whole staff have taken part in trust wide training around attachment and behaviour management within school.

This year, a SEN Champions group have been established who are comprised of members of teaching staff from all departments – these members of staff meet once a half term to raise concerns from their department but also to receive additional training from external providers. Additional training is also provided for the learning development team during fortnightly meetings, which is delivered by the professional learning mentor team around areas such as scaffolding, questioning and managing group work.

Our Equality Policy promotes involvement of all our learners in all aspects of the curriculum, including activities outside the classroom. Where there are concerns of safety and access, further thought and consideration (including a risk assessment where required) is put in place to ensure needs are met; where applicable parents/carers are consulted and involved in planning. The school believes in students gaining independence and confidence by being fully included and experiencing new activities.

The Learning Development team work alongside students as key workers to identify students' strengths and interests and direct them towards extra-curricular activities that may be of interest to them and liaise with appropriate staff to remove any barriers. Additionally, they support with identifying work experience placements and career development opportunities and help with the process of securing these for students with SEN.

Our Accessibility Plan is robust and we regularly remind staff and learners about the Equality Act 2010. We value and respect diversity in our setting and do our best to meet the needs of all of our learners.

The school has made adaptations to the environment to assist students with physical disabilities. These include a lift to the first floor and to access the drama studio, yellow lines on steps, ramps and electronic doors, toilet and changing facilities and altering blinds and lighting in some areas.

Special equipment has been purchased for individual students, including screens for monitors and a hearing loop. Students may be tested for coloured overlays, which are then provided for exams where appropriate and individual sheets are given to the students to use in class.

During the Summer term before students begin in Year 7, the SENCO visits all of the feeder primary schools to speak with students, teachers and the primary SENCOs. For single students coming from primary schools by themselves, meetings are arranged with their SENCO to discuss the individual students. For students joining us from Croydon, there are additional meetings arranged by Croydon SEND. All primary schools additionally fill out transition documents highlighting areas of need and best support.

As well as the two-day induction which happens for all students in the summer term, all SEN students are invited to participate in an additional induction afternoon ahead of this, where they get to have a tour of the school in a smaller group and meet the members of the learning development team.

Once information has been received from the primary schools, a Year 7 transition profile is created for all students highlighting their various needs and best mechanisms for support based on primary teacher feedback. These are shared with all staff and are used by the learning development department to identify and target early intervention e.g. catch up literacy and numeracy and social skills groups.

In the Autumn term of Year 7, all students allocated teaching assistants meet with all year 7 students with SEN to collaborate on a student profile based on the transition information and students wishes and hopes.

An email is sent to all parents whose students have been identified as being on the SEN register based on primary information and they are invited to an information evening with the SENCO during the first half term.

Throughout their time at Warlingham, all students participate in a thorough and robust Careers Education and Guidance (CEG) programme (see Careers page for more information). All students with SEN or EHCP are involved in this and are supported in engaging fully with the careers curriculum on offer.

In addition, the learning development team provide additional support in making decisions about options choices in Year 9. This is done through one-to-one meetings with students and parents. A member of the learning development team may attend careers advisory sessions alongside students, as well as supporting in completing application forms and attending open evenings with students in Year 11 during their college applications.

The SENDCO and learning development team work alongside the Sixth Form College team to support with identification and application for students with SEN seeking to pursue courses and apprenticeship programmes post-18.

At Warlingham, we work closely with employers and colleges to ensure that all relevant information, subject to consent, is shared to ensure that work/employers are able to fully support our students once they move on from us. We provide careers interviews and invite representatives of LEAs to attend meetings with parents as appropriate to offer the best advice so that the most suitable choices can be made for the next step of their journey.

The focus for allocation of resources is on ensuring that all students receive the appropriate level of support at the appropriate time. The transition information we receive from primary schools is used to identify initially which students may need additional support either academically, with assistive technologies, or emotional/transition support.

Following on from that, we regularly collate and monitor data using a range of measures to identify individual and broad areas of need. We will assign students to existing interventions based on this data, as well as seeking out and finding additional resourcing if there is nothing available to meet the current need. The aim is always to move towards independence for students so, as a department, we regularly evaluate whether the student needs to continue with the intervention or to withdraw the support and allocate elsewhere.

Our finances are monitored regularly and we utilise resources to support the strategic aims of our setting, as well as individual learner needs. We seek to ensure value for money service, so interventions are ‘costed’ and evaluated. Governors receive regular reports on how the budget is used and how effective the interventions have been. Appropriate reports are published to the website. Use of EHCP funding is discussed at the Annual Review.

For students with an EHCP, the SENDCO and Assistant SENDCO will read through the recommendations from the plan and allocate resource based on the recommendations there. This is discussed and reviewed at Annual Review. If it is felt that the level of support is not appropriate, the school will discuss with the parents and students and appeal through appropriate channels.

For students on the SEN register, the SENDCO and learning development team will implement the Graduated response and use Assess-Plan-Do-Review Cycles to determine need and appropriate response. In the first instance, a range of assessments will be completed including discussion with the student, parent, teachers and support staff.

During this process, a plan will be put in place and allocation or resources or actions that need to be taken and this will be shared with relevant members of staff. During the implementation, monitoring and quality assurance will be completed to make sure that staff and students are engaging effectively with the interventions. Finally, a review will take place to determine if the support has been effective and make a decision about next steps.

If parents/carers or students are not happy with the level or type of support they are receiving, they are encouraged to share this with the SENDCO who will re-evaluate support at an earlier time.

We warmly encourage any parents/carers to engage in school life. There are annual parents evenings for all parents where they can meet with their child’s teachers to discuss their progress, attainment and raise any concerns. Additionally, the SENDCO is available at all parents evenings for meetings to discuss further.

In the Autumn term, the SENDCo holds an information evening for all new Year 7 parents with SEN as an introduction to SEN provision at Warlingham and to offer the opportunity to discuss any concerns and answer any questions. There are further information evenings planned throughout the year on a range of topics, including mental health and wellbeing, options and careers and extra-curricular and trips.

Our Governors team have parent governors on the board, and we are also in the process of establishing a PTA which is open to all parents of children within our school community.

Parents are welcomed to contact the SENDCO directly to arrange a meeting to discuss any concerns they may have about their child’s progress and learning needs within school.

In the first instance, parents/carers are encouraged to talk to their child’s form tutor/tutor or their Head of House.

Further information and support can be obtained from the school’s SENDCo for the attention of Mrs B Hunt. Email: B.Hunt@WarlinghamTLT.co.uk. 

Details for Surrey’s Local SEND Offer can be found at:

https://www.surreylocaloffer.org.uk/kb5/surrey/localoffer/advice.page?id=eORn9TefmcM

Details for Croydon’s Local SEND Offer can be found at:

https://localoffer.croydon.gov.uk/kb5/croydon/directory/home.page

Send Advice Surrey

Send Advice Surrey (SSIASS) provides information, advice and support to parents, carers children and young people with special educational needs and or disabilities (SEND) aged 0 to 25 years.

Their information and advice is impartial, confidential and free.

Phone number: 01737 737 300.

Email: ssiass@surreycc.gov.uk.

There is a website with an online contact form available at: www.sendadvicesurrey.org.uk. 

There are links to additional resources for specific areas of need as an Appendix to the Social Emotional Mental Health Provision Mapping document found here.

In Key Stage 3, we support students in a variety of ways.  We have Lexia and Wordshark which supports literacy development. This usually takes place during registration for identified students and should be supported at home. We offer literacy support to small groups of students, reducing time in Modern Foreign Language lessons. We have transition and social skills groups during Year 7, as well as identifying students who need a higher level of support to develop their reading and spelling skills. These students will be withdrawn in a small group once a week over an agreed period of time (usually six weeks). A handwriting programme is available for home use, supported by the department. 

The work of the Bridge continues to expand. Referred students are able to go to the Bridge for agreed parts of the day. This may be for registration, breaks or some agreed lessons. The aim is to get the students back into all of their lessons as soon as possible. When students are working in the Bridge they are expected to complete work that they would be doing in class and to have the same standards with regard to school expectations. 

In Key Stage 3, it is the class teacher’s responsibility during assessments to ensure that any exam concessions, including extra time is arranged where agreed, either during the following lesson, or to adapt the marks to take their needs into account.

Setting in Maths and English means that students are taught in smaller groups, with extra support available. We run an after school homework club where adult support is available. This takes place in the Learning Resource Centre. A lunchtime club is available for identified students. Students who are anxious have access to the Bridge before school and at break and lunchtimes, as agreed with their Head of House.

We offer some learning mentoring, listening and counselling (via Learning Space) and also in school, where appropriate.  Again, referrals for this are through the Head of House.

In Key Stage 4, we have the option of extra lessons in Learning Development. 

Students will have up to three hours per fortnight and, during this time, they will have the opportunity to develop study skills, do extra work for English and Maths. We also complete a course on Health and Safety in the workplace, in preparation for Work Experience and College. Some of the work is based on the Prince's Trust Achieve Award. We continue to support in the classroom, as well as offering one-to-one-support where necessary.  

Students are regularly assessed for exam concessions and these are put into place by the Learning Development team in Key Stage 4. 

In Key Stage 5, we offer a small amount of in class support and some one-to-one work. This can be for learning or for emotional needs.

We have very limited access to an Educational Psychologist, whose main work is with students who have an EHCP.  We do employ a Behaviour Management specialist who works with students who are referred by the Heads of House. All other external agencies e.g. speech and language will be agreed on an individual basis.