Special Educational Needs and Disabilities.
We at The Berkeley STRIVE to equip ALL our children with the knowledge, understanding and enquiry skills to embrace lifelong learning, achieve their personal best and advance their social, emotional and physical well-being. We recognise that some children have different educational and behavioural needs. We are also aware that children may require different strategies for learning, as they may acquire and communicate their learning in different ways or at different rates. We know that this will require a range of different teaching approaches.
We apply a graduated response to identifying and supporting needs within school which begins with quality first teaching strategies in class. Early concerns from parents, school or both are recorded on a discussion form and initial strategies to support the child are recorded and monitored.
All staff at The Berkeley are committed to providing the best possible education for all children, irrespective of need, to ensure that all our pupils achieve their potential. We believe that all children should have equal access to the curriculum, and that it is our job to support them in doing so. Our priority is to deliver to all children, regardless of need, high quality class teaching which is differentiated to meet the needs of all learners. Class based approaches may include: a variety of ways to record work, use of ICT, visual prompts and reminders, and/or small group teaching with a specific focus. All teaching staff receive regular training in all areas of the curriculum to support them in differentiating learning opportunities.
We have a small number of children whose needs require an Education, Health and Care Plan. These children have a more formal plan of support which is reviewed yearly. Children without an EHC Plan have Support Plans which are reviewed termly in partnership with pupils, parents and staff.
As a school there we also have close links with the Educational Psychologist, CEAT (Cheshire East Autism Team), Speech & Language, Sensory Processing Occupational Therapists, CAMHS Link Team, Occupational Therapy and Physiotherapy
The Berkeley Academy Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator
The Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator (SENDCo) at The Berkeley Academy is Mr Rob Nixon. He works closely with all staff, pupils, external professionals and families to ensure that the needs of the children are met.
We are a member of the Nantwich Education Partnership. Our SENDCo attends a local cluster group of SENDCo's to keep abreast of current developments and to gain valuable mutual support. As part of the Chancery Multi Academy Trust the SENDCo's also meet regularly to support and monitor the effectiveness of provision.
Interventions at The Berkeley
Interventions are sessions which are run for approximately 30 minutes, normally by a teaching assistant, in the afternoon. They are either run on a one to one basis or in small groups of no more than 6. The sessions focus on specific areas of need and are delivered at a slower pace, with practical, hands on activities. Children can learn at their own pace and, more importantly, remember what they have learned. The purpose of interventions is that they fill the gaps in a child’s learning and allow them to return to class and keep up with the work being taught by the class teacher.
Why has my child been chosen for an intervention?
If your child has been chosen to attend an intervention, it does not necessarily mean they have special needs. Quite often class teachers, through their daily assessments, will quickly identify that a child might be struggling slightly in a certain area. After discussions with the SENDCo, it might be agreed that if the child attended an intervention for a short period of time, the gap in their learning could be quickly filled, allowing them to return to class and make the progress needed. When questioned, nearly all children enjoy attending the intervention sessions. They are always practical, hands on and fun. Children grow in confidence quickly as they are able to work at their own pace and ask questions to further their learning.
Cheshire East Local Offer
There are a wealth of agencies available in Cheshire East who are able to help families by providing support and information on a variety of needs and issues. Below are links to pages and documents which may be useful.
Cheshire East Live Well – A great first place to visit to access information on issues such as: Transport, Autism, Educational Psychology, Physiotherapists, School Transfers.