SEND Areas of Need

At Dene Academy, we believe that education should be accessible for all, and we are committed to ensuring that students with SEND achieve their full potential.

We have experience of supporting children and young people with a wide range of needs.

Cognition and Learning

This includes children with Specific Learning Difficulties, Moderate Learning Difficulties, Severe Learning Difficulties and Profound and Multiple Learning Difficulties.

Regular, individually focused intervention
Practical aids for learning
Reading material suited to age
Phonic development programme/1:1 phonics support
Literacy and numeracy
Access to technical aids e.g. spell checker, ICT software and/or hardware
Exam access arrangements
Targeted QFT
Opportunities for overlearning through repetition and reinforcement

Communication and Interaction

This area of need includes children with Autism, and those with Speech, Language and Communication Needs.

Access to small group and/or individualised interventions to develop skills in communication, interaction, emotional awareness and self-care
Visual timetables
Access to low stimulus area or safe area
Flexible approaches to timetable
Modifications to lunch and/or break times
Access to technology where appropriate
Explicit teaching of generalising skills from one context to another
Careful planning of transitions
Mentoring and/or buddy systems

Social, Emotional and Mental Health

This includes any students who have an emotional, social or mental health need that is impacting on their ability to learn, this may include ADHD.

Access to counselling services
Supported transition programmes with all secondary schools
Small group work targeting social, emotional and mental health difficulties
Resilience intervention
Supported transition programmes with all secondary schools
1:1 mentoring
Timetable modifications
Behaviour intervention
Nurture tutor group

Sensory and/or Physical needs

This area includes children with hearing impairment, visual impairment, multi-sensory impairment and physical difficulties.

Additional in class support as appropriate
Resource adaptions
Access to ICT
Concrete apparatus available to support learning
Adapted curriculum to enable full access