Quality First Teaching
At Swindon Academy, the teacher has the highest possible expectations for all pupils in their class.
The teacher input via excellent, targeted classroom teaching is known as Quality First Teaching.
Different ways of teaching are in place so that all children are fully involved in the learning in class.
Specific strategies that may have been suggested by the SENDCO’s or other agencies are in place to support your child’s learning.
Your child’s teacher will carefully track your child’s progress and will decide if your child has any gaps in their understanding or learning. If this is the case, extra support will be in place to help them make the best possible progress.
We are an inclusive school; we welcome and celebrate diversity. All staff believe that having high self-esteem is crucial to a child’s well-being. We have a caring, understanding team looking after our children.
The class/subject teacher has overall responsibility for the pastoral, medical and social care of every child in their class. If further support is required the class/subject teacher liaises with the SENDCO’s for further advice and support.
Wave one - Specific group work with in a smaller group of children.
This group, often called Intervention groups by schools, may be:
- Run in the classroom or outside.
- Run by a teacher or most often a Teaching assistant who has had training to run these groups.
SEND Code of Practice stage
When a child is SEND it means they have been identified by the class/subject teacher/SENDCO’s as currently needing some extra assessment in school.
For your child this would mean:
He / she will engage in group sessions with specific targets to help him/her to make more progress.
This type of support is available for any child who has specific gaps in their understanding of a subject/area of learning.
Wave Two
Specialist groups run by outside agencies e.g Speech and Language therapy OR Occupational therapy groups AND/OR Individual support for your child as necessary.
On the new SEND Code of Practice, your child will be placed at either SEND, Statement or Education Health and Care Plan. This means they have been identified by the class/subject teacher/SENDCO’s as needing some extra specialist support from a professional outside the school. This may be from:
- Local Authority central services such as the ASD Outreach Team or Sensory Service (for students with a hearing or visual need);
- Outside agencies such as the Speech and Language Therapy (SALT) Service, Educational Psychology, TAMHs, NCOT, Community Paediatrician and the Physical advisory team;
- Swindon Academy has an internal specialist provision for behavioural needs from key stage 2 and above.
For your child this would mean:
- Your child will have been identified by the class/subject teacher/SENDCO’s (or you will have raised your worries) as needing more specialist input instead of or in addition to quality first teaching and intervention groups.
- You will be asked to come to a meeting to discuss your child’s progress and help plan possible ways forward.
- You will be asked to give your permission for the school to refer your child to a specialist professional e.g a Speech and Language Therapist or Educational Psychologist. This will help the school and yourself understand your child’s particular needs better and be more able to support them in school.
The specialist professional will work with your child to understand their needs and make recommendations, which may include:
- Making changes to the way your child is supported in class e.g some individual support or changing some aspects of teaching to support them better;
- Support to set better targets which will include their specific expertise;
- A group run by school staff under the guidance of the outside professional e.g a social skills group;
- A group or individual work with an external professional.
The school may suggest that your child needs some agreed individual support in school. They will tell you how the support will be used and what strategies will be put in place.
Wave three - Specified support
This is usually provided via a Statement of Special Educational Needs or an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP). This means your child will have been identified by the class/subject teacher/SENDCO’s as needing a higher level of individual or small group teaching which cannot be provided from the budget available to the school. At this stage, an Early Help Record will be completed if this is not already in place.
Your child may also need specialist support in school from a professional outside the school. This may be from:
Local Authority central services such as the ASD Outreach Team or Sensory Service (for students with a hearing or visual need);
Outside agencies such as the Speech and Language Therapy (SALT) Service.
For your child this would mean:
- The school (or you) can request that the Local Authority carry out a statutory assessment of your child’s needs. This is a legal process, which sets out the support that will be provided for your child.
- The academy will send the request to the Local Authority, who will decide whether they think your child’s needs are complex enough to need a statutory assessment. If this is the case, they will ask you and all professionals involved with your child to write a report outlining your child’s needs. If they do not think your child needs this, they will ask the academy to continue with the support at the category of SEN.
- After reports have been sent, the Local Authority will decide if your child’s needs are severe, complex and lifelong. If this is the case, they will write a Statement of Special Educational Needs or Disabilities or an EHC Plan. The Statement or EHC Plan will outline how the support should be used and what strategies must be put in place. It will also have long and short-term goals for your child.
- An additional adult may be used to support your child with whole class learning, run individual programmes or run small groups including your child.
This type of support is available for children with specific barriers to learning that cannot be overcome through Quality First Teaching and intervention groups.