SEND provision – St Giles’ and St George’s

The EEF’s Special Educational Needs in Mainstream Schools Guidance Report emphasises that an inclusive school eliminates barriers to learning.

With a growing number of children with additional needs in recent years, we have established a tailored provision for our SEND children to implement the recommendations outlined by Cullen et al. (2020)*, which include:

• Creating a positive and supportive environment for all pupils, without exceptions.
• Developing a comprehensive understanding of our pupils and their needs.
• Ensuring all pupils have access to high-quality teaching.
• Supplementing high-quality teaching with carefully selected small-group and one-to-one interventions.
• Collaborating effectively with teaching assistants (TAs).

Additionally, Nowicki (2003)** highlighted in her meta-analysis that children struggling academically may also face social difficulties and lower self-esteem regarding academic tasks. Hence, providing social support is as crucial as academic remediation for children with learning difficulties to thrive.

The research cited above forms the foundation of our SEND provision. St Giles’ and St George’s C of E Academy offers social, emotional, and academic support to a diverse range of children.

During your visit to our provision, you will have the opportunity to observe:

• Various interventions in action, such as the EP Literacy Approach, Physiotherapy, Motor Skills United, Time to Talk, Sensory Circuits, Touch Typing, Snack and Social, ELSA sessions, and Lego Therapy
• How these interventions are scheduled to meet the children’s needs efficiently and utilise staff effectively
• A dedicated room designed to support this provision
• Documentation supporting and reinforcing this provision, including Personal Behaviour Plans, Risk Assessments, Pastoral Plans, and Additional Support Plans
• Training and support provided to staff to enable them to effectively meet the children’s needs
• An assessment of the needs within your setting and strategies to best address the needs of all pupils.

*Cullen, M.A., Lindsay, G., Hastings, R., Denne, L., Stanford, C., Beqiraq, L., Elahi, F., Gemegah, E., Hayden, N., Kander, I., Lykomitrou F., Zander, J. (2020). Special Educational Needs in Mainstream Schools: Evidence Review. London: Education Endowment Foundation.

**Nowicki, E. A. (2003). A meta-analysis of the social competence of children with learning disabilities compared to classmates of low and average to high achievement. Learning Disability Quarterly, 26(3), 171–188.