Our Lady and St Benedict's Catholic Academy - Organisations

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Our Lady and St Benedict Catholic Academy is a mainstream school and part of the St Gabriel the Archangel Catholic Multi-Academy Trust. As with all schools within the Trust, our school is centred on the presence of Jesus Christ.

At Our Lady & St Benedict, we recognise and respect the uniqueness of each and every individual in our family. We aim to provide a happy, safe, and secure environment where our children can grow to reach their potential and develop their relationship with God.

Inclusion recognises differences, meeting the needs of individuals and taking positive action so that every member of our family has equal access to the educational opportunities on offer. Every single member of our school community is regarded as being of equal worth and importance, and we strive to ensure that all pupils have access to a rich and aspirational curriculum.

We regularly assess and monitor the individual progress of all pupils and work hard to ensure that they are given the appropriate support that enables them to succeed in all aspects of our curriculum and achieve their potential.

 
Contact name Mrs S Clowes
Contact position Principal
Contact telephone 01782 234646
Contact email office@olsbprimary.org.uk
Venue name Our Lady and St Benedict Catholic Academy
Abbey Lane
Abbey Hulton
Stoke on Trent
Staffordshire
ST2 8AU
Website http://www.ourladyandstbenedict.co.uk
School's extended local offer response

Our Lady & St Benedict Catholic Academy is a mainstream school committed to meeting the needs of all pupils, including those with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND). We provide inclusive education in line with the Equality Act 2010 and the SEND Code of Practice (2015).

Our SEN provision covers all four broad areas of need:

  • Cognition & Learning
  • Communication & Interaction
  • Social, Emotional & Mental Health (SEMH)
  • Sensory &/or Physical Needs

Identifying SEND

We identify pupils who may need additional support through:

  • Class teacher observations and assessments
  • Monitoring progress against expected outcomes
  • Liaison with parents and carers
  • Support from external professionals where required

If you have concerns about your child, discuss them first with your class teacher. The SENCo, Roisin Wilshaw, can be contacted through the school office for further advice.

How We Support Pupils

Support is provided through:

  • Quality First Teaching – differentiated lessons, scaffolding, and personalised approaches
  • Pupil Passports – jointly created with parents and pupils, including SMART targets
  • Additional small-group or 1:1 support where needed
  • Intervention programmes tailored to the pupil’s specific needs

Examples of Strategies and Interventions

Area

Support

Curriculum

Visual timetables, pre-teaching vocabulary, ICT aids

English

Precision Teaching, Switch On Reading, Paired Reading, Phonics boosters

Maths

Precision Teaching, Catch Up Maths, visual/practical resources (Numicon)

Speech & Language

Nuffield Language Programme, Time to Talk, SaLT programmes, weekly Mable Therapy

Physical

Fine & gross motor support, adapted PE activities

SEMH

Learning mentors, reward systems, external agency support

Monitoring Progress

  • Termly reviews of Pupil Passports
  • Feedback from teachers and support staff
  • Parent-teacher meetings twice a year + summer term consultation
  • Annual reports detailing progress and next steps
  • Annual reviews for pupils with Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs)

Wellbeing Support

  • PSHE and RE curriculum promote spiritual, emotional, mental, and social development
  • Two learning mentors provide individual or small-group support
  • Health & Social Care plans for pupils with medical needs
  • Positive behaviour policy and opportunities for pupils to voice opinions (student council, peer mediators, pupil surveys)

Specialist Services

We work with:

  • Speech & Language Therapists (SaLT),
  • Educational Psychologists
  • Occupational Therapists
  • Hearing and Visual Impairment support services
  • CAMHS and other health professionals

Staff receive ongoing CPD to deliver interventions and meet medical or SEND needs.

Inclusion in Activities & Trips

  • Risk assessments for all trips and extracurricular activities
  • Appropriate adult-to-child ratios, including 1:1 support where necessary
  • Accessible venues and resources for pupils with mobility or sensory needs
  • Outdoor learning environments are adapted for all pupils

Accessibility

  • Annual review of accessibility plan
  • Ramped entrances and classroom access
  • Disabled toilet facilities
  • Accessible resources and staff trained to support physical needs

Transition Support

Within school:

  • Handover meetings between teachers
  • Transition visits for pupils with their new teacher

To another school / secondary:

  • Liaison with receiving school’s SEN staff
  • Transfer of records and support information
  • Secondary school visits and familiarisation sessions

Resources & Support Allocation

  • Additional SEND funding used for teaching assistants, interventions, and resources
  • Highest support is given to pupils with the most complex needs
  • Decisions made in consultation with parents via Pupil Passport meetings

Decision Making & Parent Involvement

  • SEN support decisions involve class teachers, SENCo, parents, and external professionals
  • Termly Pupil Passport review meetings ensure parents and pupils contribute to planning
  • EHCP reviews conducted annually with all stakeholders

Contact Information

School Staff:

  • Principal – Mrs Clowes
  • Vice Principal – Mrs Exon
  • SENCo – Roisin Wilshaw
  • Safeguarding Officers – Miss Franklin, Mrs Howard, Miss Ward

External Services:

  • School Nurse – 0300 124 0362
  • SEND Services – 01782 232538
  • SENMAS – 01782 231863
  • SENDIASS – 01782 234701
  • Social Care – 01782 235100
  • IPSEA – www.ipsea.org.uk
  • NSAAA – 01782 627002