St Thomas More Catholic Academy
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The Catholic Life of our school is one that is vibrant and growing. It is also one which is all-inclusive, no matter what faith or beliefs a young person has. We are constantly looking at ways to continue to grow the Catholic Life of our school to best serve the young people who belong to our school community, and to ensure that they fully realise how amazing, how special and how loved each one of them is. |
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| Contact name | Mrs D Lovatt |
| Contact position | SENCo |
| Contact telephone | 01782 882900 |
| Contact email | office@stmca.org.uk |
| Venue address | Longton Hall Road |
| Longton | |
| Stoke on Trent | |
| Staffordshire | |
| ST3 2NJ | |
| Website | https://www.stmca.org.uk/curriculum/send-support/ |
| School's extended local offer response |
What kinds of SEND does the school provide for?St Thomas More Catholic Academy provides education for students ranging from age 11 to age 18 (yrs 7 – 13). Some of these pupils have areas of difficulty in the areas outlined below under the Four Broader Areas of Need:
How does this setting know if their children/young person needs extra help and what should I do if I think my child/young person may have special educational needs?We identify and assess students with SEND using information from the following sources:
St Thomas More Catholic Academy is a fully inclusive academy and all of the academy’s students, including students with Special Educational Needs, follow a highly ambitious National Curriculum. The academy places students in appropriate teaching groups (via data from their primary academy and other tests). All of the academy’s teaching and educational support staff are fully trained to enable them to provide high quality inclusive teaching to support all of our learners. Teaching staff have a toolkit that incorporates SEND resources in order to provide Quality First Teaching for those students with SEND and this is reviewed annually. Added to this, all Learning Support Practitioners carry their own toolkit of resources to each lesson, so that they are able to support the teacher in adaptive practices and scaffolding. The academy operates an open-door policy, whereby teaching staff can visit the SENCo for guidance whenever they require it. Staff members are supported in the delivery of their lessons with specialist training on SEND, so that they are well equipped to adapt and scaffold their lessons effectively and provide a truly inclusive environment. How will the setting support my child/young person?Each pupil on the SEN register will have a Pupil Passport. Your child’s Pupil Passport will be created with you and your child and adapted to match your child’s individual needs. Personal strategies will be set for your child to support teaching staff with teaching and learning. There may be additional information on the Pupil Passport to indicate use of particular resources (e.g a laptop or coloured overlays). A copy of the Pupil Passport will be given to you as a parent/guardian. If a pupil has needs related to more specific areas of their education or social skills, such as spelling, handwriting, numeracy & literacy skills etc. then the pupil may have extra intervention where applicable. Parents will at all times be included in such decisions and you will also be notified of this in writing. The length of time of the intervention will vary according to need but will generally be between 10 and 12 weeks. The interventions will be regularly reviewed by all involved to ascertain the effectiveness of the provision and to inform future planning. These interventions will be recorded on a Provision Map. This is a record of the interventions, timings and cost of the intervention. We will also measure the impact of the intervention and feed this information back to you. If you have any queries related to the interventions please do not hesitate to contact Mrs Lovatt, Mrs Mutton or Mrs Wheeler. Parent Evenings are held twice a year. These meetings give you the opportunity to meet all your child’s subject teachers about general progress. You will also be able to meet the school SENCo and Assistant SENCos for a more focussed discussion about your child’s individual special needs. Occasionally a pupil may need more expert support form an outside agency such as an Autistic Specialist, Dyslexia Specialist or an Educational Psychologist etc. We always ensure that before we recommend any outside agency, parents are fully informed of our intentions and permission is obtained. Once this has taken place, referral forms are then and forwarded to the most appropriate agency. After a series of assessments, a programme of support is usually put into place that will target your child’s particular area of need. How will teaching approaches and the curriculum be matched to my child or young person's needs?Your child’s Pupil Passport will be shared with your child’s subject teachers. This is to inform them of the strengths and difficulties that your child has in the classroom. Once the subject teacher understands the needs of your child, they will adapt their lessons to remove any barriers to learning and to enable your child to access the curriculum more easily. A Learning Support Assistant may be allocated to work with your child in the classroom, or as a 1-1 on a tailored intervention. At times it may be appropriate for us to use specialist equipment: coloured overlays, pen/pencils grips or specialist scissors. These will be purchased by the SEND department. How will both you and I know how my child/young person is doing and how will you help me to support their learning?You will be able to discuss your child’s progress in lessons at the two Parents' Evenings. We will also call you in to discuss your child's Pupil Passport. We also offer Parent Surgeries for parents/guardians to be able to drop in to discuss their child's special educational needs. A letter will be sent home to you 2 weeks before the Parent Surgery to let you know the date and time. However, if you have concerns about your child’s educational needs that need addressing immediately, appointments can be made with Mrs Mutton or Mrs Wheeler by contacting them by phone (01782 882900). It is very important to us that your child is supported by both school and home. It is also very important to us that your child is fully involved in all decisions that are made about their education. What support will there be for my child's/young person's overall wellbeing?St Thomas More Catholic Academy offers a wide variety of pastoral support for pupils who are encountering emotional, social and behavioural difficulties. These include:
What specialist services and expertise are available at or accessed by the setting?
Yr3-Yr7 = Ms Nicole Barrow – Nicole.Barrow@stoke.gov.uk and Ms Rayana Sardar – Rayana.Sardar@stoke.gov.uk and Ms Laura Rushton - laura.rushton@stoke.gov.uk Yr8-Yr11 = Ms Sharon Tudor - sharon.tudor@stoke.gov.uk and Ms Jenny Norman- - jenny.norman:stoke.gov.uk Yr12+ = Ms Jane Titley – Jane.Titley@stoke.gov.uk
What training are the staff supporting children and young people with SEND have had or are having?
How will my child/young person be included in activities outside this classroom including school trips?Activities and school trips are available to all pupils regardless of their Special Educational Needs. Risk assessments are carried out and procedures are put in place to enable all children to participate. If a health and safety risk assessment suggests that that an intensive level of 1:1 support is required, an LSP may also be asked to accompany the child during the activity in addition to the usual school staff. We offer an extensive Enrichment Programme that offers opportunities for all learners and these can be adapted to support your child's particular special educational needs. Risk assessments and safety plans are carried out and procedures are put into place to enable all children to participate.
How accessible is the environment?As an Academy we are happy to discuss individual access requirements. Facilities that we have at present include:
How will the setting prepare and support my child/young person to join the next stage of education and life?St Thomas More Catholic Academy understands what a stressful time moving schools can be. Therefore, many strategies are in place to enable your child’s transition to run as smoothly as possible. These include on entry:-
Year 9 and Year 11, are particularly important years for your child as it is at this point that they will have to make some important decisions regarding their future education. In year 9, SEND students are fully prepared and support by the SEND department and parents to ensure that they are offered the full range of option subjects and that their option subjects are appropriate for their plans for Post16. They will be supported in the Taster Sessions that the academy provides as part of this process. These Taster Sessions give your child the chance to ensure that they are fully informed about their choices moving forward into year 10. In Year 11, your child will be fully supported by the SEND department to ensure that they are completely ready to move onto further education/apprenticeships. Careers Advisor Mrs Jane Kent will meet with your child on an individual basis to ensure that your child is aware of all the options post-16, and that they are able to make an informed choice. Visits to all of the local colleges can be arranged and pupils will have the opportunity to take part in taster sessions and mock interviews. If your child requires a specialist provision Post16 and 18, this process will be fully supported. How are the setting's resources allocated and matched to children's/young people's special educational needs?
How is the decision made about what type and how much support my child/young person will receive?The SENCO (Mrs Lovatt) and Assistant SENCOs (Mrs Mutton and Mrs Wheeler) will agree the level of support needed. This may take the form of additional individual support or small group support in class or in other focus groups tailored to your child’s needs. During their school life, if further concerns are identified due to the child’s lack of progress or well-being then other interventions can be arranged. Parents/carers will be notified if their child is receiving 1-1 or small group support outside of the classroom. How will our child and young person be involved in the decisions about their learning?We take pride in including your child in every decision that concerns them. We actively encourage your child to participate in a Pupil Voice questionnaire twice a year and to attend any meetings with parents and agencies. Your child's input into the decisions about their lives is our priority and we ensure that they have their own copy of the Pupil Passport. How will we be involved in the decisions about the learning of our children and young people?How are parents involved in the setting? How can I be involved?All parents are encouraged to contribute to their child’s education. This may be through: discussions with the SENCO prior to your child joining St Thomas More Catholic Academy, during Parents' Evenings, during discussions with other professionals like the Inclusive Learning Services or the Educational Psychologist, In discussions with your child’s Head of Year, parents are encouraged to comment on their child’s Pupil Passport with possible suggestions that could inform strategies to support their child. What do I do if I want to make a complaint?What other support Is available to parents and how can I contact them?If you wish to discuss your child’s Special Educational Needs or other aspects of their provision at St Thomas More Catholic Academy, please contact one of the following:
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