Kemball School, ST3 (ages 2 - 19) - Organisations

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Kemball is an inclusive, generic special school catering for pupils with cognition and learning needs. Many of the pupils who attend Kemball have complex medical needs

The admission of pupils is largely controlled by the Local Authority (LA). The LA follows the procedures described in the SEN Code of Practice and may recommend a place at the school.

Please see our full Local Offer and additional documentation/information on our school website

What kinds of SEND does the school provide for?

Pupils who have cognition and learning difficulties - profound and multiple, severe or moderate learning difficulties

How will the setting support my child/young person?

If the offer of a placement is accepted then the school would wish to make the transition as easy as possible for the child and his/her parents.  A thorough transition plan is created with parents where individual needs including dietary and medical requirements are discussed.  Class sizes vary depending on the pathway that the child is educated in, however there is an enhanced child to staff ratio.

How will teaching approaches and the curriculum be matched to my child or young person's needs?

In order to provide a curriculum package that fully meets the requirements of all of our learners, the school is divided into 4 distinct pathways: 

• Multisensory Pathway – Pupils who have profound and multiple learning difficulties (6 classes including Post 16 class). The multi-sensory pathway provides the sensory experiences needed for those with complex medical needs and learning difficulties to access the world around them. Skilled staff are able to offer a curriculum which encompasses all elements of our pupils needs including postural management, tactile elements, visual and auditory awareness and also communication skills. 

• Engagement Pathway – caters for pupils who are non subject specific learners. The pupils within the Engagement pathway are taught through a specially adapted, meaningful topic based curriculum. A great deal of emphasis is placed on promoting independence and developing increased levels of engagement within the five strands of cognition and learning: Exploration, Realisation, Anticipation, Persistence and Initiation.  Activities are designed to encourage the pupils to respond to the environment and give them access to a purposeful, individualised curriculum that fully meets their specific needs.

• Progression Pathway – caters for pupils who are subject specific learners. The progression pathway builds on foundations for pupil’s future education. Pupils study all curriculum subjects to develop breadth of learning. Emphasis is not only placed on the acquisition of key skills but also on offering a variety of opportunities and experiences whilst striving to develop independence in all that we do.

• Functional Pathway – both subject specific and non subject specific students from year 9 with a focus on qualifications and life skills. We aim to provide pupils with the skills they need to live as independently as possible in later life. A part of this preparation for adulthood our aim is to identify and nurture personal strengths and give pupils the opportunity to make choices around their learning. We ensure all pupils have a broad experience of the workplace, providing them with opportunity to develop their employability skills through workplace visits, meetings with careers advisors, employers and training providers. Pupils begin working towards their different qualifications (such as Entry Level Functional Skills and ASDAN) with an emphasis across the whole curriculum on ‘real life’ applications. We also offer a range of enriching experiences and learning through Duke of Edinburgh (D of E) and Options which develop vocational skills.

How will both you and I know how my child/young person is doing and how will you help me to support their learning?

An annual review meeting is held every year to discuss progress against EHCP outcomes and milestones.  Pupils share their views and opinions of school life by completing a pupil comment sheet. This is done with appropriate support from class staff. This document is included in the annual review. In addition a yearly written report highlights the progress the pupil has made in all curriculum areas.   Parents and carers are kept up to date with progress and achievement throughout the year and receive a termly overview which highlights what the pupils have been learning about over the course of the term.

What support will there be for my child's/young person's overall wellbeing?

The school places a high emphasis on enhancing emotional and social development and also supporting behaviour. Staff are trained to administer medication, support pupils who have epilepsy or additional medical needs.  Pupils take part in half termly mental health and wellbeing days.  Pupil representatives from each class are active members of the School Council and Eco Committee. School Council and Eco Committee members assist in making decisions on a variety of school issues.  Pupils take part in a range of trips and educational visits.

What specialist services and expertise are available at or accessed by the setting?

The school has the following specially trained staff:

• Makaton trainers
• Rebound Therapists
• Manual Handling Trainers
• ASDAN assessors
• Safety Intervention trained staff
• Lifeguards
• TaSSels
• Attention Autism
• Theraplay
• Intensive interaction
• PECs (Picture Exchange Communication)
• Precision teaching

What training are the staff supporting children and young people with SEND have had or are having?

Staff have undergone/will complete the following training:

• Health related training e.g. the administration of medication, epilepsy and peg feeding, training required to meet the medical needs of individual pupils.
• manual handling
• Read, Write Inc phonics programme
• HI/VI
• Makaton, PECs – communication needs
• Child Protection/Safeguarding
• Moderation
• Social Stories
• Sensory diet
• Hydrotherapy course
• Safety Intervention - de-escalation and positive handling
• TaSSels
• Attention Autism
• Theraplay
• Intensive interaction
• PECs (Picture Exchange Communication)
• Precision teaching
• Inclusive Attendance
• On-going professional development linked to both the priorities of the school and in order to meet the needs of the pupils

How will my child/young person be included in activities outside this classroom including school trips?

Class teachers plan their own trips. Parents and carers are made aware of forthcoming trips through a letter which will include a consent form which is required to be returned to school signed.  The school has its own minibuses

The school has two fully accessible minibuses. 

How accessible is the environment?

The school was opened in 2013 and is fully accessible for all abilities. Access to a supportive environment includes:

• Home School Link Worker
• fully accessible hydrotherapy pool
• All classes and specialist rooms have ceiling tracking
• Strong emphasis on E- Safety (first achieved E-Safety accreditation 13th May 2016)
• interactive whiteboards in each class
• access to computer/Ipads
• 2 interactive sensory rooms
• 2 sensory diet rooms
• A range of resources to meet communication needs
• Outdoor play areas
• Outdoor gym equipment

How will the setting prepare and support my child/young person to join the next stage of education and life?

We place great emphasis on supporting pupils who are moving between different settings. A comprehensive transition process has been established to support pupils who are new to our school, at whatever age or stage of their education. From Year 9 onwards parents are supported and encouraged to consider Post 16 options as part of the yearly Annual Review process.

How are the setting's resources allocated and matched to children's/young people's special educational needs?

Resources are allocated to meet the needs of all our pupils.  This includes specialist seating, communication devices, enhanced staff to pupil ratio, sensory needs, ICT equipment etc

How is the decision made about what type and how much support my child/young person will receive?

The pathway that the child is educated in will depend upon their individual need.  However pathways are fluid and a pupil could move to a different pathway if their needs change and they require a different provision.

How will our child and young person be involved in the decisions about their learning?

Pupils are fully involved in setting their own educational targets.  We have an active school council, Eco committee and E-Safety team.  All classes are represented on these committees.

How will we be involved in the decisions about the learning of our children and young people?

We operate an open door policy and aim to build positive and supportive relationships with all our parents/carers whereby any concerns are dealt with in a timely and appropriate manner. In addition, parents/carers are invited to attend an annual review meetings, end of year parents meetings, coffee mornings, school events and can liaise with class teachers throughout the academic year. 

How are parents involved in the setting? How can I be involved?

Engagement with parents/carers:

• Class Dojo
• Fortnightly ROCKS group (Relatives of the Children of Kemball School)
• Home visits
• Newsletters
• Regular phone calls, Dojo messages and open access to staff at certain times of the school day.
• Home school link worker
• 2 parent governors
• Achievement assemblies
• Class assemblies and school productions
• Annual Review process
• Text message service
• Regular coffee mornings
• Regular questionnaires to seek parental views
• in house training and courses run throughout the year

What do I do if I want to make a complaint?

The school has a comprehensive complaints policy - this can be found on the school website

What other support Is available to parents and how can I contact them?

Our home school link worker can be contacted via the school's reception.  Any health related queries can be referred into the health hub