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SEND: Frequently Asked Questions

  • My child has a SEND need e.g. dyslexia, ADHD and ASC. What does / can the school, myself and my child do to support with their access to the school environment?

We will…

Parents can…

Students can…

  • Communicate details of student’s needs and barriers to staff across the school
  • Monitor student’s progress data
  • Teachers refer observed barriers to the SEND team
  • Seek additional guidance from the Local Authority LIFT - Refer to Mainstream Core standards?
  • Inside the classroom: Teaching and Learning framework  and Inclusive Checklist. Standard provision examples include: a quiet learning environment with bespoke seating plan for visual needs and prompting. Focused questioning for understanding and broken-down explicit instructions
  • Outside the classroom includes: access to class teachers and form tutor support, Physical environment, quiet spaces and active spaces during social times.
  • Delivery of short-term intervention where need is identified.
  • Contact is made with home where applicable with information on feedback and data analysis
  • Contact their child’s class teacher if there is a subject specific query
  • Contact their child’s form tutor if it is a whole school concern (diagnosed SEND or not)
  • Refer to recommended useful links – Click Here
  • Communicate barriers in and out of lessons to their form tutor
  • Communicate with class teachers around in class barriers

 

  • My child had support at Primary, does this mean they will have the same at Trinity?

We will…

Parents can…

Students can…

  • Review the information provided by the primary school and implement a support plan where necessary.
  • Understand that the secondary setting is different to primary; where due to the environment and curriculum set up of secondary, some support provided in primary will not be required.
  • Monitor progress and receive observational feedback from staff as part of a provision review.
  • Communicate and discuss any provision alteration / support with parents.
  • A transition program, which includes SENDCo to SENCO meetings, visits to the school and parent meeting.
  • Contact their child’s class teacher if there is a subject specific query
  • Contact their child’s form tutor if it is a whole school concern (diagnosed SEND or not)

 

  • Communicate barriers in and out of lessons to their form tutor
  •    Communicate with class teachers around in class barriers

 

  • When does the school provide my child with coloured books and resources printed on coloured paper?

We will…

Parents can…

Students can…

  • *Principles for students requiring coloured overlays and paper
  • Accommodate need where evidence is received of a screening/diagnostic assessment conducted by a suitably qualified professional, resulting in a profile consistent with visual stress.
  • Provide a fixed range of overlays, however parents may opt to provide alternative colours.
  • If a student goes on to purchase filtered glasses, then they will be independent and not require further support.
  • We require evidence of a successful trial period monitored by teachers, the pastoral and SEND team. This trail will be in place for 6-12 weeks. During this time, the student will be expected to take responsibility for bringing in and using their overlay, when required, as normal equipment for lessons and internal examinations as necessary, like a pair of glasses.
  • On completion of a successful trial period, we will offer the student the option of continuing with their overlay and/or the provision of cream paper which has been shown to help by reducing glare. Trinity cannot provide every teaching and learning material onto cream paper, and therefore students must be prepared for alternative access to materials through the use of overlays or tinted glasses.
  • Obtain and provide the school with the findings and recommendations of a screening/diagnosis assessment for visual stress from a professional
  • Obtain tinted glasses
  • Contact the form tutor if support is needed with wearing prescribed glasses

 

  • Be responsible to bring in provided overlays
  • Be responsible to bring in provided tinted glasses
  • Communicate with their class teacher, form tutor or designated key worker around how they are accessing resources.

* Trinity School recognises that there is mixed medical and scientific consensus about the existence of syndromes or conditions relating to “visual stress” and that research findings vary in terms of the measurable benefits of the use of coloured overlays, coloured paper or filtered lenses to those who experience difficulties with reading.

However, in line with our ethos to support our students to reach their full academic potential and make a successful transition to adulthood, we believe we should acknowledge the symptoms of such a condition and try to provide students with support and resources related to it.

There are many different options when it comes to getting help with visual stress. The diagnostic assessment/treatment of visual stress and other visual processing difficulties takes place within a commercial, profit-led market and as such providers of these services dictate their own charges. Our staff are not qualified to diagnose medical, ophthalmological or mental health conditions and we understand parents may wish to seek assistance from trained professionals.

* My child had extra time (access arrangements) and assessments printed on coloured paper at Primary, do they get this throughout their schooling and GCSE exams?

We will…

Parents can…

Students can…

  • Extra time - Access Arrangements are applied for through the JCQ Board at the start of KS4 for student’s to access their GCSEs.  Part of the application process required is for schools to gather evidence from teachers over a student’s educational career of whether the arrangements are part of a student’s normal daily life and that the adjustments being made by their teachers provides benefit to them. One way of gathering this evidence is through how students perform in assessments throughout their school journey in Key Stage 3 (7 – 9). 

The evidence collected by the end of Year 9, will help us identify those student’s that require further investigation and testing from our official Access Arrangements assessor at the start of KS4.  You will be notified if your son/ daughter has been identified at this stage.  It is also important to note that a diagnosis report will be used as evidence to back up the KS3 investigation, although they cannot solely be used to support an application without evidence from teachers.

 

This process also applies to KS5 (sixth form) mainly for new students to this center.

  • Contact their child’s form tutor to request feedback on an update on if adjustments are being made in relation to access arrangements

 

  • Communicate with class teachers barriers in class and discuss ways to support them

 

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