Important Notice - December 2022

 ‘The School is aware of the ND profiling tool that has recently been developed by the Portsmouth City Council Inclusion Team and the Portsmouth Education Partnership (PEP). If parents are advised that their child should be assessed using the ND profiling toolkit, the guidance is that the professional advising on this is to undertake the assessment’. 

Special Educational Needs

Approach to Learning

The department offers support to pupils both in and out of class. In class support is provided by a team of Teaching Assistants (TAs) and 3 Higher Level Teaching Assistants (HLTAs).

They work with pupils and teachers in lessons to ensure that lesson content is accessible for pupils with learning support needs and with the intention of pupils achieving their best learning outcome, regardless of their level or type of need.

Learning support is also provided by TAs and HLTAs outside of class for small groups and individuals so that particular needs can be addressed. Some diagnostic testing can be undertaken with pupils, for example regarding dyslexia or Key Stage 4 exam access arrangements.

Key Stage 3 (Year 7-9)

In addition to the support strategies already described, reading and spelling support groups, led by TAs, provide additional support for pupils who need to improve these essential skills.

Key Stage 4 (Year 10-11)

In addition to the support strategies already described, pupils who are entitled receive support from TAs during controlled assessments and key stage 4 exams.

SEN - Information Report

Introduction

St Edmund’s Catholic School seeks to provide a quality educational experience for every pupil embedded within a strong Christian spiritual environment. The school strives to be a secure, caring, well organised Catholic Christian community in which the ethos is one of justice with equality. Pupils with SEN contribute to our diversity and richness and they are entitled to opportunities to develop their whole person within the school’s living, worshipping and purposeful community.

What are Special Educational Needs? (SEN)

A pupil can be described as having SEN if he or she has a learning difficulty that calls for special educational provision to be made for him or her. Special educational provision can be made when a pupil has:

• A significantly greater difficulty in learning than the majority of other pupils of the same age.
• A disability that prevents or hinders him or her from making use of educational facilities of a kind generally provided for pupils of the same age in a mainstream school.

What types of SEN are there?

The SEN Code of Practice (COP) provides practical advice to schools and other relevant organisations on how to carry out their statutory duties to identify, assess and make provision for children and young people with SEN. In the Code of Practice the following four categories of SEN are identified:

• Communication and interaction needs.
• Cognition and learning needs.
• Social, mental and emotional health needs.
• Sensory and or physical needs

Accessibility

The school has implemented the following:

• Ipads available for all VI students.
• Lifts installed in our new building (Wright Block).
• Braille signage throughout the school.
• Bespoke IT packages for ALL students.
• Full curriculum.
• Laptops.

Click here to view our Accessibility Plan

Complaints

The Governors are committed to ensuring the highest standards are maintained at St Edmund’s both in the provision of education to pupils and in every other aspect of the running of the School. A complaints procedure is an integral part of the management of a well-run school, allowing parents the opportunity to voice any concerns they may have,
through the appropriate channels. This procedure has been adopted by the Governing Body to ensure a systematic and fair approach to the resolution of such concerns.

If you wish to make a complaint relating to SEND please follow our school's Complaints Policy.

Click here to download our Complaints Policy

Portsmouth Local Offer

The Portsmouth LEA have created a website made up a collaboration between parents and carers of disabled children, young people and Portsmouth City Council to help you find what is available in the area for those with Special Education Needs or Disabilities (ages 0-25) and how to access a variety of services entitled the 'Portsmouth Local Offer'.

Please click here to view this website.  

The Portsmouth SEND local area inspection report has been published following the Ofsted and Care Quality Commission inspection visit which took place from 1^st to 5^th July 2019.  This was a very wide-ranging inspection of the support for children and young people aged 0-25 with special educational needs and disabilities.  The hard work of education professionals working in schools, colleges and early years settings was recognised, alongside the work of professionals in health, social care and the voluntary sector, as contributing to improving outcomes for children and young people in the city and their families. A copy of this inspection visit can be found from the resources below under the 'Current School Offer for SEN Pupils'.

SEND Outcomes 2018