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Special Needs
Special Educational Needs at Roding
We welcome pupils of all backgrounds and abilities to our school and all are included as fully as possible within their mainstream class.
The progress of all children is monitored regularly by their class teacher, which means that any learning, emotional or behavioural difficulties which affect progress can be identified at an early stage. If a class teacher becomes concerned about a child’s progress they may talk to parents about informally monitoring their child’s progress a little more closely, targets will be set and reviewed, usually for 1-2 terms; this will often lead to improved progress with no further action being required. However, if concerns continue, the teacher may suggest a period of assessment, this will mean a series of informal and sometimes formal assessments will be conducted over a set time to build a profile of the child’s underlying learning needs; a profile of strengths and areas of need will then be produced to inform future planning and support. If a learning or SEMh need is assessed the child will be placed at ‘School Support’, which means the school will take action to support the child’s assessed needs. This is in line with the SEN code of practice.
School policy is to intervene as early as possible so identified pupils may be helped to overcome their difficulties and cease to need support.
The SENCO assists teachers with the development of learning strategies to help children with special needs. She also liaises with the Educational Psychology Service and other outside agencies, such as social services and speech therapy, who can offer specialist advice.
A team of well qualified teaching assistants is also employed by the school to provide additional support to identified children, under the guidance of class teachers.
If parents/carers have any concerns with regard to their child’s progress, they should first arrange to discuss this with their child’s teacher. If the school is concerned about a child’s progress, parents/carers are always informed and consulted.
Children who have exceptional difficulties are assessed by the local authority and, if necessary, an Education Health Care Plan (EHCp) may be issued. Children may also be given additional opportunities if they are exceptionally gifted. Teachers set work to challenge each pupil at their own level within the class group and this includes differentiating tasks to stretch the more able pupil.
Provision for Deaf children
Our specialist provision for 35 deaf pupils adds an additional dimension to life at Roding, particularly since we have extended opportunities for both staff and children to learn signing in order to allow communication with those children who are still learning to communicate orally or who have no access to sound.
Pupils are included as fully as possible in their class but may also be withdrawn for focused group teaching within one of several soundproofed bases if it is appropriate to meet their need. Six specialist support teachers of the deaf and a team of specialist teaching assistants support the children to access all aspects of the curriculum. Communication Support Workers (CSW) interpret for children dependent upon sign language to enable them to access all aspects of school life. A specialist speech and language therapist works with all our deaf children to maximise their oral language development and wider communication skills.
The school provides a total communication approach to teaching although specific groups are taught using a purely oral/aural teaching approach, reflecting the schools commitment to meet each child’s individual needs. There are also three deaf adults on the staff. Please click here for further information on our H.I. Provision.
The school also houses the borough’s Advisory Service for Deaf and Hearing Impaired children, which offers support to all children from 0 to 25 with hearing needs in Redbridge. This team of teachers of the deaf and audiological technicians work with health services, pre-school agencies and mainstream schools to ensure that the children and their families receive consistent support, as soon as their hearing needs are identified.