The special Education Needs and Disabilities (SEND) faculty is committed to breaking down any barriers that might prevent a student from fully accessing their education at Oldbury Academy. We are focused on high-quality outcomes for all learners, and achievement and inclusion are the cornerstone of our practice. The faculty is led by Mrs Hancox (Acting SENCo). Her email address is [email protected]. The SEND governor is Ms M Parsons. Her email address is [email protected]

The SEND faculty works with other teams of professionals within and outside of school to support students with their learning, behavioural and physical needs in order to enable those students to access the curriculum and make progress with both their academic and social development.

Well-resourced and highly skilled, the SEND faculty is an integral part of the school, and, together with curriculum and pastoral staff, we do our absolute best for all pupils. We aim to support children with all their learning needs and work closely with Inclusion Support, following recommended interventions. We currently have a wide range of interventions on offer in our SEND hub, and these take place during form time or throughout the day. Pupils work 1-1 or in small groups. Current interventions include:

  • Lexia
  • Rapid Plus
  • Speed Up
  • Sound Linkage
  • Stareway to Spelling
  • Sound Discovery
  • Numeracy
  • Zones of Regulation

As well as our SEND Hub, we have a sensory room so we can cater for those pupils who need a quiet, sensory space. We also run our ‘Haven’ club at break and lunch times as well as breakfast and homework clubs. This ensures that our pupils have access to good quality wrap-around care if they need it and is a very important part of what we do.

 

Flourish Pathway

In KS4 a small group of pupils will follow the ‘Flourish’ Pathway. This includes Personal and Social Development and Functional Skills lessons in Maths and English. These courses help to equip children for the next phase of their education by giving them the life skills that they need to become well-rounded citizens.

More information can be found on each of the links opposite.

 

Behavioural Programmes in place to support Social, Emotional and Mental Health Needs

The department works closely with the Learning Support Centre. The LSC provides the following areas of support:

Making Choices – This is a programme to encourage pupils recognising that they have choices in how they react to situations. It encourages pupils to make better behaviour choices in the future.

Anger Management – This is a programme to encourage pupils to look at their feelings and how they cope with them. It encourages them to understand their anger triggers and find ways to avoid or control them more effectively.

Building Friendships – This is a programme to help pupils approach their peers in a positive way to make and maintain suitable friendships. It looks at making conversation, sharing and being assertive.

Pupils are identified for these programmes through observation and testing and progress is closely monitored.