Although St George’s is not a specialist school for children with special educational needs, we pride ourselves on being an inclusive school, where all pupils’ educational needs are identified and supported.

The Inclusion Department is an integral part of the school. We can support pupils who have a specific learning difficulty across a range of formats from targeted small group and 1:1 sessions, to offering more general support to any pupils who need help with organisational skills, study skills and use of assistive technology.

We benefit from the expertise of qualified staff including Upper and Lower SENCOs, two SpLD teachers, a full time Speech and Language therapist, an English as an Additional Language (EAL) specialist, Mentors, a full time School Nurse and three Mental Health Leads.

St George’s has many pupils of varying ability and need. In order to ensure the needs of all learners are catered for we invest in a wide range of both in house and external training. We genuinely believe in providing our staff with an excellent ‘tool kit’ to provide greater depth of understanding of the pupils we work with, as well as practical strategies to meet learners needs; staff training ensures a depth of pedagogy essential to quality first teaching. 

An Individual Approach

Some pupils may have needs that do not require additional support outside of the high-quality differentiated teaching they receive inside the classroom. These pupils are closely monitored by teaching staff in liaison with our specialist staff. Pupils that require 1:1 or small group intervention/academic support, due to a specific need that cannot be initially met within the classroom, are placed on the school’s SEN register (in line with the SEND code of practice: 0 to 25 years). They remain on this register whilst intervention work takes place. Key information on all of these pupils is recorded on a Pupil Passport, alongside strategies to assist with their learning and wellbeing within the school; all pupils on the SEND register also have an Individual Provision Plan (IPP) which is reviewed termly. These are shared with parents, teaching and pastoral staff to enable a whole-school approach to a ‘team around the child’.

We often work closely with external professionals (such as educational psychologists, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, mental health services, the Communication and Autism Team, the Hearing Impairment Service etc), and aim to implement their recommendations both in the classroom and the wider school setting.

With highly qualified and experienced staff, our aim is to ensure all pupils achieve their potential regardless of any difficulties they may face. Teaching staff, together with our dedicated Learning Support team, are able to help pupils with a range of additional needs, such as dyslexia, dyspraxia, dyscalculia, ADHD and Autistic Spectrum Condition, to enable them to fulfil their potential.

We also offer support to student who are learning English as an additional language.

For more information on this, please click here.

Upper School Inclusion Department

Many children benefit from additional support at some point during their educational journey, to meet educational, social or emotional needs. We strive to be responsive to the particular strengths and difficulties of each of our pupils in order to provide every opportunity for them to reach their full potential.

Our Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator (SENCo) Mrs Joanna Love, has been working at St George’s for many years and holds the National Award for SEN Coordination. She is an Autism Level 3 Lead Practitioner and is trained in supporting pupils with many issues including, but not limited to, sensory, mental health, ADHD, Attachment and specific learning difficulties.

The department supports students primarily through inclusion and, as much as possible, children are educated alongside their peers. We work with teachers in the classroom to ensure that, in addition to a high-quality curriculum, adjustments are made to secure access to all learning opportunities.

Where necessary, we offer support outside the classroom to reinforce specific skills and knowledge. Students may receive intervention in small groups or individually, and follow a programme of support which meets their individual needs. Our SpLD teacher and Speech and Language Therapist work one-to-one with pupils who need more specialised input, as well as developing structured programmes to be delivered by trained Learning Support Assistants.

Students on the SEND register have access to our Think Tank provision which has its own dedicated teaching rooms for 1:1 or group sessions, as well as learning support; we have even been able to take this provision online during remote learning! Each pupil accessing the Think Tank will receive a structured programme tailored to their individual needs. Our dedicated Mentors run this provision under the guidance of our SENCo, Speech and Language Therapist and subject specialists.

Our experienced teaching assistants (many of whom hold a degree relevant to the subject department they are allocated to) work with small groups and individuals to provide specific support under the guidance of the SENCo. We work closely with outside agencies, including educational psychologists, speech and language therapists and occupational therapists, when further assessment or intervention is required.

We offer a bespoke transition programme for students with SEND (this typically commences in the Summer Term of Year 6) and liaise closely with our feeder primary schools so we are in a position to support pupils from the moment they start in our Upper school.

To find out more about our SEND provision click here.