Bredon School’s SEN provision helps to build the bridges to learning.

We have an international reputation for our work with special educational needs; carrying out the initial pioneering work with Dr Newton’s Aston Index in the 1970s, to a current state-of-the art dynamic Access Centre.

Led by Mrs Sue Webb the Access Centre has grown and continues to refine its expertise. The staff and school are able to help boys and girls with a wide range of learning difficulties and abilities, including dyslexia.

The school’s SEN policy is at the heart of strategic planning and development. The school believes in the principles of entitlement and inclusion and therefore wants all pupils to engage in a full curriculum. The Access Centre offers a wide variety of provision to pupils. Those with specific learning difficulties such as dyslexia are offered individual or small group withdrawal from low priority subjects, for literacy, numeracy and speech and language.

Other pupils are offered in-class support or a combination of both withdrawal and support in-class. At the heart of the provision is the Access Centre whose ICT is growing and developing a reputation for the use of voice recognition software.

The Access Centre, staff and its pupils are over-seen by Mrs Webb. Currently there are seven full-time and six part-time members of staff. All SEN pupils are identified on SEND register at School Action, School Action Plus or Statements. These pupils have an Individual Education Plan which is written and based on the needs of each pupil. Each of the pupils is monitored and progress checked.

As part of the school’s commitment to SEN, the SENCo and Mrs Webb are given time for the in-service work with all subject staff. Training takes place with staff on administration days at the start of each term, as well as at staff and department meetings. There is a commitment by the school that all pupils are sympathetically taught by all subject staff.

Some KS3 pupils may be placed in a small, slower paced class and taught a differentiated National Curriculum English each day by a qualified teacher of specific learning difficulties, as well as being offered individual or small group additional tuition. These pupils may well follow a more vocational pathway at Key Stage 4.

At KS4 and sixth form, pupils are offered specialist learning support lessons which complement their subject course and also strikes a balance with furthering their literacy skills.

For pupils whose English is a second language there is a well qualified teacher who is ESOL trained (English for Speakers of Other Languages). These pupils are offered individual or small group tuition to develop their English language skills.

The school is supported by such agencies as an educational psychologist, an occupational therapist and a physiotherapist, as well as specialist learning consultants, such as specialists in the Davis procedure, for example. Links with UK health services, social services and educational welfare services are made for a small number of pupils with statements of special educational needs.

Bredon School has its own speech and language therapy unit, based in the grounds of the School. Click the link to read more.

Annual reviews for the statemented pupils are carried out in accordance with the Code of Practice. Personal Tutors, housestaff and subject teachers are all involved in the writing of the Individual Education Plans, and staff are invited to attend the Annual Review.

Good liaison between school, parents, pupils and UK Local Education Authorities (where appropriate) is ensured over and above that required by the Annual Review. For each pupil, each academic year the school holds two parent/teacher meetings, submits two full school reports and six half-termly grade sheets. Parents and the Local Education Authorities are welcome to contact the school for further discussion at any time.

As Bredon School continues to develop in many areas, curriculum development will always take SEN into consideration. With many years experience behind it, our reputation for provision for SEN pupils is well established. But the school is not content to rest on its laurels and will always strive to build on its success.