All pupils at Beachborough are taught a wide-ranging curriculum within mainstream classes. Quality teaching is a priority, which means that all classwork and prep is differentiated, so that pupils are challenged according to their own level, enabling everyone to achieve success.
Children complete either CAT 4 tests or Cambridge Primary Insight assessments prior to entry to the school to ensure that, should they be offered a place, their needs can be met. Furthermore, it is essential that prospective parents share any existing concerns and information relating to previous learning support, assessment or involvement from other agencies/professionals (e.g. Speech & Language Therapy; Educational Psychology).
All pupils from PP1 complete termly assessments and annual standardised testing, information from which is used to monitor progress and identify any discrepancies between ability and attainment. In addition to this, pupils can be referred to the Learning Success Department at any point during the school year, should staff or parents have concerns.
The Learning Success Department at Beachborough is a well-resourced and integral part of the school. The department is led by our SENDCo, who is a member of the Senior Management Team, and includes an Early Years SENCo and a number of Learning Support Assistants (LSAs).
Children identified as having Special Educational Needs or Disabilities (SEND) will have a personalised IPP (Individual Provision Plan) which is used by all staff to inform lesson planning and teaching. Parents and pupils (where age-appropriate) are invited to contribute to the drafting of the IPP, and subsequent reviews.
In addition to their IPP, pupils may be offered additional support through one or more of the following pathways:
- LSA support within normal lessons (Forms III to VIII)
- Withdrawal from lessons (fixed or rolling slots) for 1:1 support (Early Years, Pre-Prep and Forms III-IV)
- Early morning (before 9am) intervention groups
- Small-group/paired or 1:1 tuition, via withdrawal from the Spanish lessons; all pupils take French (Forms V-VIII)
- Supported prep sessions (Forms III-VIII)
There are occasions where parents may be signposted to seek external advice from other professionals/ specialists (e.g., Educational Psychologists; Speech & Language Therapists; Occupational Therapists; Paediatricians; Behavioural Optometrists). Any subsequent feedback/ reports are summarised by the Head of Learning Success; this information is shared with all staff to enable appropriate individualised provision and differentiation to be established across all relevant aspects of school-life.
On rare occasions, where it is felt that a pupil’s needs have become more complex and exceed the level of support available through the usual pathways, additional funding may be sought from the Local Authority through a request for Statutory Assessment for an Education, Health and Care Plan. Parent consent will always be sought in such circumstances and parent input into the application will be expected.
