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  • SEND Support

SEND Support

Hello, my name is Victoria Barnes and I am the SENCO at Harris Academy Beckenham.

This page is an overview of the academy’s provision for students with additional needs. If you have any queries that are not covered here, please do get in touch with me at v.barnes@harrisbeckenham.org.uk.

Our academy prides itself on the support we offer students with additional needs. We want you to feel as supported as possible on your son's educational journey, so please do get in touch if you have any queries. 

A copy of our SEN policy can be downloaded below.

We look forward to supporting your child on their educational journey with us.

How do we identify learning or developmental needs?

We identify learning or development needs through:

  • advice from primary schools
  • referrals from parents who request screening
  • concerns raised by teachers
  • self-referrals from students
  • considering documents and information we have from other professionals and any assessments  

This process may lead to further support or referrals, which are discussed in conjunction with the pupil’s family.

What support is available?

Local authorities and schools publish a local offer which sets out what support a student can be offered. It is from this ‘offer’ that we will be selecting the appropriate support that we can offer to individual students.

Our current local offer can be downloaded from the bottom of this page. Information about the Bromley Council local offer can also be found further down this page.

We have four ‘tiers’ of support:

  • Tier 1 – Quality First Class Teaching
  • Tier 2 – Additional support with curriculum or communication skills
  • Tier 3 – Tailored support for students with more complex needs
  • Tier 4 – Support for students with an Education Health and Care Plan

We involve parents and students in any decision to offer additional support because their views are extremely important.

There are four headings under which a student might be considered to have special and additional needs:

  • Communication and interaction
  • Cognition and learning
  • Social, mental and emotional health
  • Sensory and/or physical

The academy will have evidence for considering a student to have additional needs in one or more of these areas and this can be shared with parents.

How we monitor provision and review progress towards outcomes

Senior leaders along with the SENCO analyse behaviour, attendance and performance for all students, including those who are categorised as needing additional help. 

Governors monitor the provision for students with additional needs through monitoring visits, governing body meetings and by looking at the data provided by the academy and Department for Education.

Each term, we review the support each student is receiving and assess whether it is having an impact, whether it should continue, whether it can be discontinued as it is no longer needed. Parents will be consulted over any changes. Students who have an EHCP also have an annual review of the provision being made for them and their progress against targets.

Support between phases/preparing for adulthood

The academy will ensure that students with identified special needs get an early opportunity to have one-to-one information, advice and guidance from a careers adviser. EHCP reviews will include someone with careers experience wherever possible.

The academy will engage with other educational providers to ensure the best provision is accessible to families looking for something non-mainstream.

Staffing

The Academy's SENCO is Victoria Barnes v.barnes@harrisbeckenham.org.uk.

Other staff include:

  • a life coach (twice a week)
  • a speech and language therapist (twice a week)
  • five teaching assistants, who support work within class and deliver out-of-class interventions
  • a SEN Administrator.

We can also access services including, for example, educational psychology, occupational therapy, specialist hearing and sight impairment teachers. We will assess the need for these services on an individual basis and consider whether we can provide or access other external support.

The academy works with a range of professionals to support all its students. These include Words First, the organisation which provides our speech and language therapeutic support, an Educational Psychologist where necessary, social workers, health professionals, Bromley Y, CAMHS and the NHS.

Access arrangements

From Year 7 some pupils have access arrangements for assessments and exams.  These may include extra time, a reader, a scribe, rest breaks or use of a computer and, as the pupil goes through the school, the rigourous exam board and JCQ system determines any applications that might be made for public exams.

Bromley Local Offer

Details of the Bromley Local Offer can be found at https://www.bromley.gov.uk/LocalOffer.

Further information about support and services for students and their families can be found using the links below.

Here are some links to advice available about ADHD: 

Policies & Documents