We test on average just under 100 students each year for exam access arrangements throughout Key Stages 1 – 4. Pupils are assessed using standardised tests for reading, writing, spelling, memory and underlying cognitive ability.

We currently have approximately 100 students with exam access arrangements in Key Stages Four and Five.  Caroline Chisholm Learning Support Department is incredibly fortunate to have two members of staff in the team who have the qualification required by JCQ to carry out formal testing for access arrangements. These staff members coordinate all the necessary elements - testing, online applications to exam boards, liaison with parents/carers and teaching staff and gathering of other evidence to support the application. 

Type of Provision

We offer a unit provision within Caroline Chisholm School Secondary Phase for students from Year 7 to Sixth Form with a diagnosis of high functioning ASD. There is a maximum of three places in each year cohort based on an overall unit provision for ten places, including Sixth Form. 

Admissions Criteria and Arrangements

All admissions will be determined by the Local Authority in accordance with the SEN and Disability Code of Practice, July 2014.

Students will have at least one score within the average ability range as measured on a standard test of cognitive ability. This will have been assessed within two years prior to admission to the SEN Unit. Students may display challenging behaviours resulting from their autism, but challenging behaviours are not their identified primary need.

Arrangements for Including Students in Mainstream

Strategies for including students in mainstream are put in place on an individual basis depending on the level of need.

These strategies include:

• Adapted work
• Seating plans
• Exam access arrangements
• LSA support within lessons
• Student specific training for staff
• Dedicated Study Support sessions

Description of Provision

The SEN Unit will enable students from Year 7 to Year 13 to succeed in the mainstream setting by removing barriers to learning and by providing:

• A supported inclusive educational experience
• Social support
• Advice to teachers on individual learning needs
• SPELL framework (Structure, Positivity, Empathy, Low Arousal, Links)

Curriculum delivery takes place predominantly in mainstream lessons with access to in-class support.

Subject teachers provide structure and adaptation of tasks to promote effective learning.

The SEN Unit offers targeted individual work and social support, particularly at less structured times of the day. Interventions are offered using the Assess-Plan-Do-Review model. Students are provided with continuous access to the dedicated suite of rooms in accordance with their sensory needs.

Contact details:

To contact the Learning Support Leadership Team, please email: LSLT@ccs.northants.sch.uk.

Authority and statutory guidelines govern much of how we monitor, support and review students with an EHCP (Education, Health and Care Plan), but in addition to these, at CCS we operate a target system of short-term and achievable objectives, as well as on-going reviews and if required, an adaptation of support.

We have a very personalised methodology at Caroline Chisholm and plan our support very carefully to provide the right balance between hands-on assistance and developing independence. We approach every query and issue individually, working with parents and other agencies to make sure students have access to the mainstream curriculum, whilst remaining happy and positive.

Literacy

At the start of the Autumn Term, all Year 7 students are tested on their reading skills.  This baseline assessment provides a standardised score and a reading age, that helps in determining the students who will be offered additional literacy support throughout Key Stage 3.  At any one time, usually between 15 and 20 students at Key Stage 3 access our literacy intervention programmes. The focus/resources used during literacy support lessons include:

• Fresh Start (Read Write Inc) – a cumulative structured phonics programme
• Grammar practice
• Reading for meaning, including inferential comprehension
• Writing skills
• Handwriting
• Spelling skills

Students are regularly tested to monitor progress and to ensure that the level and type of interventions remains appropriate.

Numeracy

When a student has been identified as requiring additional numeracy support, we provide a tailored programme based on a three-tier classification by level of need.  Small group work and a less formal setting help weaker students to feel more confident, motivated and engaged, whilst the student groups are carefully chosen to ensure they build relationships whilst remaining focussed.

For those who need a less formal programme of intervention, we use formative assessment to identify gaps in curriculum knowledge, then allocate personalised resources to support accelerated progress.

Photos of Butterfly Room, Learning Hub, Sensory Cave

In Primary, we have different areas to support our children with additional needs. These areas support student with their social, emotional and mental health needs; for example, building self-esteem, emotional resilience or conversation skills, through a variety of interventions such as ‘Drawing and Talking’ or ELSA.

We currently have a small cohort of students who are withdrawn from lessons to complete Programme Work. This supports students with their social, emotional and mental health needs; for example, building self-esteem, conversational skills and anger management.

These programmes are designed collaboratively with the student. Prior to starting this work, the student completes an initial consultation document. Thus, every programme is fully individualised rather than offering a one-size-fits-all approach. Our Programme Work is carefully monitored; every session is logged, and we have an evaluation document to help us appraise the intervention.

We also offer informal interventions, such as comic strip conversations, beauty and self-care and weekly ‘check-ins’ which take place during tutor times and lunchtimes.

Our Inclusion Leaders work within the department to coordinate and manage the daily, termly and annual support programmes. Everything we do is student-focussed and aims to ensure every student in our care can access the mainstream curriculum and makes the maximum achievable progress.

In-class support (including use of Student Profiles)

Learning Support Assistants are assigned to a student, or group of students, in subject lessons where barriers to learning have been identified. This support can take on a variety of guises, from help to retain focus and manage emotional responses; to offering additional levels of academic adaptation and personalisation and helping to segment and process the lesson materials.

We also use a system of Student Profiles to keep all staff updated with strategies and objectives and these are regularly reviewed and updated. These one-page documents offer more detail for staff than appears on their register, so they have an in-depth knowledge of SEN or monitored students and are able to adapt their classroom support accordingly.

Out-of-class support

LSAs, Inclusion Leaders and our administration team also go the extra mile to help students with their non-academic needs. We offer lots of practical strategies to assist with coping and organisation, which could include being prepared for lesson, accessing the canteen facilities, meet and greet at the start of the school day, issuing time-out cards and printing pocket timetables. We never limit our help and work collaboratively to find a solution to every problem, with a host of unique and personalised solutions.

In Learning Support, we are also intrinsically involved in the transition of students to and from Caroline Chisholm School. This is to ensure all students with a Special Educational Need, EHCP, or those with a quantified level of vulnerability get the extra support they need to transition smoothly and comfortably.

For Primary, the EYFS Leader and Primary Inclusion Leaders go to settings and home visits to meet with students.

For Secondary, each year, we undertake a data capture exercise and review the information supplied from every feeding Primary school to identify every student who will have an extra level of need during the transition period. We offer a ‘Getting to Know You’ Day prior to the ‘Transition Day’ in July, so these students have an extra visit to Caroline Chisholm before joining and have the opportunity to meet and make friends. Learning Support Leaders will also use this data when reviewing the support deployment prior to Year 7 start in September.

For in-year transitions, Inclusion Leaders will liaise with linked schools, so that SEND concerns and needs are transferred across.