SEND

The progress of students at Kingdown with SEND is a high priority.  We offer a wide range of interventions to support students identified as having additional needs.  For more information on this see our school SEND Information Report or our Curriculum Support page.

The SEND Team

The Special Educational Needs Coordinator (SENCO) is Ms Bullus, and our Deputy SENCO is Miss Usher.

We have a wonderful team of Teaching Assistants working within the school.  Some work exclusively delivering intervention and in monitoring roles, others work directly in the classroom supporting the teacher. 

This can include small group work as well as supporting individuals with specific tasks.  Some TAs also work within our alternative provision routeways.  Most TAs are keyworkers to a handful of students who need that extra regular contact with home. A number of our TAs are trained Emotional Literacy Support Assistants and we have many undertaking Thrive training. We have one HLTA with a qualification in delivering Speech and Language Therapy.

Assess, Plan, Do, Review

We operate a system of “Assess, Plan, Do, Review” when designing provision for our children and young people with SEND at Kingdown School. Members of the team also carry out a number of assessments in order that we can identify a student’s needs as accurately as possible.  This enables us to personalise our planning for individuals.

Learner Profiles

Learner Profiles are written by our students to guide those people working with them as how to best meet their needs.  These take the form of a One-Page Profile and are a snapshot of the student.  Individual students can design their profile in a style of their choosing.  These are available for all staff and we involve parents in the creating of profiles so that we have the full picture on how best to support students in school.

We also keep a range of relevant information about students in order that we can be well-informed to meet a child or young person’s needs.  This is all held securely and is not accessible to anyone without the express permission of the school and/or parents and carers where appropriate.

Working with Wiltshire Council

Despite our status as an Academy, Kingdown School works closely with the SEND team at Wiltshire Council.  We liaise with the Specialist SEN Service, the Educational Psychology Service and the Speech and Language Therapy Service.  In addition, we have very positive working relationships with three SEND lead workers who are linked to our students who have more complex needs.

Who to contact

If you have any questions about SEND, please contact Ms Bullus, SENCO: by@kingdown.wilts.sch.uk

Useful links

Wiltshire Parent Carer Council 

Autism Parent Programme - SWAPP - Local Offer