Communication & Interaction Resource St Wilfrid’s High School Roman Catholic Academy Cutsyke Road North Featherstone Communication and Interaction Resource Provision Summary The Communication Resource is a Local Authority (LA) specialist provision based at St Wilfrid’s Roman Catholic Academy. Places are allocated by SENART. Page Content 1- Our Vision 2- Admissions 3- Curriculum and Learning 4- The team and the support offered 5- Training and experience of the team 6- The specialist team 7- Multi-agency approach 8- Support strategies and techniques 9- Targeting support 10- Support strategies and techniques 11- Reward policy 12- Behaviour policy 13- Transition 14- Transition 15- Parent Information 16- Additional support for parents DB/DT May 2014

Provide a safe and nurturing environment in which everyone is valued and respected Make sure that pupils have a voice in aspects of school life Each individual student to reach their personal academic potential Enhance and support independent life skills in order for them to achieve their social aspirations The long term priority of this team is to help support students to reach their personal academic potential, while developing their independence and enhancing their life skills in order to achieve their social aspirations. 1

The Communication and Interaction Resource has 20 places; there are 4 places allocated for each year group from years If you are interested in a Resource placement for your child, please contact the Communication and Interaction Team (CIAT) on All students who attend the Resource have a Statement of Special Educational Needs or Education Health and Care Plan (EHCP). Your child will be allocated a place at the Resource through the following procedure: At the Annual Review or EHCP Meeting, the placement will be discussed. SENART consider information gathered at the Health Care Plan/Annual Review Meeting and will then consult with education providers who can best meet the needs of the young person. The decision will ensure that public funds are used appropriately. Once a decision has been made and the provision has been allocated, a transition plan will be made and a starting date set. 2

All young people have access to a personalised curriculum Fine/gross motor skills Skills for independent living Personal and social development skills Speech and language Academic Support 3

The staffing of the Resource depends on the number of young people currently placed. The staffing consists of Teacher in Charge / Resource Manager and SENCo Senior Specialist Learning Support Officer Specialist Learning Support Officer An excellent small team of Specialist Teaching Support Staff Resource staffing does not provide 1-1 support. There are times when students do receive some 1-1 time to work on specific interventions and programmes. Support is generally provided on a 1-2 or 1-3 ratio. All level of support is defined by the complexities of each student 4

The Teacher in Charge - a qualified teacher who holds a Post Graduate Degree in Special Educational Needs Co-ordination (SENCo). Throughout her career, her role has incorporated being Head of Department, Head of Year, Head of Student Support; a significant role in the lead of the pastoral care of all students, especially those with complex social communication difficulties within a large main stream high school. Trained in all aspects safeguarding, child protection and CAF processes. Senior Specialist Learning Support Officer – a highly experienced and trained member of the team. Has worked in mainstream primary and secondary schools and has managed a primary based communication resource. Holds a BA Honours Degree in Teaching and Learning and has training in Picture Exchange Communication (PECS) and TEACCH. Has worked closely with families and has facilitated Parent Support Groups. Specialist Learning Support Officer – an experienced, creative practitioner who develops social interactions and enhances the personal development of students through drama and role play. Specialist Learning Support Assistant – holds a post graduate degree in speech and language and works closely with a Speech and Language Therapist to keep her knowledge and training up to date. She co-ordinates individual interventions to meet the students individual needs. 5

Our Learning Support Team- all the team have had and continue to have regular training on: Autism/autistic spectrum disorders Communication and interaction skills Sensory needs Speech and language needs Social skills intervention Safeguarding and child protection procedures Behaviour management strategies Academic intervention plans Differentiation intervention skills Reflective practice. We have a highly trained team with excellent specialist experience and knowledge in a wide range of academic and social areas. All interventions are individualised to meet the specific needs of students. Goals 6

We use personalised interventions and programmes to meet the specific needs of individual students. We also work closely with many external professionals to ensure we meet the individual needs of our students. We liaise with the following services: Educational Psychology Service (EPS) Occupational Therapist (OT) Speech & Language Therapist (SaLT) Social Care CAF Team School Transport We also work with external agencies: Paediatricians Child & Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) School Nursing Team Targeted Youth Support (TYS) Physiotherapist School Exclusion Team Behaviour Support Team 7

Strategies we use depend on the individual needs of each student. The team use their expertise and specialist experience to support the students in their everyday school experiences, ensuring that each and every student achieves their academic and social potential.  Highly qualified, experienced and professional staff to meet needs  Transition information  Baseline Assessments, to establish an accurate starting point for each student (academic and social)  Interventions and support from external agencies  Tracking and monitoring progress  IEP and target setting  SEN assessment, monitoring and review  Provision mapping 8

All students on entry into the Resource will complete baseline assessments so that the interventions identified are appropriate for their individual needs. The information gathered provides an accurate starting point for their educational journey. NC KS2/KS3 & Teacher Assessments Access Reading Test Wiatt ii Secondary Screening Profiles: I.Reading and Comprehension II.Mathematics III.Non-verbal Reasoning Emotional Literacy Skills for Independent Living Motor Skills Social Skills 9

Whole Resource approach Pupil centred interventions Personalised Curriculum High Expectations Intensive and targeted support Interventions  Social skills  Emotional Literacy  Anger Management  Speech and Language  Literacy  Numeracy  Mentoring  Pre-teaching  Consolidation teaching  Motor skills  Language Development  Personal Bank Account  Skills for Independent Living  Reverse Inclusion  Art therapy  Careers General techniques and strategies: Visual timetables Maps Photos of staff Daily checklists Planners Home school liaison by Text messages/phone call or to parents to remind about upcoming events/assessments/ homework A buddy system Sample Secondary lessons A staff mentor A home school book A student profile for staff to ensure that the students needs are effectively communicated. A relaxation zone Breakfast and Lunch time clubs Skills for independent living Individualised homework sessions with a secondary school emphasis Systems for organisation School specific vocabulary 10

In addition to the Reward Policy of St Wilfrid's, the students who attend the Resource also follow the Personal Bank Account System for reward. The Personal Bank Account encourages students to understand and follow the social conventions accepted by society. Students are encouraged to be polite and to treat people with respect. They are taught that acts of kindness and positive attitudes will enable them to invest in their own future. Poor behaviours will be a personal withdrawal from their future. Parents receive weekly updates on how their son/daughter is behaving via . Staff work hard to develop the self-esteem of all students so that they feel rewarded through personal satisfaction by achieving their individual goals. 11

The Resource follows the behaviour policy of the school however, we do have the flexibility to make our own decisions and we treat each behaviour incident on an individual basis. We are a specialist team and we use a variety of strategies to ensure that the student is at all times treated with respect. The ultimate goal is for the students to become confident, independent adults who are self aware and can use the strategies that they have been taught to help them deal effectively with difficult situations. 12

We pride ourselves on our excellent transition policy and plans. We offer a specific and personalised transition plan to meet the needs of individual students. We work closely with students’ feeder schools and develop good communications with parents. We are a nurturing and supportive team and we will work to ensure that a personal plan is put in place to prepare your child for the transition from one stage in their school experience to another. Here is an outline of a typical transition plan from primary to secondary school. Year 5 Visit to the Resource and St Wilfrid’s to meet key staff and to discuss provision Year 6 Autumn/ Winter Term Parents and student to visit the Resource and St Wilfrid’s Parents to complete the admission form Teacher in Charge invited to the Annual Review or EHCP meeting The Resource staff have a great deal of experience of dealing with transition between key stages. Pupils are fully prepared for the next step in their learning. This extends to preparation for the working world and visits to college and higher education establishments 13

Spring Term Placement confirmed Arrange visit to the Resource to establish a transition plan Resource and feeder school to begin communication and information sharing Summer Term Liaison between feeder school and Resource Visits to the Resource for transition Observation visits to the feeder school Discussion with St Wilfrid’s to arrange timetable Pupil profiles produced Year 7 Autumn Term Transfer to the Resource and St Wilfrid’s Information sharing between parents, the Resource and St Wilfrid’s Home school communication - formal and informal Opportunities to attend Parent Support Meetings 14

Staff recognise the importance of the role of parents and we value your expertise regarding your child. We value your input into the transition process and into all aspects of your child's educational journey. We offer you the opportunity to meet the Resource staff on a regular basis and offer various means of communicating with us to best meet your needs. We will also give you the opportunity to meet other parents and participate in information gathering sessions. Your feedback on the Resource is always welcomed. Forms of communicationInformation Resource Direct Line St Wilfrid's main school Home School BookInformation sharing on issues arising Formal meetingPlease contact the Resource to make an appointment Resource NewsletterYou will receive one each term Parent Support GroupYou will be given the dates times and venues at the start of the academic year. Additional dates will be provided as required. 15

If you would like further support, staff at the Resource can provide you with information on how to access additional services. If you have any concerns, please do not hesitate to speak to us first. A problem can very often be quickly dealt with and we will endeavour to find a solution to your problem. If you are unhappy with the outcome you can seek advice from the following: ServiceContactTelephone Parent PartnershipGary Cooper Special Educational Needs Support Service Sue Sharp Cary Ann Sykes Aaron King Communication and Interaction Team