SEND Support

At Harris Lowe Academy Willesden we focus on equity to ensure all students with special educational needs and or disabilities receive the support they need to make exceptional progress and prepare effectively for adulthood.

We uphold high standards of achievement and believe that every student can succeed. We provide opportunities for all to thrive and grow, guiding our young people through our core values of determination, integrity, curiosity, and empathy – values that shape not only their learning, but who they become as individuals.

We are fully committed to meeting the needs of those pupils with special educational needs and disability so far as is reasonably practicable and compatible with the provision of the efficient education of other pupils. In meeting these responsibilities, Harris Lowe Academy Willesden has due regard to the SEND Code of Practice (April 2020), the Equality Act (2010) and Part 3 of the Children and Families Act (2014).

We work collaboratively with parents/carers and students to ensure they are at the forefront of decision making regarding their/ their child’s educational needs.

Students have special educational needs if they have a difficulty which calls for special education provision to be made for them (e.g. which is in addition to, or different from, adaptations within curriculum plans). Harris Lowe Academy Willesden regards students as having a SEN/D if they:

• Have a significantly greater difficulty in learning than the majority of students of the same age; or
• Have a disability which prevents or hinders students from making use of educational facilities of a kind generally provided for students/young people of the same age in schools within the area served by the local authority.

Students must not be regarded as having a learning difficulty solely because the language or form of language of the student’s home is different from the language in which they will be taught or because they have received poor teaching which has hindered progress.

Identification

• Identified through teacher observations and assessment       
• Baseline and standardised assessments, SATS, Bedrock literacy assessments, NGST, Ruth Miskin assessments and additional cognition assessments as well as specialist screeners
• Termly data collection
• Parental / guardian concerns
• Students raising their own concerns about their learning or needs
• External agencies (Speech and Language/Educational Psychologist/Occupational Therapy/CAMHS/WEST)

Throughout these processes, families are kept informed via letter, email, and direct communication.

Our staff pride themselves on providing high Quality First Teaching, which includes adaptation, effective feedback and marking and ensuring that pupils’ needs are met within the classroom. Subject teachers are responsible for all the pupils they teach.

• For student with an EHCP or identified as needing additional support , a learning Support Assistant (LSA) support may be provided in lessons.
• Small group and 1-1 support is provided by our SEND Team in our SEND Classroom, ‘Aspire’, for students experiencing difficulties in literacy and numeracy.
• Support for small groups and individuals who experience difficulties with social, emotional, and/or mental health (including behaviour) is also provided in Aspire classroom by members of the SEND Team and, where appropriate, external agencies such Strengthening Minds and Talk about Autism’s ‘Autistic and OK.’
• Pupils will be supported to catch up with their peers through intervention support. Interventions are time-limited, with clear entry and exit criteria.
• Pupils with more complex special educational needs will receive on-going and targeted intervention from the SEND team.
• Provision mapping gives an overview of the additional interventions that the school provides. Interventions are carefully selected to meet the needs of the pupils and monitored by the SEND team.
• Governors play an active role in strategically monitoring the quality of our Special Education Needs and Disability provision. Our link SEND governor meets regularly with the SENDCo to discuss the provision for students with SEND.
• Pupils’ targets are monitored and reviewed termly, and Annual Review of Education Health and Care Plans are coordinated and convened by the SEND department.
• At Harris Lowe Academy Willesden we have a large number of students with communication and interaction difficulties. We have an on-site Speech and Languages Therapist and our SENDCo and several of our Learning Support Assistants are Elklan trained or have completed personalised training with SALT.
• Social skills, career, and life skills sessions are also provided.
• There is a large wellbeing, counselling and therapy service based at the academy.
• We offer a range of extra-curricular activities, which can be found in our clubs and classes section.

• We offer a broad and balanced curriculum.
• Teachers use information from Individual Education Plans (IEPs) and targets to adapt for students.
• Setting and smaller groups are used where appropriate to meet students’ needs. In English and Maths additional teachers are employed to ensure smaller class sizes.
• The quality of teaching of SEND students is regularly assessed and monitored to ensure it is meeting students’ needs.
• For those with complex needs, additional support is in place for literacy and numeracy. Gaps in learning are addressed with supplementary intervention from the SEND Team in the Aspire base.
• Regular training is provided to support teachers and LSAs in meeting the needs of SEND students.
• Additional support from Learning Support Assistants is deployed in a wide range of mainstream lessons.

When a student is identified as having special educational needs, an Individual Education Plan (IEP) is created using guidance from assessments, observations, reports, and the voice of the student.

The IEP is shared with classroom teachers to inform them about the student’s areas of strength and weakness, how they can be supported in lessons and around school and includes the student’s commitments to self-help. For students with an ECHP, resources are deployed based on the aims of their individual plan and reviewed in annual review meetings.

The budget is deployed to meet the needs of the students in accordance with the provision map and evaluation of the effectiveness of interventions.

Assess, Plan, Do and Review

Identification and assessment 

Students with SEND may be identified through teacher observations and assessment, standardised assessments, progress checklists, target setting, parental / guardian concerns, or the students’ own observations or by external agencies. Areas of need are identified and prioritised and become the basis of the Pen Profile.

Planning and doing

Pen Profiles inform teachers and staff about the student’s areas of strength and weakness and how to best support the student in lessons and around school. They also include information about:

• The young person's needs
• The young person's aspirations
• The strengths and areas of challenge of the individual
• The teaching strategies to be used
• The provision to be put in place

Interventions are carried out, based on identified needs: these are usually based around gaps in the student’s literacy and numeracy education, social communication and/or interaction, emotional regulation, actions and responses, subject-related coursework, and/or physical difficulties.

Wave 1 interventions (in lessons) and Wave 2 interventions (SEND led) in collaboration with subject teachers and individual departments. Wave 3 interventions are directed by external professionals. 

Review process

Pen Profiles are reviewed annually, with input from the student, parent/ guardian, teachers, Learning Support Assistants and/or relevant external agencies.

At the end of each intervention, a student’s progress is reviewed.

All EHCPs are reviewed annually in school. Parents / guardians, the student, Learning Support Assistant/s and other involved professionals will be invited to consider the progress made by the student and whether any amendments need to be made to the EHCP. Students participate in their Annual Reviews by:

• Attending their review meetings
• Offering their opinion and advice in the setting of targets
• Discussing their achievements / concerns / issues in advance of the review meeting with parents / guardians or others as appropriate.  

Student voice

Students with an EHCP are involved in the preparation of the EHCP review so share their voice and aspirations. They attend their annual review meeting and are supported to share their views regarding achievements, concerns and wishes. Students are encouraged to contribute to the setting of their own targets, strategies and preparation for adulthood.

We support young people in their emotional, social, and overall wellbeing through a wide range of carefully structured provision. Our comprehensive PSHE curriculum covers all aspects of SMSC and is delivered through dedicated learning advisors and assemblies, ensuring students receive consistent guidance and opportunities for reflection.

In addition, we provide specialist mentors who offer tailored support to meet individual needs. A counselling and psychology service is based within the academy, alongside a variety of therapeutic services designed to promote positive mental health and personal development.

Health care plans are developed collaboratively with the school’s welfare officer and medical professionals to ensure that students receive appropriate and coordinated support. Furthermore, students with SEND benefit from specialised provision within our Aspire base, where targeted assistance helps them to thrive both academically and personally.

The specialist external services we use include:

• Educational Psychologist
• Speech and Language Therapist (SALT)
• Child Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS)
• Occupational Therapist
• Brent Autism Outreach Services
• Brent Deaf and Hearing-Impaired Service
• Brent Visual impairment Service (BVIS)
• AllChild
• GROW Therautic Counselling
• Strengthening Minds
• St Giles Trust
• Ambitious about Autism
• Access Arrangement Assessors

Staff training is carefully planned to ensure that all colleagues are equipped to meet the diverse needs of our pupils. Individual teachers and teaching assistants receive training tailored to the specific requirements of particular groups, including areas such as autism, speech and language needs, and dyslexia.

Professional development is further strengthened through five whole-school INSET days each year, alongside weekly staff and departmental meetings. These include department-focused SEND training sessions to ensure that strategies are embedded consistently across the curriculum.

Specialist SEND staff access additional, targeted training, including Elklan Speech, Language and Communication programmes and training in supporting students experiencing Emotion Based School Avoidance (EBSA). New staff receive SEND induction throughout the year, ensuring a strong understanding of inclusive practice from the outset.

In addition, the SEND team provides bespoke training and guidance for individual teachers or small groups, focusing on specific student needs to ensure appropriate, effective, and responsive support.

Our accessibility plan is regularly reviewed and updated in consultation with the SENDCo, Brent Habitation Team and in accordance with the 2010 Equality Act.

The school is a single site modern building with lift access at either end of the building. We have also completed a building audit with the Brent visual impairment team.

• Frequent discussions with students regarding their Pen Profile and the support they receive in school
• Work reviews
• Whole academy policy: students receive DIRT feedback following all in class and internal assessments
• Students learning is also assessed each lesson with a recall task at the start of each lesson
• Students attending EHCP annual review meetings
• Student feedback forms

Parents are encouraged to participate and engage in the life of the school. You are encouraged to discuss any concerns at the earliest opportunity. Communication with parents will consist of some of the ways listed below:

• Parents’ evenings
• Review meetings
• Pastoral support meetings
• Annual reviews
• Meet the tutor evenings
• Weekly keyworker updates for EHCP students
• Information on the school website
• Governing body
• Multi-professional meetings

We arrange an Open Season in the autumn term, where we open our doors to families looking to join the academy in Year 7. All students and their families, including those with SEND, can meet the Principal, visit lessons and talk with staff and students about what it would mean to be a Harris Lowe Academy Willesden student.

SEND pupils and their parents meet the different staff and departments in the school. Individual appointments can be made with the SENDCo for a personalised tour of the school and to review how we can meet your child’s individual needs.

Once we know your child is joining our academy, we put additional steps in place to ensure a smooth transition. This includes:

• Attendance at annual review and other meetings at the primary schools by the SENDCo
• Induction programmes in the summer term for mainstream and an additional Aspire transition form
• Extra visits by SEND pupils to familiarise themselves with staff and the site
• Summer school ‘induction week’ run by academy staff
• Transition support from academic mentors across English, Mathematics and Science
• Careers support and guidance at key transition stages
• In-school careers and guidance at key transition stages
• Staff visits to the primary feeder schools

Where a young person is looked after, they will be assigned to a member of the safeguarding team by the Designated Safeguarding Lead. See our Safeguarding page for details. The role of this person is to liaise with the virtual school and children’s services, hold Personal Educational Plans (PEP) and Looked After Child (LAC) reviews.

Looked after children are assigned Pupil Premium funding, which is used to support their education.

Where students have Special Educational Needs or Disabilities this information would be shared with the SENDCo and where relevant with teachers.