Special Educational Needs
Sidmouth College is an inclusive school. Our ethos encourages all students to ‘believe, inspire and succeed'.
We cater for all students within the local community, whatever their academic ability, with the exception of those young people whose learning needs are so complex that their needs are better met in a specialist setting.
Definition of SEN
Students have special educational needs if they have a learning difficulty or disability which calls for special education provision to be made for them, namely provision which is additional to or different from that normally available in a differentiated curriculum. We regard students as having a Special Educational Need if they:
The school’s Director of SEND is Cassy Beer, who is also part of the Leadership Team. She works within the Student Support Department alongside the Inclusion Manager, Mrs Carole Clark, and a team of skilled Learning Mentors who work with a variety of students on a regular basis.
We use a range of data, observations and assessments to identify students who we feel may have additional learning needs. These may include literacy difficulties such as dyslexia, spelling difficulties, and processing speed. In addition to this, some students may have more complex needs and require a more comprehensive process of assessments. All additional needs fall under the following four categories of need, although many students will have needs from more than one area:
We have a Special Educational Needs Policy which sets out information about our procedures for making provision for students with special educational needs, whether or not students have EHC Plans. Parents/carers are also encouraged to visit the Devon County Council Local Offer website www.devon.gov.uk/send or the Devon County Council support for schools website. These websites provides valuable information about different agencies, services and resources for children, young people with SEND and their families, in addition to school resources and information.
In addition, you may be interested to find answers to Frequently Asked Questions and to find out more about our SEN provision by clicking on the documents links below.
We cater for all students within the local community, whatever their academic ability, with the exception of those young people whose learning needs are so complex that their needs are better met in a specialist setting.
Definition of SEN
Students have special educational needs if they have a learning difficulty or disability which calls for special education provision to be made for them, namely provision which is additional to or different from that normally available in a differentiated curriculum. We regard students as having a Special Educational Need 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 them from making use of facilities of a kind generally provided for others of the same age in mainstream schools or mainstream post-16 institutions.
The school’s Director of SEND is Cassy Beer, who is also part of the Leadership Team. She works within the Student Support Department alongside the Inclusion Manager, Mrs Carole Clark, and a team of skilled Learning Mentors who work with a variety of students on a regular basis.
We use a range of data, observations and assessments to identify students who we feel may have additional learning needs. These may include literacy difficulties such as dyslexia, spelling difficulties, and processing speed. In addition to this, some students may have more complex needs and require a more comprehensive process of assessments. All additional needs fall under the following four categories of need, although many students will have needs from more than one area:
- Cognition and learning
- Social, mental & emotional health
- Communication & interaction provision
- Physical and sensory
We have a Special Educational Needs Policy which sets out information about our procedures for making provision for students with special educational needs, whether or not students have EHC Plans. Parents/carers are also encouraged to visit the Devon County Council Local Offer website www.devon.gov.uk/send or the Devon County Council support for schools website. These websites provides valuable information about different agencies, services and resources for children, young people with SEND and their families, in addition to school resources and information.
In addition, you may be interested to find answers to Frequently Asked Questions and to find out more about our SEN provision by clicking on the documents links below.
Useful Websites
SEND Jargon Buster
ASD - Autistic Spectrum Disorder
Future Smart SEND Careers Newsletter
Partner websites
For more information please visit these partner websites
DiAS (Devon Information Advice and Support)
Gives free and impartial information and support for young people with SEND. |
Babcock LDP
Supports schools to improve teaching, learning and support for pupils with SEND. |
Children & Family Health Devon
Provides health services for children, young people and families with SEND. |
Pinpoint
Search thousands of services and community groups across Devon, many of which are suitable for young people with SEND. |
Parent Carer Forum
Connecting with parents across Devon to understand what life is really like for families, to make sure services in Devon meet the needs of children and their families. |
