SEND

Our values at Dallam ensure that we cater for every student and have wide expertise in all aspects of SEND ensuring success for all. We collaborate with other schools and agencies regularly alongside our work with the local authority to provide high-quality care and academic rigor for those students with SEND needs. 

At Dallam School, we recognise that a proportion of our students have Special Educational Needs and/or Disabilities (SEND). We are committed to ensuring that they have full and equal access to our broad and balanced curriculum (equity of educational experience for all learners) and are enabled to reach their full potential, leaving us well prepared for their next stage in education and beyond.

It is important that students with SEND can thrive within the learning environment, that they feel well supported by reasonable adjustments to support their special educational needs. We recognise these needs sit within the following categories:

Our starting point is to guarantee a whole school approach to providing for the needs of children with SEND; it is everyone’s responsibility.  We make sure that all staff have the knowledge and skills to support all students. Our SEND strategy is developed and led through our senior leadership team and our teaching and support teams engage with continually professional development, understanding the latest evidence-based research into adaptive teaching.  Our strategy captures the principles of the SEND Code of Practice:

• have high ambitions and set stretching targets for them
• track their progress towards these goals
• keep under review the additional or different provision that is made for them
• promote positive outcomes in the wider areas of personal and social development, and
• ensure that the approaches used are based on the best possible evidence and are having the required impact on progress.

At Dallam, we are proud of our diversity.  We believe that everyone, regardless of faith, ability, gender, ethnicity, background or circumstance is valued and nurtured: Learning for all, learning for life.

Working with parents

We are committed to working with parents to understand the needs and personalities of students with SEND.  You know your child best and teamed with the knowledge and experience of our SEND team we can find the best approach together to enable your child to get the best out of their school years – both academically and socially.  To ensure a smooth transition for students with SEN joining Dallam School in Year 7 we will get to know them before they arrive by:  

• introducing ourselves to your child during visits to the school as part of our transition process  
• meeting with the SEND team at their primary school 
• giving parents the opportunity to speak to us to give us the fullest picture of their child. 

Our SEND team 

Mrs Nelson, our SENCO is supported by a dedicated and enthusiastic team of 14 members of staff, and Mr Surtees, the member of our Senior Staff with responsibility for SEND.  Our SEND team and the additional spaces they use for supporting our SEND students when out of the classroom, are located in the heart of the main school.  The SEND team work closely with a range of agencies to ensure we are using the most up-to-date SEND support methods in the following areas: 

• educational psychology 
• family support 
• mental health
• physical disability support 
• sensory impairment support 
• speech and language therapy. 

Identifying needs and delivering SEND provision 

The excellent pastoral care at Dallam School means we can identify students that could benefit from additional support that may not have been previously identified.    Once needs have been identified and discussed with parents, we have a range of interventions that we can put into place to support students with their studies, confidence, wellbeing and social development.   

• We have a dedicated suite of three classroom and social spaces that are designed to help support and nurture young people, providing a safe and stimulating environment that can be catered to student’s needs.  
• Our support is personalized for each student, with detailed support plans drawn up in collaboration with parents and carers and the local authority to meet the needs of our students.  
• For students without EHCP plans, we support in class using strategy sheets for staff to enable a productive and bespoke learning plan for students.  
• Social skills groups and English and Mathematics functional skills can be accessed via the expertise of our TA team and Teaching staff. 
• We ensure that all our clubs and events in school are accessible and ensure that trips and outside-of-school activities have a presence from the SEND team. 
• Students are at the heart of everything we do, and we seek feedback on wellbeing and educational provision regularly, using this to improve what we can offer for students.  

If you would like to discuss any aspect of our SEND provision in person, please contact Mrs Nelson at l.nelson@dallamschool.co.uk.