The SENCo at Ormiston Bridge Academy is Ruth Sargeant.
Email: [email protected]
Please contact the school main office on telephone number 020 3108 0345 and request to speak to Ruth Sargeant.
The Children and Families Act has changed the law, giving children, young people and their parents greater control and choice in decisions and ensuring that needs are properly met.
The intention of Ormiston Bridge’s offer is to improve choice and transparency for families. Our school is expected to identify and support pupils with special educational needs to make the best possible progress. The Ormiston Bridge Academy is an Alternative Provision which offers education for pupils who are permanently excluded or at risk of permanent exclusion from mainstream schools; placement at this school is through the local authority, the mainstream secondary school or through the SEN consultation process. All of the pupils who attend are identified as having Special Educational Needs. The majority of these pupils fall into the broad category of Social, Emotional and Mental Health (SEMH), with many also having a range of other needs that may or may not have been identified or diagnosed. We strive to support any additional needs a pupil may have in any of the broad areas of SEND: Communication and Interaction, Cognition and Learning, Sensory and or Physical needs, and Social, Emotional and Mental Health. A small number of pupils who attend have an Education, Health and Care plan (EHCP).
We are committed to identifying and addressing the Special Educational Needs of all pupils and in doing so, removing the barriers to learning, ensuring that they ‘achieve their best, become confident individuals living fulfilling lives and make a successful transition into adulthood, whether into employment, further or higher education or training’ (CoP). All staff understand the need for, and are able to implement, high quality, inclusive teaching. In addition to this targeted teaching, support is provided through mentors. The cycle of assess, plan, do, review is used to secure pupil progress and the best possible outcomes for individuals with a wide range of SEND needs.
All pupils have access to an engaging, relevant and enriching curriculum, reasonable adjustments are made and staff respond quickly to any emerging difficulties. Staff support the learning of pupils with SEND using a range of strategies including flexible grouping, metacognition, explicit instruction, scaffolding and modelling.
A comprehensive baseline assessment is completed by all pupils on entry, this is used for early identification of any additional learning needs. It has been identified that a high number of pupils upon entry to Ormiston Bridge have a significant gap between chronological age and reading age, therefore reading intervention is crucial and has a significant impact on engagement and progression. Reading is assessed 3 times a year to monitor progress closely, and to allow for additional support as needed. Therapeutic intervention is key to meeting the social, emotional and mental health needs of pupils and addressing unmet trauma needs. If a parent has concerns that their child may have an unmet or undiagnosed SEND needs they can contact the SENCo to discuss this.
The SEND code of practice (2015) aims to offer guidance and support for pupils, teaching staff and parents. Section 6 of the code of practice identifies the importance of improving outcomes, having high aspirations and expectations for pupils with SEND.
* This report is written taking into consideration the requirements set out in Schedule 1 of the Special Educational Needs and disabilities (SEND) Regulations 2014 and paragraphs 6.79–6.81 of the SEND Code of Practice.
The SEND policy is available to view on our policies page.
Click the link below to view the Ormiston Bridge SEND Information Report