Inclusion Department & SEND Provision
The Inclusion Department at Little Heath School is one that offers a huge amount of support and guidance to a wide variety of our student cohort. We cater for various elements of Special Educational Need and Disability and pride ourselves on being able to deliver a bespoke provision that not only allows pupils to achieve but to flourish, be more confident and prepare them for the next phase of their lives in an ever-changing, modern world.
The Inclusion Department is led by Ms Button and assisted by Mrs Gonzalez and Miss Verma, with Ms Pike as SENDCo.
The Inclusion team are dedicated to improving core literacy and numeracy skills of students, mainly at Key Stage 3 and 4. Provision is targeted at those students who require additional support to strengthen their core skills in order to better access all aspects of the curriculum. The majority of our intervention is delivered to small groups of students, but we are also able to support students on a one-to-one basis. We also help with differentiation of resources for students with Special Educational Needs such as visual impairment, general learning difficulties and English as an Additional Language.
Curriculum pathways are considered as part of our programme of support and the partnership with students and parents is always part of this process.
We have a team of Teaching Assistants and Technical Supports Assistants who work alongside pupils on a daily basis as well as in specified departments.
The Inclusion team also supports students with a range of needs such as emotional and mental health, low self-esteem, bereavement, attendance and gender and sexuality image. Much of this support is offered on an individual basis but in some cases we are able to work with groups of students. We also support students returning to school after lengthy absences for medical reasons and help those who are reluctant to attend to reintegrate back into lessons. Our ELSA and School Counsellor are based in the Inclusion department and work with students who have a variety of needs.
We also offer mentoring, personal development, behaviour support and work alongside outside agencies who deliver programmes of guidance on site.
The Inclusion Department will be available for discussion with prospective parents / carers on the following dates:
- Thursday 26 September 2pm to 4pm
- Thursday 10 October 2pm to 4pm
On these dates, our team will be available to answer queries relating to transition to secondary school, Special Educational Needs, disabilities and medical needs, specific learning difficulties, emotional support and intervention programmes throughout Key Stages 3 & 4.
Please email our Mrs Barnes, Inclusion Administrator, dbarnes@littleheath.org.uk to book your place or call 0118 9427337 for more information.
If you have enquiries relating specifically to Special Educational Needs and Disabilities, please also visit the following page as it outlines our provision under the West Berkshire Local Offer:
https://directory.westberks.gov.uk/kb5/westberkshire/directory/localoffer.page?localofferchannel=0
If you have queries relating to our Inclusion department, please contact Mrs Barnes, our Inclusion Administrator, on dbarnes@littleheath.org.uk or 0118 9427337.
The latest edition of the West Berkshire SEND newsletter can be downloaded here.
To register for the West Berkshire SEND Parent/Carer Forum, follow this link: West Berkshire SEND Parent Carers Forum Event Registration Form (office.com)
Autism Support through West Berkshire Council
Kelly Evans is the Family Autism Advisor for West Berkshire. Before joining the team she was a Primary School teacher for over 20 years, taking the lead with those children who had special educational needs. She has always had a particular interest in the area of Autism and since the birth of her eldest daughter in 2010 her interest and learning have been fuelled further due to her autism diagnosis. This made her want to help other families in the same situation by supporting and empowering them.
Kelly is also a trained facilitator with the PDA Society (Pathological Demand Avoidance) and runs courses for both parents and educators. She is also a certified Relax Kids practitioner which focuses on helping children to become resilient while giving them the tools and techniques to manage their emotional and mental health.
As part of Kelly's Family Advisor role she will be running a range of courses including their Post Diagnosis Workshop and Parent network meetings alongside themed coffee mornings at both school and community venues.
The West Berkshire Autism Team regularly contacts families and practitioners to keep them up to date with what is happening in and around the local area. This will include information on workshops, events and activities along with additional information on supporting your Autistic young person.
If you would like to receive information from Kelly Evans and the Autism Team, please use this form to sign up to their mailing list.
Meet the rest of the West Berkshire Autism Advisory Team here.
View the calendar of Autism Training for Parents here.
Have you had a new diagnosis recently? Take a look at the information for the 'New Diagnosis Support Group' here.
More autism support and information can be viewed here:
If you have any questions about our Inclusion and SEND support at Little Heath School, please email Mrs Barnes, our Inclusion Administrator, dbarnes@littleheath.org.uk or call 0118 9427337.