The local offer provides information for children and young people with special educational needs (SEND) and their parents or carers in a single place.

For details of the offer in West Yorkshire follow the link: http://www.leeds.gov.uk/residents/Pages/Leeds-local-offer.aspx

You can also read our SEN Report:

The Elland Academy SEND team is led by our SENCo Lynn Hoyland, who is fully qualified in SEND and Inclusion, and supported by a team of Higher Level Teaching Assistants. The SEND team are friendly, dedicated and experienced, the teams work together to ensure that the individual needs of all our students are met, this is through a personalised curriculum and programmes of support. Our aim is to ensure every single student achieves their potential. 

Mrs Hoyland can be contacted by either email info@ellandacademy.org.uk or via phone on: 0113 212 7010

Personalised Learning

Personalised learning is at the very heart of SEND support at The Elland Academy. Information gathering about students’ needs starts at the point of referral. Once an offer is made every student is allocated a Personal Learning Advocate (PLA) and further information is gathered from the referring school, this includes specific triggers and strategies which have been successful in the past. A personalised student profile is created and shared with all staff to ensure they are all aware of each individual student’s needs.

Following the baseline assessments an appropriate curriculum is put into place. The students’ initial timetable may be adapted as needed with specific interventions and specific support put into place.

The Elland Academy in itself is a high level intervention with the provision that is in place as wave 1, being in line with Wave 2 and 3 at mainstream Schools and Academies.

All interventions are for a set period of time, usually 6-8 weeks. At the beginning of the intervention outcomes are identified based on information gathered through detailed assessments and observations. These outcomes are recorded on the intervention impact sheet and work is evidence throughout intervention work books. Half way through the intervention a mid point review takes place and at the end of the intervention a judgement is again made and progress is reviewed. The intervention either ceases, is extended or an alternative programme is identified. The appropriateness of interventions is monitored throughout and will be changed if needed.

Every half term, the SENCo analyses the data for each student and identify any students who are not making progress. Through discussions with teaching staff, specific needs may be identified and interventions put into place.

The SENCo uses tracking thorough SIMS to monitor student progress and to allow the impact of interventions to be tracked, monitored and reported on.

The Academy is committed in raising attainment for all its students including those with SEND needs. Different intervention programmes have been put in place to best meet student needs and are planned in wave 1, wave 2 and wave 3 levels. These are:

There is an expectation at the Academy that all Teachers plan and deliver highly differentiated lessons to ensure access for all students. This is monitored through a rigorous QA process. The SEND department also provides targeted training to ensure strategies are in place for all needs in the Academy. All staff have access to student’s profiles which give specific strategies to use. The students are rigorously assessed using various tests to ensure they are accessing an appropriate curriculum.

A curriculum is offered to students with various learning needs that find the standard curriculum difficult to access. This may include access to therapeutic sessions (including Thrive, access to our drama therapist or on-site animal therapy) within our wellbeing zone and academic interventions delivered by our HLTA team.

Numeracy Intervention

This is designed to meet the needs of students who are not making adequate progress in Maths. The SEND team works with the the Maths department, along with analysis of data from assessments to identify students who require this support. Numicon is currently being delivered by Maths staff. The teams work together to ensure Numicon becomes embedded within lessons and within the Maths schemes of work.

These interventions are designed to meet the needs of students who are not making adequate progress in English. The SEND team works with the English department, along with analysis of data from assessments to identify students who require this support. Students with concerning baseline data are further assessed by the SEND team to ensure need is accurately targeted.

Literacy Interventions include Accelerated Reader, Reading Plus, Skills Teach, Precision Teaching, Active Literacy, Lifeboats and Reading Comprehension skills.

This programme is designed to meet the needs of students with various emotional needs. There are different cohorts identified and are supported in by experienced personnel to go through set programmes to give them the best strategies to cope. These include: Social skills, Emotional well-being and Anger management. All students have access to their PLA, including a chance to connect over breakfast and a daily from group. Students are able to discuss issues that affect them with their Personal Learning Advocate (PLA) and individual students, identified by the SENCo, complete a set of sessions designed to support them through the challenges that they face.

The Academy works with a range of Educational psychologists, Clinical psychologists, Clinical psychotherapists and Educational psychotherapists. The SEND team works with the pastoral team to identify students who may need this higher level of support and co-ordinates referrals.

Access Arrangements

Testing students for Exam Access Arrangements is done in conjunction with recommendations from teachers and other pastoral staff. Students can qualify for support such as a reader, a scribe, additional time or low-ratio rooms depending on their needs. More information can be found on the link below.

Access Arrangements, Reasonable Adjustments and Special Consideration

Government – SEND Code of Practice

British Dyslexia Association

Childline

Wakefield Council – Local Offer

Kirklees Information and Advice Service

Interventions offered at TEA are attached below in the PDF Wave document.