SEND (Special Educational Needs & Disabilities)

All our staff are trained and experienced in working with young people with SEND. There are a number of staff who have additional specialisms and responsibilities.

Meet the SEND Team

Mrs Sarah Wilkinson is the SENDCo at West Kirby School and College, she is responsible for co-ordinating the SEND provision for pupils. If you have any questions or require additional information about the SEND provision at West Kirby School and College, please contact Mrs Wilkinson at school.

Ms Lindsey Thompson is the Assistant SENDCo, she works closely with the SENDCo to ensure the correct support is in place for pupils.

For more details about how we support children and young people with SEND please read our Local Offer/SEND Information Report.

 

Individual Education Plans - IEPs

At West Kirby School and College, we use IEPs, which are person centred plans to monitor progress towards the longer term outcomes in EHCPs or Statements of SEN. They are working documents informed by the pupil’s EHCP/Statement and set out half-termly targets for pupils to work towards. They provide a framework for longer term goals and identify the smaller steps pupils can make to achieve this.

IEPs are split into the 4 areas of need:

• Cognition and Learning
• Communication and Interaction
• Social, Emotional and Mental Health
• Sensory and Physical

Key staff across the school are involved in the assess, plan, do, review cycle with the IEPs This includes Teachers, TA's, Speech and Language Therapists, Occupational Therapists and Pastoral Care. Pupils and parents and carers are informed of the content of the IEP and involved in the monitoring of progress. All IEPs are overseen by the SENDCo and Assistant SENDCo.

 

On-Site Support Services teams

All Support Services are an intrinsic part to pupils' education at West Kirby School and College; integrated across the school and Residential Care provision, this provides valuable support to enable our pupils' learning, development and success. 

• Occupational Therapy
• Speech and Language Therapy
• Clinical Psychologist
• Pastoral Care Team 
• Learning Support
• Medical Team
• SENDCo
• Home School Liaison 

 

Internal referral system and Pupil Support Services panel

Alongside the support identified within a pupil's EHCP/Statement, at West Kirby School and College we provide dynamic support for our young people through our internal referral system. Pupils can be referred by staff to our Pupil Support Panel for discussion. The panel is headed up by the SENDCo and contains representatives from the on-site support services in school. The panel consider what provision is already in place and identify any additional support or intervention required. The intervention is time-limited with clear outcomes in place to be achieved. If a long-term provision is identified this is discussed in the Annual Review meeting with a recommendation that changes are made to the pupil’s EHCP.

 

Team Around the Child

Our Clinical Psychologist, Dr Ze’ev Levita, is available to provide advice and suggest strategies to the staff working with pupils. If staff have a particular concern about a pupil they can refer the pupil to a Team Around the Child meeting. This meeting is led by the Clinical Psychologist and all key staff who work with the pupil are invited to attend. Dr Levita uses information contained in the pupil’s paperwork and the observations and discussion with key staff to identify any possible strategies or approaches to be used. The SENDCo also attends these meetings, so if additional provision is required this can be put in place without a separate referral to the Pupil Support Panel.

 

West Kirby School and College staff - SEND specialists

At West Kirby School and College, we specialise in supporting children with SEND. We pride ourselves on our SEND training and accreditations within SEND. These include Autism Accreditation , Autism Enhanced Accreditation, ADHD Friendly School Award, Attachment and Trauma Sensitive Schools Award. Other areas we have specialist understanding in are Specific Learning Difficulties such as Dyslexia and supporting pupils with a demand-avoidant profile described as PDA.

As a result of our on-site teams of Speech and Language Therapists, Occupational Therapists, Positive Behaviour Support Team and Attachment and Trauma, these staff with specialist areas of understanding deliver whole school internal staff training, including the following topics:

• Attachment and Trauma
• Child development
• Therapeutic Crisis Intervention
• Sensory
• Zones of Regulation
• Defusion and de-escalation strategies
• Dyslexia
• Questioning
• Neurodiversity
• Phonics