Last month a full external review of the provision for students with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) at Longdendale High School was carried out by a specialist team from the National Association for Special Educational Needs (NASEN). This was carried out as part of the Stamford Park Trust monitoring and review process to support our school to continue to offer the best possible provision in all areas for all of our students.

The review included a thorough scrutiny of the school’s own evaluation of our SEND provision, as well as the plan in place to develop and improve this further. The reviewers also visited a wide range of lessons to see the provision and practice first hand, speaking to groups of students and reviewing the work in their books over time as well as meetings with a range of school staff and speaking to parents.

We are delighted to share that the review highlighted many strengths in our provision for our students with SEND, and the support in place to ensure all students are able to make strong progress across the curriculum and achieve their full potential. As a result, our SEND students are well prepared for their future lives and careers, and leave Longdendale with results that are above national averages for this cohort of student. The review recognised that students with SEND at Longdendale attain the relevant skills for progressing to the next stage of education, employment or training.

The review highlighted that students with SEND at Longdendale have full access to all areas of the curriculum and all areas of school life. This is based on a culture of high expectations and aspirations for all students. Our students also shared how much they enjoy the range of extra-curricular activities on offer at Longdendale and how they are able to access them fully.

As a school, we recognise that the transition to secondary school from primary school can be challenging for some students, particularly those who have additional needs, and we were pleased that the review recognised the careful planning and consideration that we put into our extensive transition and induction programme to support this. They noted that “additional support for pupils with SEN is provided for all points of transition. As a result, pupils with SEND are well prepared for their next phase of education.”

Throughout the review process, the highly positive relationships between staff and students were recognised as a real strength of the school, along with the commitment by teaching and inclusion staff to ensure that needs are identified and supported at every stage. The assessors commented that “Relationships are extremely positive between staff, parents and pupils and this is due, in large part, to extremely effective methods of communication.” The review also identified that “all staff understand their responsibilities towards pupils with SEND… and the school is committed to a person-centred ethos which informs all aspects of school life”.

There were many areas of strength identified regarding the provision for students in the classroom across subjects, and the skill of many of our teachers and teaching assistants in adapting practice to ensure needs are met. As a result, the reviewers noted that “Pupils with SEND develop knowledge and skills across the curriculum and gain the knowledge and cultural capital they need to succeed.” In lessons, they saw a range of strategies being used by teachers to ensure all students could successfully access their learning and achieve well.  The reviewers looked at the wide range of interventions and support available for students with SEND and recognised that this was extensive and builds on the strengths of a highly skilled and trained team of staff.

It was fantastic to hear how positive our students and their parents and carers are about the support they receive in school. From discussions with both students and parents, the reviewers shared that “Pupils with SEND and their parents speak positively of the support they receive, and the outcomes achieved. They are able to communicate how the support has made a difference to their learning and development.”

We have worked exceptionally hard to work in partnership with our parents and carers, and the review highlighted real strength in this area, and that the school provides a range of opportunities for parents to communicate with the SEND team in school and to work collaboratively to support their children. The reviewers noted that “The school is proactive in ensuring that parents of pupils with SEND are well informed” and we were delighted to hear that parents and carers were “extremely positive about the provision made by school; this included communication and development of personalised approaches.” We will of course continue to work in partnership with our families, and identify areas where we can further develop our practice and provision to support our students.

If there is anything further you would like to discuss about our SEND provision or if you would like a copy of the full report from this review, please contact Miss Gill, our SENDCo or Mrs Parker, our Assistant SENDCo.