Inclusion
At Longdendale High School, we strongly believe that every child deserves to be given the opportunity to make outstanding progress, regardless of their background or needs. We believe it is our duty to remove any barriers to learning so every child can thrive. The promotion of Respect, Resilience and Aspiration is at the core of what we promote and every day life.
The Pastoral and Inclusion teams are designed to support students throughout their school life to ensure all reach their potential, recognising that some students may need additional support in order to achieve this. This may be long term or for a short period of time. The Inclusion team at Longdendale High School is committed to enabling all students to experience and manage a broad, balanced and appropriate curriculum in line with the Tameside policy for inclusion. We use a wide range of resources and strategies to support students in order that they are able to achieve their full potential.
The Inclusion team
FORM TUTORS
All students belong to a form led by a Form Tutor. These members of staff are a first point of call for our students and for parents. They oversee concerns around attendance, illness, general wellbeing and support students with any concerns or problems regarding day-to-day school life. They are a key member of staff and first point of contact for students and parents / carers to resolve any issues.
The inclusion team is made up of highly skilled members of staff:
HEADS OF YEAR AND PASTORAL SUPPORT WORKERS
Each team of Form Tutors is led by a Head of Year and supported by a Pastoral Support Worker. These members of the Inclusion Team are key in the oversight and support of students in their year group. They manage attendance, behaviour and pastoral care. Our staff are well experienced and offer advice, support or interventions and as a team work closely with a variety of external agencies to help support our students.
| Mrs J Willis | Director of Community Partnership |
| Miss O Hamilton | Head of Year 7 |
| Mr A Boardman | Head of Year 8 |
| Mr P Rea | Head of Year 9 |
| Mr L Crompton | Head of Year 10 |
| Mr A Hulley | Head of Year 11 |
| Miss C Stephenson | Pastoral Support Worker (Years 7, 8 & 10) |
| Mrs A Clare | Pastoral Support Worker (Years 7, 9 & 11) |
| Miss K Smith | Inclusion Support Worker |
WIDER INCLUSION TEAM
| Ms R Finley | Deputy Headteacher - Director of Culture |
| Mr M Hollin | Assistant Headteacher - Behaviour & Learning Strategic Lead |
| Dr A Glancey | Assistant Headteacher - Attendance Strategic Lead |
| Miss S Collins | Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead and Mental Health Lead |
The ASPIRE Centre
The ASPIRE Centre is at the heart of our school, and we are immensely proud of the work that takes place here every day to support some of our most vulnerable students. The ASPIRE centre is essential in ensuring that our students feel safe and supported throughout their educational journey. The Aspire Centre is open to identified students before and after school, and during breaks and lunchtimes by invitation. The large space allows students opportunity to regulate, receive learning support and access any other identified interventions. The Aspire Centre is equipped with a variety of assistive technology and has a number of dedicated intervention spaces.
“The centre is open for breakfast for students, throughout the day and after school where it is being used as a stepping stone to support several students back into school. It is staffed by experienced members of staff who have significant knowledge and understanding of a range of needs.” - IQM 2024
KEY MEMBERS OF STAFF
| Mrs R Finley | SENDCo and ASC Resource base lead |
| Mrs N Parker | Assistant SENDCo |
| Mrs S Shaw | Aspire Centre Manager |
| Mrs T Perkins | Higher Level Teaching Assistant (Literacy) |
| Miss S Quinlan | Teaching Assistant |
| Miss G Simpson | Teaching Assistant |
| Miss K Handforth | Teaching Assistant |
| Miss L Joy | Teaching Assistant |
IDENTIFYING STUDENTS WHO NEED ADDITIONAL SUPPORT
We are committed to supporting students who need additional support.There are variety of routes into assessment of SEND and these differ from each individual need. We work very closely with our teaching staff to identify any areas of need and utilise internal and external methods of assessment.
Additional support can include:
- Cognition and learning needs
- Communication and interaction needs
- Medical or health needs
- Social, emotional and mental health needs
- Sensory and/or physical needs
- English as an additional language
For more information on SEND and how we can support please click here.
Our provision
Effective provision is in place for our vulnerable students, dependent on the students’ needs. We provide a rich and diverse experience through personalised support towards making expected progress and curriculum access which is offered in a variety of ways. This could include one or some of the following:
- Teaching staff having information to support your child (e.g. visual modifications, seating plans)
- Access to literacy or numeracy support
- Targeted withdrawal from lesson to support development of a particular skill/area
- Access arrangements for internal and external examinations
- In class support
- Access to assistive technology
- Adaptations for physical or medical disabilities such as lift passes, medical passes, Personal Emergency Evacuation Plans, or overlays
Supporting our students and their families
The Inclusion team also work with both students and their families. We also work with external agencies to secure additional support and provision.
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CAF process
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Annual reviews
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Multi-Agency Autism Team (MAAT team)
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Communication, Language and Autistic Spectrum Disorders (CLASS)
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MIND - Mental Health support
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Healthy Young Minds (CAMHS)
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Educational Psychologists
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Visual Impairment Team
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Hearing Impairment Team
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Speech and Language therapists
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School nurse
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Health mentor
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Early Help Team
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INSPIRE family workers
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Branching Out – Young people’s drugs and alcohol service
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Tameside sexual health team
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact our team.
We're a IQM Flagship School!
We are delighted that LHS have been awarded Flagship School status for the quality of our inclusive provision. Only a handful of UK schools have the honour of achieving IQM Flagship School status. The award recognises those unique schools who have held IQM Centre of Excellence status for at least 3 years; and played a strong leadership role in developing inclusion best practice across a network of schools.
Longdendale was described in the report as a “superbly inclusive secondary school” as a Trust we have a shared belief that the young people of Tameside should have access to the best education provision so that the students in their care are able to realise their ambitions and thrive. The Trust is unashamedly aspirational for all students. This is encapsulated in our vision, ‘Excellence and Ambition for All’.
You can read the full report below.
