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Additional Educational Needs (AEN
Some students have additional educational needs and have difficulty (temporary or longer term) accessing the curriculum, which requires additional educational provision to be made for them. The aim of the AEN department is to ensure students who have Additional Educational Needs are enabled to make the best possible progress at the BSN and to become independent, confident and successful learners. Students who require additional support in school usually have difficulties in one or more of the following areas:
l Make little or no progress despite the use of targeted teaching approaches and a differentiated curriculum.
l Work at levels significantly below age expectations, particularly in Literacy or Numeracy.
l Present with persistent emotional and/or behavioural difficulties, which have not been managed by appropriate strategies usually employed.
l Have sensory or physical impairments that result in little progress despite the provision of appropriate aids or equipment.
l Have medical needs, which require additional interventions or adaptations to the curriculum in order ensure progress is being made.
l Have poor communication or interaction skills, requiring specific interactions and adaptations to access learning. The AEN department offers a wide variety of additional interventions, such as:
l Appropriate curriculum teaching groups or setting.
l Assessment by the AEN department – this may be triggered when a student fails to achieve adequate progress, despite having had access to a differentiated programme.
l A student passport, outlining a student’s learning needs, how these are presenting in class and what support is needed in curriculum lessons to ensure good progress.
l Small group support focussing on curriculum support.
l Targeted small group or 1-1 support, in order to improve or manage a student’s specific learning need(s).
l Assessment and/or intervention from specialist agencies when required (this comes at an additional cost to parents).
l In class and 1-1 directed study support from a Learning Support Assistant (this comes at an additional cost to parents).
Parents, students and staff will be informed should a student be identified with additional educational needs. Additional support in the school will always be discussed with the student, parents and teachers to ensure appropriate interventions are in place to meet the student’s individual needs. Interventions and their impact are regularly reviewed with everyone involved and are adjusted when required.
