INCLUSION AT HARTLAND This academic year has been an exciting year for the Inclusion Team. Joining Miss Eimear Keating into the team in September was Miss Ami Jackson, who was already a well-established member of the Foundation Stage Team at Hartland, and predominantly supports our EYFS and KS1 students. At the same time Mrs Nadya Ghazal joined the team and supports our Secondary students. I was welcomed into the growing team in January. The investment in SEND provision has continued to grow at Hartland and has not only enabled us to expand our personnel but also increase the physical resources we have and in training and support delivered across the school. This year we have focused on developing the Sensory Room which has been adapted to support many students across the school. We have developed sensory circuits, using advice and guidance from occupational therapists to target specific areas of need. The students have thrived in this environment, applying their learning from sensory circuits to alert, challenge and calm their bodies. The Inclusion team have also been involved in continuous professional development by leading workshops from Phonics teaching, multi-sensory approaches to learning and differentiated strategies. As part of our drive for excellence, the team have worked alongside Learning Assistants, providing training and support for speech and language (WELLCOMM training) and leading fine and gross motor interventions. Following on from this training, Intervention groups took place and the impact of these interventions have been clearly evident in the classrooms and the students work. It has been a pleasure to see the progress of the students throughout the year. Our team of Inclusion Governors have been a key support in driving forward our own Inclusion agenda and along with the framework set by KHDA, ensuring that we, as a whole school, are embedding the best practise for our students. Throughout the year they have been part of learning walks from EYFS to Year 10, lesson drop-ins and taken part in discussions based on Inclusion at Hartland. During Term 3 they also took part in our first virtual lesson drop-ins where they were able to see for themselves how we have adapted and modified our provision for distance learning. During the Distance Learning period, the Inclusion team worked closely with families to adapt learning to support
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students in their transition to home learning. Through the adaptation of resources, developing lessons and providing additional support where needed, the team have been amazed at the student’s enthusiasm for E-Learning. Our use of ICT accessibility tools has been a major factor in this enthusiasm. Tools such as Immersive Reader and Dictate have become second nature for both teachers and students to use in their learning. The creation and development of interactive and online Individual Education Plans has been a real success. Students have enjoyed having an interactive IEP where the children can hear, see and engage with the target. This is something we will continue to take forward as part of our support for Students of Determination at Hartland throughout 2020-2021.
