3 minute read
ADDITIONAL LEARNING NEEDS
The Additional Learning Needs (ALN) department was established in January 2022 and incorporates pupils who have a special educational need or disability (SEND), the high achieving pupils (HA) and those who are studying English as an additional language (EAL). The department works across the entire school from the Reception class up to those studying towards A-Levels and BTEC qualifications in the Sixth Form. By incorporating these areas in a truly inclusive manner it means we can support and promote the variety of ways pupils learn, embracing their individual skill sets and talents while enhancing their educational journey through a bespoke pathway and individual teaching.
Advertisement
It is increasingly being recognised in educational research that inclusive schools who provide diversity among learners improve education for all. So the benefit is not just for the targeted pupil, but also to foster a culture of support and awareness within the school community. This culture promotes a positive response to pupil diversity encouraging individuals to seek opportunities rather than problems, something we encourage and embrace at Shebbear and the department is full of outstanding contributions from our pupils.
By using a multi-sensory way of teaching, our lessons provide a fun filled educational experience. The use of exciting and informative resources help support each pupil’s learning; allowing them to achieve their full potential. Every ALN lesson will involve both an interaction between pupils and an individual pupil task, whether this is through debates, team games, reading, spelling and maths computer programs or logical thinking puzzles. Looking forward to next academic year, we will be integrating the Functional Skills programme for pupils in Form 3 and Form 4, enhancing the curriculum with extended offers that develop core academic skills through a range of additional activities, working with departments to grow their SEN resources and officially launch our ‘Reading for Enjoyment’ programme to develop literacy skills.
We are lucky to have an array of outstanding teachers and teaching assistants in the department, with a number of classroom teachers also being specialists in SEN teaching. Working across the Prep and Senior School is Mrs Clarke, a trained dyslexic specialist teacher who teaches in a multisensory way for pupils in the Prep School through the ASLAN programme (Academic Support for Literacy and Numeracy) and she supports pupils in the crossover into the first few years of the Senior School. Mrs Chappell is our Senior School in-class teaching assistant and does a fantastic job supporting the teaching and learning that goes on in the classroom.
Staff working in the ALN department feel privileged, everyday we get to see success and those magical ‘penny drop’ moments.
Lessons have the benefit of using the school’s facilities to teach core academic skills, so we may be in the sports hall reinforcing maths, or walking around the school site applying principles learnt in science.
I would like to thank Miss Body for her commitment to the Academic Support Department and the pupils who benefitted from spending time there. Miss Body moved on to a new role at the end of 2021 but her passion for the pupils and ensuring she helps them be ‘the best they can be’ has set the department up well. Summer School
In June we welcomed ten pupils from across Europe to enjoy a month in a traditional English boarding school. The pupils received 10 hours a week of focused spoken and written English lessons, as well as an exciting programme of activities to support their learning and mainstream lessons in school. Educational trips included the National Marine Aquarium in Plymouth, Lanhydrock House and Gardens, Bodmin Jail, RHS Rosemoor and the Eden Project and these trips were backed up with project work and presentations in class. Pupils also enjoyed various weekend activities surfing and to the Royal Cornwall Show. My thanks to the staff that supported the programme, in particular the boarding team and Mrs Lovett and Mr Kirby as our in house EAL experts.
I absolutely love ASLAN. ’
Prep 6 pupil
Mr Sanders Head of Additional Learning Needs
