The main focus of the school is to meet the teaching and learning needs of pupils with a range of learning difficulties whose needs cannot be fully met in a mainstream school.  However, within this broad categorisation there is a wide range of individual differences and abilities.  It is our intention to recognise the individual needs of each pupil and set precise targets and action plans to fulfil the requirements of the Education, Health and Care Plan.

All pupils have Annual Reviews to which all involved with the pupil are asked to contribute.  The parental, and increasingly, the pupil inputs, are central to this process.

We strive to provide access to a full curriculum for all of our pupils at a level that is meaningful, stimulating, and hopefully enjoyable.

The close partnership between staff, governors, and parents is seen as the key to the successful education of our young people.  We work hard to meet the needs of all of our pupils. The following documents will give you more information in relation to SEND and how school and home can support children. If you have any concerns or wish to discuss SEND at our school, please do not hesitate to contact us.

 

 

Here is a copy of our latest Send Information Report

 

The Astley Park School Local Offer outlines the provision delivered to children with special educational needs and disabilities.   Please find the Astley Park School Local Offer 2022 here   Local Offer

SEND

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AUTISTIC SPECTRUM CONDITION (ASC)

ASD - Useful information

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http://www.autism.org.uk/

 

CEREBRAL PALSY

Guidance and assistance for parents of a child with Cerebral Palsy https://www.cerebralpalsyguidance.com/

 

Dyslexia

Contrary to popular belief, dyslexia is not only about literacy, although weaknesses in literacy are often the most visible sign. Dyslexia affects the way information is processed, stored and retrieved, with problems of memory, speed of processing, time perception, organisation and sequencing.

  • The word 'dyslexia' comes from the Greek and means 'difficulty with words'.
  • It is a life long, usually genetic, inherited condition and affects around 10% of the population.
  • Dyslexia occurs in people of all races, backgrounds and abilities, and varies from person to person: no two people will have the same set of strengths and weaknesses.
  • Dyslexia occurs independently of intelligence.
  • Dyslexia is really about information processing: dyslexic people may have difficulty processing and remembering information they see and hear. This can affect learning and the acquisition of literacy skills.
  • Dyslexia is one of a family of Specific Learning Difficulties. It often co-occurs with related conditions, such as dyspraxia, dyscalculia and attention deficit disorder.
  • On the plus side, dyslexic people often have strong visual, creative and problem solving skills and are prominent among entrepreneurs, inventors, architects, engineers and in the arts and entertainment world. Many famous and successful people are dyslexic.

Does your child have Dyslexia?

Choosing books that will engage and captivate children who struggle with reading is often challenging. Help is now at hand with the publication of a free guide from Barrington Stoke and Dyslexia Action - "Dive in; A guide to choosing children's books for reluctant readers and readers with dyslexia" lists 40 titles divided into age range categories.

http://www.bdadyslexia.org.uk

http://www.dyslexiaaction.org.uk

 

Useful Information

Dyslexia

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Dyslexia may co-occur with other SpLDs such as:

Dyspraxia

Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD), also known as Dyspraxia in the UK, is a common disorder affecting fine and/or gross motor coordination in children and adults. This condition is formally recognised by international organisations including the World Health Organisation.

DCD is distinct from other motor disorders such as cerebral palsy and stroke. The range of intellectual ability is in line with the general population. Individuals may vary in how their difficulties present; these may change over time depending on environmental demands and life experience, and will persist into adulthood.

An individual’s coordination difficulties may affect participation and functioning of everyday life skills in education, work and employment. Children may present with difficulties with self-care, writing, typing, riding a bike, play as well as other educational and recreational activities. In adulthood many of these difficulties will continue, as well as learning new skills at home, in education and work, such as driving a car and DIY.

There may be a range of co-occurring difficulties which can also have serious negative impacts on daily life. These include social emotional difficulties as well as problems with time management, planning and organisation and these may impact an adult’s education or employment experiences.

Does your child have dyspraxia?

Dyspraxia affects fine and gross motor co-ordination and can cause problems for young people in planning, organising and carrying out movements in the right order in everyday situations.

There is a new book written by Emma Austin-Jones, The Lilac Story is a fairy tale featuring a group of characters who have varying degrees of dyspraxia. It is a story of inclusion, friendship and kindness and how it is OK to be grumpy sometimes. For more information visit www.dyspraxiafoundation.org.uk/

Dyscalculia

Dyscalculia is characterised by an inability to understand simple number concepts and to master basic numeracy skills. There are likely to be difficulties dealing with numbers at very elementary levels; this includes learning number facts and procedures, telling the time, time keeping, understanding quantity, prices and money. Difficulties with numeracy and maths are also common with dyslexia.

 

ADHD/ADD

Signs of Attention Deficit (Hyperactivity) Disorder include inattention, restlessness, impulsive, erratic, unpredictable and inappropriate behaviour, blurting out inappropriate comments or interrupting excessively. Some people come across unintentionally as aggressive. Most fail to make effective use of feedback.

If no hyperactivity is present, the term Attention Deficit Disorder should be used: these individuals have particular problems remaining focused so may appear 'dreamy' and not to be paying attention. People with this condition are very easily distracted, lose track of what they are doing and have poor listening skills. By failing to pay attention to details, they may miss key points.

Autistic characteristics can co-exist with the conditions described above. Those affected often demonstrate unusual behaviours due to inflexible thinking, over-reliance on routines, a lack of social and communication skills. People with Asperger Syndrome may have learned to largely conceal their problems but still find any social interaction very challenging and panic easily when they cannot cope.

Since Specific Learning Difficulties are still not adequately understood in all schools many children and young people slip through education unidentified and unsupported.

ADHD

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Asperger Syndrome

Asperger Syndrome

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Terminology

Be aware that similar terminology can lead to confusion. For example, the term 'Learning Difficulties' is generally applied to people with generalised (as opposed to specific) difficulties who are of low intelligence and often lack mental capacity.

Many people with Specific Learning Difficulties tend to refer to themselves as having a Specific Learning Difference (both generally abbreviated to SpLDs), while others regard a label containing the word 'Learning' as inappropriate when they are no longer in education.

 

Areas of typical difficulty for all Specific Learning Difficulties

Information Processing

  • Difficulties with taking in information efficiently (this could be written or auditory).
  • Slow speed of information processing, such as a 'penny dropping' delay between hearing something and understanding and responding to it.

Memory

  • Poor short term memory for facts, events, times, dates.
  • Poor working memory; i.e. difficulty holding on to several pieces of information while undertaking a task e.g. taking notes as you listen, coping with compound questions.
  • Mistakes with routine information e.g. giving your age or the ages of your children.
  • Inability to hold on to information without referring to notes.

Communication skills

  • Lack of verbal fluency and lack of precision in speech.
  • Word-finding problems.
  • Inability to work out what to say quickly enough.
  • Misunderstandings or misinterpretations during oral exchanges.
  • Over-loud speech (which may come across as aggressive) or murmuring that cannot be clearly heard.
  • Sometimes mispronunciations or a speech impediment may be evident.

Literacy

  • Lateness or difficulty in acquiring reading and writing skills. Some dyslexic adults have severe literacy problems and may be functionally illiterate.
  • Where literacy has been mastered, residual problems generally remain such as erratic spelling, difficulty extracting the sense from written material, difficulty with unfamiliar words, an inability to scan or skim text.
  • Particular difficulty with unfamiliar types of language such as technical terminology, acronyms. Sequencing,

Organisation and Time Management

  • Difficulty presenting a sequence of events in a logical, structured way.
  • Incorrect sequencing of number and letter strings.
  • Tendency to misplace items; chronic disorganisation.
  • Poor time management: particular difficulties in estimating the passage of time.

Direction and Navigation

  • Difficulty with finding the way to places or navigating the way round an unfamiliar building.

Concentration

  • Weak listening skills, a limited attention span, problems maintaining focus.
  • A tendency to be easily distracted, inability to remain focused.

Sensory Sensitivity

  • A heightened sensitivity to noise and visual stimuli.
  • Impaired ability to screen out background noise or movement.
  • Sensations of mental overload/switching off.

Lack of awareness

  • Failure to realise the consequences of their speech or actions.
  • Failure to take account of body language.
  • Missing the implications.

 

Who can help?

  • BDA HelpLine (call or email us).
  • The Disability Employment Advisor at your local Job Centre.
  • Adult Basic Education Centre.
  • CAB: Citizens' Advice Bureau.
  • Your trade union, if applicable.

Some Local Dyslexia Associations have helpliners specialising in information for dyslexic adults. Others have general helpliners who may be able to help with adult enquiries.

http://www.ipsea.org.uk/