Ms L Whittle
Our SENDCo (Special Educational Needs and/or Disabilities Coordinator.)
You can contact them through the main school office. or email
send@liftbroadlands.orgParenting in general is a rewarding and difficult job. Supporting children with SEND can be particularly challenging - meeting their needs alongside the needs of other children and other commitments, navigating complex SEND processes and accessing support when needed can feel insurmountable at times.
At Lift Broadlands we are committed to setting high expectations for all of our students, and ensuring that students with SEND or neuro-diverse profiles are able to achieve their full potential, by removing or mitigating the barriers that could put a ceiling on their achievements. We are also aware that neuro-diversity is a crucial aspect of human life and we recognise the strengths, skills and personal qualities that all of our students bring to the school community.
Please use this part of the school website to explore your understanding of different needs, learn about the provision that we make for your children in school, and discover events, opportunities and support networks in your local community.
- Communication and Interaction
- Cognition and Learning
- Social, Mental and Emotional Health
- Sensory and/or Physical Needs
The Government provides some advice for parents and carers about Special Educational Needs and Disabilities which you can access here https://www.gov.uk/children-with-special-educational-needs
View our SEND policies here
We are committed to ensuring that pupils with medical conditions are fully supported in school so that they can:
- Play a full and active role in school life;
- Access and enjoy the same opportunities at school as any other child, including school trips and physical education;
- Remain healthy and safe;
- Achieve their academic potential.
If a student has a medical need, they will have a Care Plan, which is compiled in consultation with parents and one of our medical assistants. The plan is discussed with all staff who are involved with the student and is added to the student’s profile, so staff can access it.
Staff receive regular medical training delivered by the school medical assistant and are aware of where they can access further information as required.
Where necessary and in agreement with parents, medicines are administered in school but only with signed parental consent and with medicines in the original packaging.
We welcome students with special educational needs or disabilities and support students across four teams. Students are organised into the teams during their transition from their previous school and it is based on the student’s main area of need. An Area of Need leader will monitor their academic progress and attendance whilst ensuring that the student’s needs were been met both through teaching and structured interventions.
Cognition and learning support
For students with specific learning difficulties such as dyslexia, or moderate learning difficulties that affect students in a range of cognitive areas.
Social, emotional and mental health support
For students who struggle to engage in the social aspects of school, or who find it hard to cope with challenging emotions. This will range from students needing short-term assistance during a turbulent time in their life, to students with a recognised condition such as ADD or ADHD.
Communication and interaction support
For students who have speech, language and communication needs, a specific language impairment or a range of communication difficulties. Students who find it difficult to interact with others are supported within this area.
Sensory and physical support
Students whose need is primarily sensory and, or physical have their support overseen by the area of need leader in this team. This team would support students with hearing or visual impairments as well as students with physical needs.
How is SEND information about my child shared in school?
At Lift Broadlands we use software called Arbor to ensure that every student with SEND has a Broadlands Support Plan which is shared with their teachers and families. These plans are created with the student’s needs and voice at the centre of the process and are regularly reviewed to ensure that needs are understood and met in the classroom and throughout the student’s time in school. Arbor is used to monitor the engagement and behaviour of all students at Lift Broadlands and parents/carers can access this live information using an app.
We are working on sharing live Broadlands Support Plans with all parents/carers - please contact us if you haven’t seen a copy of your child’s Support Plan or if you need help with accessing behaviour updates using Arbor.
As an inclusion team, we work hard to ensure that all colleagues have access to accurate and updated SEND information about our students. We regularly meet with key colleagues such as Heads of Year and the Attendance and Safeguarding Leads to ensure that we are collectively doing everything we can to support positive engagement in school life and excellent academic and pastoral outcomes for all students.
What interventions are in place for Lift Broadlands students?
Inclusion Mentoring - students are matched with a member of staff from the Inclusion Team who meets with them once a week to focus on tackling barriers to learning - this could be emotional difficulties, organisation, learning barriers or attendance. During mentoring the student has the opportunity to identify particular problem areas, set targets and celebrate success. Some students have a full lesson every week, others benefit from a brief check-in every morning.
Zones of Regulation - this is a useful programme for students who need help identifying, expressing and managing their feelings. Click here to find out more about zones of regulation
Lexia - a structured, focused literacy programme to help students improve their reading and writing skills, their understanding of texts and their confidence as learners. Click here to find out more about Lexia
ELSA - a bespoke intervention for students to support with understanding and managing their emotions, as well as developing social skills and building self-esteem. This intervention is 6-10 weeks long, and helps to support students who just need a little extra support.
Drawing and talking - Drawing and Talking Therapy is the number one alternative to CBT and direct talking therapies. This intervention allows students to understand their emotions, as well as process emotional pain resulting from trauma. This intervention allows students to discover and communicate their emotions through non-directed techniques.
Outside Agencies - We invite in groups of professionals to run sessions for our students - this includes our Speech and Language Therapist, the Specialist Autism Support Service, the Bath Area Play Project, Off the Record and our School Health Nurse.
What is happening in the local area?
Check below for support and activities in the local area
This service provides support for parents and carers of young people with SEND - they can help families to navigate the often complex world of SEND provision and legislation and can signpost parents to further support in the area:
How can I get support with parenting?
Please speak to your child’s tutor or Head of Year in the first instance. It may be helpful to arrange a face to face meeting, and you may decide between you, that a referral for Early Help would be appropriate. The following links might also be useful:
If you have a specific concern about your child, you may want to approach a support group that has experts in that area. Here are a few local examples:
Live Well - Bath
FFLAG - of course, being transgender is not a disability, however young trans people can experience difficulties with their emotional wellbeing and mental health and therefore some young trans people will be added to our inclusion register due to Social Emotional and Mental Health needs.
