SEND Information
Our Learning Support team supports students who have a wide range of needs:
Cognition and Learning Difficulties
Cognition and Learning is where children and young people learn at a slower pace than others their age, they may:
- have difficulty in understanding parts of the curriculum.
- have difficulties with organisation and memory skills.
- have a specific difficulty affecting one particular part of their learning such as in literacy or numeracy.
The term ‘learning difficulties’ covers a wide range of needs that we see in school, including moderate learning difficulties (MLD), severe learning difficulties (SLD) and profound and multiple difficulties (PMLD). Specific learning difficulties (SpLD) such as dyslexia, dyspraxia and dyscalculia come under this term.
Speech, Language and Social Communication Difficulties
Some children and young people have speech, language and communication difficulties which make it difficult for them to make sense of language or to understand how to communicate effectively and appropriately with others. Children and young people with an Autistic Spectrum Disorder are likely to have particular difficulties with social interaction.
Social, Emotional, Mental Health Difficulties
Children and young people may experience a wide range of social and emotional difficulties which present themselves in many ways. They may:
- have difficulty in managing their relationships with other people.
- be withdrawn.
- behave in ways that may hinder their and other children’s learning or that have an impact on their health and wellbeing.
This broad area includes Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD), Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) or Attachment Disorder. It also includes behaviours that may reflect underlying mental health difficulties such as anxiety, depression, self-harming and eating disorders.
Sensory and/or Physical Needs
There is a wide range of sensory and physical difficulties that affect children and young people across the ability range. Many children and young people require minor adaptations to the curriculum, their study programme or the physical environment. Many such adaptations may be required as reasonable adjustments under the Equality Act 2010.
Children and young people with a visual impairment (VI) or a hearing impairment (HI) may require specialist support and equipment to access their learning.
Children and young people with a Multi-Sensory Impairment (MSI) have a combination of visual and hearing difficulties, which makes it much more difficult for them to access the curriculum or study programme than those with a single sensory impairment.
Some children and young people with a physical disability (PD) require additional on-going support and equipment to access all the opportunities available to their peers.