The Advisory Faculty
The Advisory Faculty at Ashby School caters for students with Special Educational Needs (SEN).
A team of 30 teachers, instructors, teaching assistants and learning support assistants is dedicated to working with the school's SEN students. (There are currently 157 SEN students enrolled in 2006 - 07, of whom 58 have Statements.)
Because of its success in SEN teaching, Ashby School is a popular choice for out-of-catchment students and their parents.
SEN Provision
Students on the SEN programme can expect:
- individual programmes (where appropriate);
- small classes of 12 – 14 for students with learning difficulties in the core subjects of English, Mathematics and Science;
- extra teaching support in all subjects for SEN students;
- four vocational courses tailored to meet the curriculum needs of SEN students;
- a Literacy Support Programme where students are taught in small groups of two or three students for one hour a week;
- an alternative curriculum programme for a small number of students.
Vocational Courses
Ashby School runs vocational courses in Life Skills, Childcare, Basic Skills and Literacy Support, as well as running a Schools Traffic Education Programme (STEP). The Advisory Faculty is based in Lockton House, which provides a dedicated setting for all vocational teaching.
Only the STEP course is run outside Lockton House, giving students a safe, appropriate environment in which to hone their motorbike riding and road safety skills.
Student Achievement
Ashby School has an excellent reputation for its SEN teaching. The majority of both boys and girls boost their performance during their time with the Advisory Faculty. Most SEN students leave school with GCSE passes.
This success is largely a result of the specialist teaching given to students by the Literacy Support Programme at Key Stage 4. During this programme, students enhance their reading age by an average of 33 months, while spelling ages rise by an average of 32 months.
Sharing Best Practice
Ashby School is committed to sharing its experience and knowledge to improve educational opportunities for SEN students elsewhere.
Ashby SEN staff form part of a Local Authority working party which identifies resources and strategies to help all Leicestershire schools improve their support for dyslexic students.
Ashby staff also run courses for teachers from other schools on how to teach literacy skills.
For more information about the work of The Advisory Faculty, contact the SEN team at Lockton House on 01530 413748 x 261.
