Special Educational Needs and Disability

Specialist Learning Facilities

Specialist support is available to all students who need it, whether they have special educational needs or have missed extended periods of study.

Learning Inclusion Centre (LINC) 

The Learning Inclusion Centre is the base for the SEND department. As a smaller learning space, it provides a calm and nurturing environment and is used for students with SEND when appropriate. 

Specialist Teaching Service

Referrals to the Specialist Teaching Service are usually through the Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator (SENDCo), Mr Price. This outreach service ensures that students with visual impairments, hearing problems, ASD or similar difficulties receive the help they need.
Referrals to Child and Mental Health Service (CAMHS)
These referrals come from a student’s GP.

Wellbeing Support and Counselling

Students who are need of additional wellbeing support can access our Wellbeing Service, which is based within Lockton House, a calm and separate space that is on school grounds but located away from the main buildings. Within Lockton House, (and through referral) students can access wellbeing interventions, a quiet space during lunchtimes and counselling. This confidential counselling service is available to students who are referred by pastoral staff. The sessions, which are run by qualified counsellors, give students an opportunity to share problems and fears, and to look for ways to address them.

Appropriate Provision

The school aims to provide an education to suit every child. Where a students’ needs cannot be met through our inclusive mainstream education, alternative curriculum options may be explored.

Special Educational Needs and Disability

At Ashby School, we want all students with SEND to leave equipped with the personal and academic skills essential to fulfil their potential as confident and independent young adults who will make a positive impact in society. 

We are proud of the achievements of students with SEND. Alongside academic achievements, our students develop socially and emotionally and develop their independence.

We are very fortunate as a school to have a large Learning Support department with trained and experienced members of staff to work with students one to one, in small groups or within the classroom. Intervention is targeted based on student need and is closely evaluated; the focus of all interventions is to develop strategies that will have a positive effect across the whole curriculum. Therefore, intervention is also monitored for its impact on whole school achievement.

The Learning Support department is based within the Learning Inclusion Centre (LINC) and works in partnership with mainstream teachers, parents and outside agencies to provide quality assessment and monitoring of students’ learning needs, effective classroom support and guidance and specialist individualised or small-group tuition in literacy and numeracy. 

We have a secure transition process whether a student is transferring to us in Year 7, Year 10 or within the academic year. Familiarising students with the school and gathering information from all parties involved in the student’s care is paramount to ensuring the student feels confident in their own abilities from day one.

Our aims:

Ashby School will aim to provide the following:
•    To identify student with special educational needs and disabilities as early as possible in their school careers
•    To ensure that all students have access to a broad and balanced curriculum
•    To provide a differentiated curriculum appropriate to the individual's needs and ability and wherever possible, to meet those needs in the mainstream classroom
•    To ensure that students with SEND take as full a part as possible in all school activities
•    To ensure that parents of students with SEND are kept fully informed of their child's progress and attainment
•    To offer effective management and appropriate distribution of information to parents, staff, outside agencies
•    Along with other agencies, to offer guidance and counselling to individual students regarding post-16 decisions
•    To clarify the roles and responsibilities of all those involved in ensuring that the above aims are carried out
•    To continually update the training needs of staff with regard to special educational needs

Details of our SEND policy and SEND information report can be found here.

Our staff

SENDCo – Will Price
SEND Support Specialist – Lara Jackson
LINC Intervention Lead - Leonie Titley

SEND Support Staff

Mary Barney
Jan Chamberlain
Julie Holmes
Liz Keaveny
Jane Lee
Louise Sindall
Alice Reed
Karen Blythe
Nic Brockbank
Leonie Titley
Emma Timberlake