At the East SILC, we always strive to provide a rich and broad curriculum for the diverse needs of all of our young people.

1. What kinds of special educational needs do we provide for in our school?

The East Specialist Inclusive Learning Centre (SILC) is a community maintained 2-19 generic special school that includes three main sites, John Jamieson (4-19), Jack Clark (4-11), Roger Cannon (11-16),  and a provision for Post 16 at Bridge Community Church. These are complimented by two Partnerships (Whitkirk and Temple Moor) where pupils remain on the East SILC roll but access a range of mainstream lessons. Our settings enable us to meet the needs of children with moderate, severe and complex learning difficulties. Many of our pupils have communication needs and we have a Speech and Language Team (SaLT)  who work alongside staff and pupils to develop skills in this area across all sites. We also commission two days of Occupational Therapy (O/T). Other special educational needs that are met within our settings include young people with autism, global delay, physical and medical conditions and multi-sensory impairment. Some of our pupils can exhibit a range of behaviours and receive support through our behaviour support team.

2. How do we know if your child needs extra help?

Every pupil has an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP). These are reviewed annually and in consultation with parent/carers and the pupils themselves are encouraged to review their own progress. In addition, pupil progress is monitored and this information is shared in a range of forums so that interventions can be identified to support development and progress.

A variety of assessments are carried out within the school context and these can include assessments for a range of programmes including those delivered by the SaLT, Physiotherapy, Occupational Therapist (O/T), Educational Psychologists and nursing team. On starting at the SILC, basline assessment is undertaken for each pupil and this informs teachers, pupils, parents and carers of each pupil's educational starting point. This then steers learning programmes and interventions to support pupil progress.

Every pupil has an Individual Learning Pathway Plan (ILPP), which is developed in consultation with the pupil and their parents/carers. Other professionals may also be involved and this ensures that learning and the acquisition of skills is geared to what is important for the individual pupil.

Progress meetings are held regularly throughout the year and these involve teachers meeting with senior leaders to discuss pupil attainment and progress. Other professionals may also be consulted to help identify additional help for the young person. This could include SaLT, Physiotherapists, O/T and other external agencies including careers advisers to ensure that barriers to learning are identified and relevant programmes of support are put in place.

3. How we consult with young people with special educational needs and involve them in their education

All our pupils have an EHCP and are encouraged to attend and participate in their review meeting.  The review meeting provides the opportunity to celebrate progress and successes, discuss and share next steps and capture aspirations and future outcomes. Our pupil’s views along with their parent/carers and those of school will be considered so that collectively we can work together to help each pupil achieve.

Three times a year targets are set through the Individual Learning Pathway Plans. These are co-created with pupils and parents/carers. These targets are then reviewed mid-term and progress discussed with the pupil. Where possible we encourage our pupils to self-review their progress.

During each lesson the teacher will set lesson objectives and targets in partnership with each pupil. The teacher and learning support staff continually engage pupils throughout lessons, monitoring their progress and, providing individual support where needed to ensure they enjoy their education.

We keep parent/carers informed about their young person’s progress through a range of opportunities and we involve pupils in the process as much as possible.  These include Parent Consultation Evenings, EHCP Reviews and shared documentation including Annual Reports and ILPPs. We also communicate regularly through the Home-School diaries and when appropriate we are happy to organise regular phone calls to keep parent carers updated about their young person’s experience in school.

Our overall aim is to prepare our pupils for the next stages of education and ultimately adult life.

4. How we help you to support your children’s learning

We encourage parents/carers to come in to school and participate in a variety of ‘parent led’ activities.  These include regular coffee mornings where you can meet other parent/carers and exchange experiences and advice.  When possible we invite key speakers to present in these sessions and in the past, these have included representatives from LCC Transport, MENCAP, SaLT, nursing team, Occupational Therapy and other organisations and charities who can offer advice and support. 

We also deliver a range of workshops that focus on skills and techniques that relate to supporting young people with SEND.  Our SaLT offers a range of courses including Makaton and a variety of communication based workshops.  We also run sessions with a focus on Behaviour and our commissioned O/T has led training on sensory integration techniques.

Our Parents/Carers support social events and fund-raising activities. One of the highlights each term includes a themed disco which is always well attended and supported by our families across the SILC.

We hold a Christmas Fair, and a range of activities around Christmas time including a primary Christmas spectacular and a Carol Service which is usually held at St Edmund’s in Roundhay, a highlight of the festive period. Many other events also take place throughout the year including family discos and a summer fair and leavers assembly. We encourage families to join in and attend as much as possible.

Our pupils are actively involved in the running of the school through the school council. Pupil voice is captured in many other ways and opportunities to express ideas and opinions are provided through target setting, peer and self-review sessions, school coaching which takes place weekly and our staff/pupil mentoring programme that is offered to pupils who may be experiencing a period of difficulty in their lives.

In Post 16, students and parent/carers are consulted with so that they contribute to the content of the curriculum and ensure that it reflects individual aspirations and need. A flexible approach to the curriculum is maintained to ensure that any additional support that may be required can be put in place – this is based on students developing individual skills to support them in their preparation for adulthood.

5. How we know what progress your children are making and how we keep you and them informed

Early in the academic year, we hold one of three Parent/Carer Consultation Evening.  During this meeting we discuss ideas around target setting for every pupil.  These aspirations form the basis of the targets and outcomes that are set through ILPPs and the EHCP.  Further consultation meetings take place mid-year and then at the end of the academic year when we meet to review progress and discuss next steps for each young person’s education. Parent/carers are also strongly encouraged to attend their child’s EHCP meeting. In addition, parents/carers are invited to contribute to the termly review of the ILPP to share how they feel about their child’s progress and help shape targets moving forward.

6. How we have supported young people with SEN and adapted teaching to best support them

On entry to the East SILC every pupil is assessed according to the need identified in their EHCP. This then enables us to gauge which learning pathway is best suited for each pupil’s learning experience.  This could be our formal curriculum where pupils follow a specific learning offer (National Curriculum) which is adapted to the learners needs. Or, the non-subject specific curriculum where there is greater emphasis on individuality focusing even more on the four areas of need:

• Communication and Interaction 
• Cognition and Learning 
• Social, Emotional and Mental Emotional Health
• Sensory and/or Physical 

Classes are small and may range from 8-12 pupils with two/ three additional members of staff and a teacher. In Post 16, the group sizes are larger but the day is generally broken down into a range of activities that can be accessed by a smaller group of students.

A range of other professionals support teachers in class and the school timetable takes this in to account.  We have programmes delivered by our SaLT team, Physiotherapists, O/T and the school nursing team.

Intervention groups are in place to target specific needs; this could include raising achievement and extending potential when opportunities are identified.  We also run additional Literacy and Numeracy sessions and provide physical interventions such as Sensory Circuits to support ‘readiness for learning’ in the classroom.

We use a range of strategies to enhance teaching and learning and this includes specifically adapting the curriculum to meet a range of needs such as communication, sensory, complex physical and medical needs.

7. How have decisions been made to adapt the curriculum or change the learning environment to best meet your children’s needs?

Our aim is to provide a curriculum that is relevant and broadly balanced and helps pupils to become functionally literate, numerate, communicative and as independent as possible in an environment that promotes positive and innovative learning opportunities.

Pupils initially have their needs identified through their EHCP. We constantly review this, using our expertise and experience to identify when, and where additional support may be needed.  

We consult with a range of professionals to ensure that we maintain a learning environment that is effective and accessible to all. 

8. How are staff in the school supported to work with young people with special educational needs and what training do they receive? 

Continuous Professional Development (CPD) is at the heart of our work at the East SILC. All our teachers are qualified and have undertaken specialist further professional development. This includes Autism specific training, Behaviour Management. Communication strategies including Makaton and Attention Autism, training in sensory processing conditions, training in hearing and visual impairments amongst many more. We take the professional development of our staff very seriously recognising that high quality practitioners are essential for the delivery of outstanding learning opportunities for our pupils.

All teaching staff access the DfE recommended Great Teaching Toolkit which focuses on evidence-based research to improve the quality and effectiveness of our teaching.  Senior and middle leaders across the organisation are also engaged in a coaching programme to help them to develop their resilience, encourage reflection and motivation in themselves and their teams. Many of our leaders are also pursuing one of the national professional qualifications in leadership and management in specific areas including headship. 

Our Learning Support staff also have a range of expertise and take part in whole school training. Some staff are specifically trained by the nursing team to administer basic medical interventions. Others are trained in moving and handling or personal care. We have a comprehensive training programme in place for our Learning Support team to ensure that the highest level of expectation and standards in practice are in place.

All our staff take part in behaviour training (Team Teach) with a focus on de-escalation.  We ensure that staff are confident and consistent in their approaches through regular training updates.

9. When we have needed expert advice and support how have we secured that and what services have they provided?

Your child/young person will have an EHCP, which will specify any additional requirements. The EHCP is a statutory document, which means that whatever is stated must be made available.

We work closely with a range of professionals to secure what your child/young person needs and this includes working with all the NHS therapy services such as SaLT, O/T, Physiotherapists, Deaf and Hearing Impairment Team, Educational Psychologists, Social Care and the school Inclusive Nursing Team. We have appointed two full time Speech and Language therapists as part of our staff at the East SILC and commission a consultant O/T to work with us on a weekly basis.  This enables us to develop and deliver more bespoke programmes for our pupils.

These professionals work closely with the class teams delivering individual programmes and group interventions to pupils.  They also provide regular training to staff and will contribute to the EHCP process offering advice on outcomes and support in reviewing progress. 

10. How do we check how well we are doing in meeting the needs of pupils with SEND?

We have a robust system of reviewing and monitoring our provision each term using the Ofsted framework for self-evaluation. This includes looking at: 

•       Quality of Education

•       Behaviour and Attitudes

•       Personal Development and Wellbeing 

•       Leadership and Management

Governors are involved in the process and receive regular reports through the half termly governing body meetings and sub-committee meetings.  

The school was inspected in March 2022 which confirmed the school was a 'Good' school with an ambitious curriculum to meet the needs of all pupils and where staff are caring and supportive - 'One parent summed up the views of many when stating, "Getting the provision just right for my daughter feels like a real partnership between us and school". Arrangements for safeguarding our pupils was judged to be effective - "There is a strong culture of safeguarding".

We monitor the quality of education throughout the year by observing lessons, carrying out regular Learning Walks and Drop-In sessions, work scrutiny and through our termly progress meetings. We enlist the support of the Local Authority School Improvement Adviser to ensure our quality assurance processes remain robust.  

Termly progress meetings, assessment data and EHCP review meetings give us clear evidence of the progress pupils are making and any changes we need to make to ensure all pupils are achieving well. 

11. How we ensure that your children are included in activities outside the classroom, including physical activities and school visits

We acknowledge that the physical and creative activities are an essential part of the development of our pupils and we strive to ensure that all our pupils access a range of social and leisure opportunities. These may include a range of sporting activities including swimming, football, hockey, boccia and table tennis. In the summer and autumn term, our pupils enjoy weekly sessions sailing at Eccup Reservoir. We are supported throughout the academic year by trainers from Leeds Rhinos and Leeds United Football Club.  We also have a Dance Company who come in to deliver regular sessions for our pupils.

We utilise resources in our local community and have regular off-site visits to the library, park and shops. We explore cultural experiences at the theatre and local museums and art galleries. 

We offer a range of residential opportunities. These have included excursions to London, Nell Bank near Otley and as far as the Algarve.  We also offer camping opportunities as part of our Duke of Edinburgh Award. Provision is adapted and differentiated to allow access for as many pupils as possible

12. How we provide for your children’s overall wellbeing

We demonstrate our commitment to pupil well-being through our achievement in Healthy Schools’ status, Equalities and Mind Mate Charter marks, Investors in Pupils. We have recently achieved The Wellbeing Award for Schools (April 2023). 

The opinion of your child is valued and taken into consideration through School Council meetings. We also offer support in voicing opinions through our weekly coaching sessions.

We have a comprehensive safeguarding policy and protocol in place. All staff access annual update training in working with children and vulnerable young people using the ‘Safer Working Practice’ Guidance. All new staff receive a comprehensive induction which includes safeguarding training.

Pupils’ health and well-being is paramount. Personal Care is conducted discreetly and with dignity and fostering independence whenever possible.

We work closely with the in-house medical team. If your child has a health need we will discuss this with you along with the nursing team. A Health Care Plan can be put in place including administration of prescribed medication to support your child. We also work closely with disabilities teams to ensure the holistic needs of your child are met.

Within school we have staff trained in a variety of specialist techniques. These include the Teacch Approach, Sensory Integration, Intensive Interaction, Picture, Exchange, Communication System (PECS), Positive Play to name but a few.

We also work very closely with colleagues from the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS) if your child needs that level of support.

13. How accessible is our school both indoors and outdoors for young people with special educational needs and / or disabilities?

We make play-times and leisure pursuits accessible through ‘Positive Play’. This encompasses a range of activities encouraging engagement and participation.

Our school is fully accessible with dedicated disabled parking bays and toileting facilities. We have ramp and lifts and overhead hoists. We have changing facilities and care suites for children and young people who require adult support. Our staff are highly trained in Moving and Handling.

14. What are our admission arrangements for young people who are disabled and how do we prepare and support your children when joining the school and moving on from the school?

Admission to the East SILC is coordinated by Leeds City Council.  All pupils who are being considered for a place will have an Education, Health and Care Plan or, will be under assessment.

We will support any transition with good systems of communication and a timetable of transition visits.

We offer a personalised transition relevant to the child’s needs. All transitions are supported with a detailed plan documenting relevant information about your child. Where necessary we will support this with social stories, visuals or extra visits if necessary.

When the time comes for your child to move on we will liaise with the receiving school or college and follow their transition process and again will personalise this depending on need.

15. Who can you contact for further information?

If you require further information you should contact the main school office and speak to any of the following:

Nicola Wilkinson – Admin Team Leader

Esme Winston – Young Persons / Family Specialist Support Officer

Jamie Darby  – Head of School John Jamieson

Vicky Fisher – Head of School Jack Clark (SENCO and Admissions)

David Bergan  –  Head of School Roger Cannon

Louise Quinn– Executive Principal

16. What are our arrangements for handling complaints from parents of children with SEND about our provision?

In the first instance we encourage you to contact your child’s class teacher. If you still have concerns then please contact the Executive Principal, Louise Quinn.

In the unlikely event that your concern is not resolved then please contact our Chair of Governors, Mr Stuart McFarlane.

Ultimately parents/carers have recourse to the Secretary of State for Education if the situation still cannot be resolved.