SEN

Although the College has a member of staff with specific responsibilities for SEN, it is the responsibility of all staff to ensure that all students are provided with appropriate support and stimulation in and out of the classroom.

The College’s Special Educational Needs Coordinator (SENCO), Ms Jean Kerr, can offer advice and support for students who have been identified with specific learning difficulties or special educational needs, including students who are gifted and talented.  She is also involved in the admissions process and we would ask parents whose child has a specific learning difficulty to discuss this in advance of any application so we make proper allowance for this in our assessment of their ability and also discuss the level of support the College is able to offer.

If a student with a specific learning difficulty, which has been identified and assessed, passes the College entrance examination and comes to the College, the College will ask to see a copy of the educational psychologist's report. Members of staff are then informed, so that they are aware of the difficulty and can make sure that the student concerned is supported as much as possible. All Staff have a responsibility to know the needs of any students that they teach and should make sure they are aware of the data which is maintained by the SENCO and kept on Engage.

Members of staff who suspect a student has a specific learning difficulty should inform the SENCO as soon as they suspect this is the case.

Members of staff are familiar with the symptoms and needs of children with special educational needs, but they are not experts, and parents will normally be advised to seek expert help outside the College, from an educational psychologist. We have contact with and access to our own educational psychologist.

The College public examination officers will apply for such students to be granted extra time in public examinations if appropriate, or to be given permission to complete their examination papers on a laptop computer, on presentation of a psychologist´s report.