Oaks Park High School

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Inclusion - SEND/EAL

How we support pupils at Oaks Park?

We attend Year 6 Annual Reviews at primary school for the students who we know will be attending Oaks Park. Members of the team attend meetings with primary school SENCos and class teachers to gather information specifically on SEND students.

Students can attend the school for extra visits to get to know key people and places.

If the students have any SEATSS involvement meetings are held with the SEATSS team members to ensure all important information regarding the students needs are passed on.

In School Support

All students on the SEND register are given a named ‘key worker’ who produces a One Page Profile. This provides class teachers with information about the students needs and ideas on how best to support the student. These are reviewed on a termly basis with parents/cares, key workers and form tutors.

Depending upon the need of the student we offer additional Literacy and Numeracy interventions during form time, in some cases students are withdrawn from lessons.
We also offer social skills groups and in class TA support.

Students holding an EHCP are provided with in class support for their allocated hours, plus any necessary interventions. Any support provided from SEATSS at primary continues into secondary school. We will also make referrals to outside agencies if we feel the students require additional specialised support.

The Acorn Centre

The SEND/ EAL team is based in the Acorn Centre this is not only where all interventions take place but it is also a quiet/safe place for SEND students to go at break and lunch times to get away from the hustle and bustle of the playground.

We also have a lunchtime games club to encourage more withdrawn students to get to know their peers and make new friends. We have a daily lunchtime homework club for anyone struggling to complete homework. All these activities are supervised but the Team of very supportive TAs who encourage and help out the students who need additional support.

EAL support

As part of our Inclusion team, we have a group of dedicated EAL specialised TAs who offer a range of support for students for whom English is not their first language. This includes creating and sharing profiles about these students with all teachers so they can support students effectively in lessons, offering 1-1 and small group interventions for students to help them develop their English, and an EAL group at GCSE in which students follow a programme dedicated to improving their English both for their GCSEs and wider life skills.

Our main aim with this support is to ensure that students are included in mainstream lessons as much as possible and can develop their English whilst learning about the individual subjects they study.

Looked After Children

There is a dedicated team within the Inclusion department that provide support for children in care whilst at Oaks Park. As well as two designated teachers to support Looked After Children, each Looked After Child has a key worker, who supports them and is an extra voice of support for them in school. This helps us to ensure that any support that is necessary is put in place and that Looked After Children can be included effectively into daily school life.

Visually Impaired Resource

Oaks Park is the borough nominated school for Visually Impaired students. We provide expert support for students with all levels of visual Impairments.
We have a team of 8 highly trained TAs, 6 trained to level 2 Braille with specialists in Maths and Science. Support is also provided by Qualified Teachers of the Visually Impaired from Joseph Clark School.

Ms Bradley SENCO

KS4 Courses

ASDAN - Certificate of Personal Effectiveness

Course  CoPE-Certificate of Personal Effectiveness
Examining Board ASDAN
Specification Link
Why study this subject?

Specific students are invited to choose this course
The CoPE course aims to:
• enhance self-belief and resilience
• engage and motivate young people
• strengthen and celebrate learners’ academic and vocational education
• inspire creativity and ambition to make full use of students’ talents
• prepare learners with knowledge and skills for the workplace

Modules

The CoPE curriculum comprises 12 modules. The modules are divided into three sections; section A, B and C. Each section should take at least 10 hours to complete – 10 hours is worth one credit.

 

Students will need 12 credits to gain the Certificate of Personal Effectiveness.

  • Communication
  • The Environment
  • Health and fitness
  • Sport and Leisure
  • International Links
  • Citizenship and Community
  • Science and Technology
  • Expressive Arts
  • Beliefs and Values
  • Vocational Preparation
  • Independent Living
  • Work-Related Learning
  • Enterprise
Skills

 

Students must also demonstrate competence at Level 1 or 2 in the six CoPE skills units:

  • Introduction to Working with Others
  • Introduction to Improving own Learning and Performance
  • Introduction to Problem Solving
  • Planning and Carrying out a Piece of Research
  • Communication through Discussion
  • Planning and Giving an Oral Presentation
Assessment 

There are no exams in this subject.
The students will produce a portfolio of evidence to demonstrate their achievements. The portfolio might include reports, photographs, witness statements or podcasts.

 

The students' work is internally moderated. It is then send for external moderation, which is carried out by post. ASDAN will issue certificates following successful external moderation.

Next steps - Careers/HE courses

The portfolio has proven to be something students are particularly proud of. Students can use their portfolio to present their work and its journey to prospective employers or further education institutions.

 Useful resources

This link will provide you with resources to help you complete both the modules and Key Skills challenges

https://www.asdan.org.uk/resources/free-resources

EAL Employability

Course  EAL - Employability
Examining Board ASDAN
Specification Link
Why study this subject?

The Employability course is designed to support students who have English as a second language or who have recently arrived in the UK to develop their language skills whilst also developing their understanding of how to develop skills that will help them to get jobs and build a career in the future.

 

Through completing different tasks in different areas, students will practice their reading, writing, speaking and listening skills in English. A lot of the work will be students completing tasks independently to help them with applying their English skills in lessons.

 

The work will be mostly completed on computers and stored online. The work is then marked by teachers at the school before being moderated by the exam board.

Modules

Career Exploration
- Researching jobs and careers
- Researching the skills and qualifications needed for different careers
- Reading and writing successful applications
- Preparing and practicing interviews

 

Planning and reviewing learning:
- Identifying areas of strength and weakness
- Working out how to improve on areas of weakness

 

Enterprise
- Understanding of what enterprise is
- Researching different enterprise opportunities
- Planning and running an enterprise activity
- Evaluating the enterprise activity

 

Overcoming Barriers and Tackling problems:
- Identifying problems for getting work
- Learning about how to tackle problems

Assessment 

Students complete work throughout Year 10 and 11 to build a portfolio. This is then marked internally and moderated by the exam board at the end of Year 11,

Next steps - Careers/HE courses

The purpose of this course is to prepare our students with English as an additional language to be ready to go onto study whatever they want to after their GCSEs.

 Useful resources

https://www.bell-foundation.org.uk/eal-programme/guidance/effective-teaching-of-eal-learners/