Inclusion (SEND, Equalities)

Intent: 

We believe in inclusive education and supporting all students in order for every student to be a leader in their chosen field, with the opportunity to be leaders of STEM. We are committed to ensuring that all students have access to a well taught academic curriculum. We acknowledge students’ strengths as well as their complexities. We aim to provide the support necessary to empower students to take responsibility for their learning, and character building thereby enabling them to experience success at HSAEL and beyond. All students have the right to achieve their maximum academic and social potential.  

Harris Science Academy East London seeks to promote this by providing equality of access and opportunity to all areas of the curriculum. Students are taught in an environment where they receive equal respect and in which their individuality is valued. At the Academy we believe that all students have learning differences rather than learning difficulties and it is our policy to identify and assess these differences and ensure that learning is supported and differentiated to ensure good progress is made by all students. 

The mission of the HSAEL SEND department is for every child, including those with additional challenges, to become a leader in their chosen field, with the opportunity to lead in science, technology, engineering and maths.  

For students with additional needs and disabilities, this means: 

• Students with additional needs and disabilities have excellent attendance. 

• Students with additional needs and disabilities make as much academic progress as students without additional challenges.   

• Students with additional needs and disabilities transition to an appropriate pathway that will help them to fulfil their ambitions. 

• Students with additional needs and disabilities develop the character to help them stand shoulder to shoulder with students from more advantaged backgrounds and contexts.  

Our approach to supporting students with additional needs and disabilities is underpinned by the following principles: 

• The most powerful intervention is excellent teaching. SEND students’ needs should be primarily met in the classroom, taught by well-trained, highly effective subject experts. We choose approaches for all students that have a disproportionately positive impact on students with additional needs and disabilities.  

• All children are entitled to a fully academic curriculum to age 16, because we believe it is this academic curriculum that will provide them with the knowledge required to be a changemaker of the future. We do not replace academic subjects with vocational qualifications, ‘water down’ the content for SEND students or narrow their curriculum.  

• Students never caught up by falling further behind. We do not withdraw students from academic lessons for time-bound interventions. Interventions are in addition to and not instead of our core academic offer. Additional interventions should follow a graduated approach, following the ‘assess, plan, do, review’ cycle. 

• All students are capable of exemplary behaviour with the right support. We therefore offer high expectations for every child, delivered with warmth and kindness. We want students to enjoy their experience of school and know their teachers care for them deeply.   

We never lower the bar for vulnerable students. Rather, we vary the level of support required to ensure that all students can change the world. 

Implementation: 

We believe that students with special educational needs will make the most progress when being taught well. To ensure this happens in every lesson, all lessons at HSAEL follow the same structure. This consistent approach ensures we leave nothing to chance and can create an environment where your child can succeed.   

 

• Our behaviour expectations are explicit, with visuals around the Academy to support and remind students, termly opportunities to practise meeting these expectations and a common language adopted by all staff.   

• Reading in every lesson builds literacy skills.   

• Daily review helps students recall important learning.  

• Exposition breaks concepts down into small steps, with regular opportunities by the teacher to check for students’ understanding.   

• Deliberate practice tasks give students opportunities to practise what they have learnt, with the teacher giving feedback on common misconception.  

• Holiday homework gives an opportunity for overlearning of important concepts.   

• Core knowledge, weekly homework, gives an opportunity for pre-teaching of important terms and consolidation of important learning. 

  

Monitoring and Assessment through Assess, Plan, Do, Review 

At HSAEL, we monitor the progress of all students regularly through the curriculum. This involves: 

• Termly ‘golden nugget’ tests to check students have mastered and remembered the most important learning from the previous term to make progress.  

• Milestone tasks each half term to check students can independently recall and do the things they have been taught.  

• Twice yearly summative assessments of all content they have learnt.  

After each assessment point, there is an opportunity for all students to receive targeted intervention to understand what they need to do to improve and to act on feedback. The length of time given in the curriculum to respond to each data point varies according to the length of the assessment.  

Where there are concerns regarding a student’s attendance, behaviour, punctuality, wellbeing or academic performance, we will put in place extra support to enable them to make progress.  

Where progress is not sufficient across a range of indicators or over time, in consultation with parents, we will use a range of targeted assessment tools to better understand the nature of the difficulty and we will put in place targeted support to enable them to make accelerated progress.  

When, in spite of targeted support, a child is still not making progress, we will follow the process outlined above to further explore and implement the right support for the child.  

At each stage in the above process, we will use a graduated approach, opting for the least intrusive and disruptive intervention possible. All interventions will aim to upskill and support students so that they do not need the additional support on a permanent basis. The impact of interventions will be tracked rigorously, with each intervention having clear success criteria and post-intervention evaluation.  

Support Available at HSAEL 

	Wave 1 (Universal)	Wave 2 (Targeted)	Wave 3 (Specialist)
Communication and Interaction  Example: ASD, speech and language difficulties.	Clear rules and boundaries.  Use of visuals for behaviour support.  Consistently applied rules and routines.   Teaching for mastery through repetition, quizzing, modelling, practice.   Access arrangements: prompt, rest breaks.   SEND lunch time club.   Explicit training on LEADERS expectations in the classroom.   Extra curricular clubs at lunch time and after school.	Vocabulary enrichment programme.   Expressive and receptive language speech and language intervention.  Zones of regulation intervention.   Counselling.    Social skills intervention.   LSA support in lessons.	Direct intervention from speech and language therapist.     Alternative provision placement.     EHCP plan    Additional transition visits.
Cognition and learning  Example: dyslexia	Read now tasks used in all lessons.   Whole school reading programme.  Use of Bedrock platform.  Use of SPARX platform for maths.   Pre-learning of core knowledge through independent learning.   Access arrangements: extra time, rest breaks, assistive technology.   Smaller group teaching in some year groups.   Homework club.	Touch typing intervention.   Handwriting intervention.   Lexia reading intervention.   1:1/ small group reading support.   Hackney Lit reading intervention.   Reading for empowerment programme	Educational Psychologist direct work.     EHCP plan
Social, emotional and health difficulties  Example: ADHD, medical, depression/ anxiety,	Clear rules and boundaries.  Adjusted seating plans.   Access arrangements: extra time, rest breaks.  Use of visuals for behaviour support.   Breakfast club.	Social skills intervention.   Mentoring by staff/ peer.   Allocated key worker.  School counsellor support.   Zones of regulation support.   Targeted use of time out.   LSA support in lessons.   Additional transition visits.   Strengthening Minds mentoring.   Reading for empowerment programme	CAMHS intervention    Alternative provision placement.     EHCP plan    Diabetes nurse intervention    Additional transition visits.
Sensory/ physical needs  Example: visual/ hearing impairment.	Adjusted seating plans.   Amended resources.	Assistive technology.	Use of Newham sensory service.   Occupational therapy input.   EHCP plan

 

Research underpinning our approach 

Our approach to SEND support is underpinned by national guidance, educational research and the work of other schools who secure excellent outcomes for students with SEND.  

HSAEL SEND policy and info report

Accessibility plan