Inclusion at the Senior School
At St Mary’s Senior School, we have broad and balanced curriculum; we recognise that all students are entitled to a quality of provision that will enable them to achieve and exceed their potential. We believe in positive intervention, removing barriers to learning, raising expectations and levels of achievement, and working in partnership with other agencies to provide a happy, positive educational experience for all our students including those with a special educational need or disability.
The curriculum in our school is designed to provide access and opportunity for all students. Those identified with special learning needs, ie Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND), English as an additional language (EAL), or who are especially able and talented are supported primarily through differentiation. Our approach is three-tiered comprising classroom differentiation, group intervention and one-to-one support usually taking place at lunchtimes. Students on our learning support register have a plan, which identifies areas and targets upon which to focus. Regular meetings are held with the parents to ensure that the student, parent, and school are working together to meet the needs of the individual.
Our PSHE programme has the following intended outcomes:
- Accurate, balanced, and relevant knowledge
- Opportunities to turn that knowledge into personal understanding
- Opportunities to explore, clarify and if necessary, challenge, their own and others’ values, attitudes, beliefs, rights, and responsibilities
- Opportunities to develop positive, personal attributes such as resilience, self-confidence, self-esteem, and empathy
- The skills, language, and strategies they need to live healthy, safe, fulfilling, responsible and balanced lives in their future
Active engagement in learning, rather than passively receiving information, is most effective in teaching PSHE education. Pupils will have opportunities to consider and clarify their values and beliefs, and to rehearse and develop enquiry and interpersonal skills. This policy ensures that pupils will receive a comprehensive, balanced, and relevant body of information to inform their present and future choices.