SEN & Disabilities

Wilson’s School is committed to ensuring that pupils with special educational needs and or disabilities (SEND) flourish in every aspect of school life. We maintain high expectations for every pupil while recognising that some will need reasonable adjustments, adaptations or additional support to overcome barriers to their learning or wellbeing.

Our provision follows the graduated Assess → Plan → Do → Review approach. Needs are identified early through assessment, classroom observation, information from teachers and pastoral staff, and the views of pupils and their parents. Support is planned around clearly understood individual needs and reviewed regularly to evaluate its impact.

The starting point is high-quality inclusive teaching, with appropriate challenge and adaptation in every classroom. Pupil Passports and individual learning plans give staff clear, practical information about how to meet individual needs and reduce barriers. Staff receive appropriate information, training and support, and specialist advice is sought where necessary.

Provision is coordinated by the SENCo and Assistant SENCo, working closely with teachers, form tutors, Heads of Year, Pupil Support Managers and senior leaders. Pupils may receive support from the school counsellor, school nurse, educational psychologist or other specialist services where appropriate.

Pupils and parents are involved in planning and reviewing support. Progress and wellbeing are monitored carefully, and provision is adjusted where it is not having sufficient impact. Careful planning also supports successful transitions into Wilson’s, between stages of education and into higher education, training or employment.

Key Policies and Contacts

Sutton Local Authority’s ‘Local Offer’ is published here.

Wilson’s School’s Special Educational Needs Policy can be found here.

The SENCo at Wilson’s School is Tom Gore who can be contacted via email at office@wilsonsschool.sutton.sch.uk.

The Assistant SENCo is Ms Renaut.

The Pupil Support Managers are:
Key Stage 3: Ms Jones
Key Stage 4: Mrs Schofield
Key Stage 5: Ms Mortimer

The Transition PSM for Key Stages 3 and 4 is Ms McDouall.

The SEN Trustee is Liz Nash.

The kinds of special educational needs for which provision is made at the school

There are four broad categories of need described in the SEND Code of Practice (2015) and Wilson’s is able to make provision for each of these:

Communication and interaction
Cognition and learning
Social, mental and emotional health
Sensory and/or physical

Information and Guidance: Points of Contact

Trust Board and SEN Trustee: The Trust Board is responsible for ensuring high quality policy and provision for pupils with Special Educational Needs. The SEN Trustee meets the SENCo regularly to support the evaluation of SEN provision in the school.

Executive Head and Senior Leadership Team: Responsibility for monitoring and evaluating the progress of all pupils and for making strategic decisions which will maximise their opportunity to learn lies with the Head and the Senior Leadership Team. The SENCo is a member of the Associate Leadership Team. He also regularly meets with the Deputy Head (Inclusion) to ensure that SEND matters are discussed regularly at the highest levels.

SENCo: The school’s SENCo has overall responsibility for pupils with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (as defined in the 2015 SEN Code of Practice), including identification and coordination of provision. The SENCo liaises with, advises and manages training for teaching staff relating to pupils with SEND and their needs, ensuring that individual plans written for pupils are put into practice. The SENCo is responsible for annual reviews and other key meetings about pupils with SEN. The SENCo manages the referral procedures to the Local Authority to request High Needs funding and/or an Education Health and Care Plan (EHC Plan) when it is suspected that a pupil may have SEND which will require significant support. The SENCo is responsible for the evaluation of the impact and effectiveness of all additional interventions for pupils with SEND and accountable as a senior leader to the Executive Head. The SENCo is responsible for liaising with other agencies and professions when necessary to support a pupil with SEND.

Pupil Support Managers and Heads of Year: At Wilson’s the relevant Head of Year is normally the first point of contact for a parent wishing to discuss any concerns relating to their son. They have overall responsibility for monitoring the academic progress and wellbeing of pupils. The relevant Pupil Support Manager will also help co-ordinate the support for pupils with SEND. They liaise closely with teachers and other staff (including the SENCo) about any interventions that may be required.

Class teachers: the role of the class teacher is to monitor the progress of each pupil and liaise proactively with the Pupil Support Manager, Head of Year and/or SENCo about the additional needs of particular pupils. Lesson planning by classroom teachers must take account of the individual needs of pupils with SEND and demonstrate high expectations.

Designated Safeguarding Lead: The DSL is a vital point of contact whenever there is any concern about the welfare of a child.

Concerns or Complaints: any parent or carer who has a concern or complaint about the support that is provided for their child with SEN should first seek to resolve the issue directly with the SENCo. However, if this does not resolve the situation then the complaint can be submitted using the school’s Complaints Procedure.

Arrangements for admission of disabled pupils

In accordance with the school’s admission criteria, places are generally offered to pupils in the rank order of the standardised score achieved in the entrance tests. However, a boy who has demonstrated selective ability by passing the entrance examinations and who has an EHCP which names Wilson’s School is given priority.
The school is committed to ensuring fair access to the school for pupils of suitable ability. It is important that every child is given a fair opportunity to demonstrate their ability in the tests. The school makes appropriate adjustments for any candidate with a disability in accordance with the requirements of the Equality Act 2010, under the regulations governing School Admissions and with reference to the JCQ Guidelines for Access Arrangements and Reasonable Adjustments.
There is a process published on the school’s website that requires parents to submit supporting evidence if they would like access arrangements to be considered for their child for the entrance tests. The decision on the adjustment (if any) to be made is taken by a panel consisting of SENCos from all of the schools which participate in the Selective Eligibility Test. For more information on the Admissions process please see here.

Assessment, Planning and Review

The school has rigorous tracking procedures to monitor the academic progress of pupils. Where there is a concern that a pupil may not be making progress as a result of previously unidentified Special Educational Needs, London Borough of Sutton’s Graduated Support for Special Educational Needs is consulted to determine the type and severity of need. Data suggesting that a pupil is not making suitable progress may trigger an application for Education Health and Care Plan assessment.
Assessment and progress data about pupils with Special Educational Needs is subject to extra scrutiny on a termly basis by classroom teachers, Heads of Department, Heads of Year, Pupil Support Managers and the SENCo. Any concerns about progress are recorded and collated and may lead to additional review meetings.
Parents receive a termly report on their son’s progress, giving information about the assessments that their son has completed and the GCSE grade he is working towards, as well as indicating whether his current progress is a cause for concern.  
Parents of pupils with Special Educational Needs are updated on their son’s progress more regularly than this – particularly if their son is not meeting expectations in one or more subject areas. This may involve meetings in school with the Head of Year or SENCo/ Assistant SENCo. Pupils with an Education Health and Care Plan have a full, formal annual review of their progress.
Any additional support that is made available to pupils with SEN is documented and evaluated regularly in conjunction with classroom teachers, the Pupil Support Manager, the Head of Year and the SENCo team.
Where appropriate we involve external agencies who provide additional guidance and support, for example the Educational Psychology Service or CAMHS.
Listening to the voice of each pupil is essential. As well as the school’s universal opportunities for Pupil Voice, pupils with SEND are given additional opportunities to share their views, including during review meetings. One of the main purposes of the Pupil Support meetings is to listen to pupils and pass on a record of their views to other colleagues.

Curriculum and Teaching Methods (including groupings / interventions)

Teaching at Wilson’s secures outstanding outcomes for pupils, including those with Special Educational Needs. The school’s Teaching and Learning Excellence Criteria give full details of the expectations for classroom teaching at Wilson’s.
At Wilson’s, teachers’ planning for lessons is based around the individual needs of each pupil. The Pupil Priority List (which contains the names of pupils with SEND) is sent to teaching staff termly and is available electronically for review at any time. The list can be amended by the SENCo at any time, but review of the list is a standing item at meetings of the SEN team and at meetings of the Deputy Head (Inclusion) and Directors of Key Stage. We also maintain a monitoring list for students who do not meet the threshold for Special Educational Needs, but who we feel may require closer monitoring and additional guidance within their lessons.
Information about each student with Special Educational Needs is accessible to staff via the Arbor e-portal. This contains a Pupil Passport and Individual Learning Plan which details their condition, needs and any specific adaptations which may be required in the classroom. Records of meetings (where appropriate) and an up-to-date record containing details of actions and relevant advice are also stored centrally and securely for staff to access. The key aim is to succinctly and clearly identify the potential barriers to progress and then how these are to be overcome, both in the classroom environment and around school.
In some circumstances it may be appropriate to provide additional adult support within individual lessons or across the curriculum. Where this is necessary we it available. Where we do so, it is with the intention in bringing about improved independence on the part of the pupil.
Some pupils meet regularly with a member of teaching staff to review academic progress. We call these ‘pupil support meetings’ and they may be used to provide additional guidance to teaching staff on the curriculum and teaching methods.

Tests and Examinations: Access Arrangements

The SENCo and Exams Officer are responsible for the administration of Access Arrangements for examinations.
Where there is a concern that a student may not be able to gain equal access to an examination, the SENCo makes arrangements for screening or a diagnostic/specialist assessment as appropriate. This may involve a specialist professional (e.g. educational psychologist). If parents have secured such an assessment themselves, the SENCo will meet them to discuss its recommendations.
The JCQ criteria guide decision-making about Access Arrangements. Parents are kept informed about the procedures and progress of an application for Access Arrangements when necessary. Access Arrangements are also made available to pupils with medical needs when necessary.
When a decision about Access Arrangements is made, these details are added to the SEN/Monitoring list and distributed to all staff so that they can become part of a child’s normal way of working in the classroom and internal examination environment.

Social and Emotional Support

Pastoral care is of fundamental importance. Wilson’s is a friendly and caring school. Class teachers, form tutors and Heads of Year are especially vigilant about the social integration of pupils with SEN. The Planner used by students and the Arbor e-portal are essential parts of the home-school communication.
The school is a safe place within and outside of lessons. At break and lunch times. Members of staff are on duty in all parts of the school and the Senior Leadership Team routinely walk through the whole school site during these times. Senior Staff are highly visible before and after school (including at the bus stops). There is an extensive co-curricular programme (including lunchtime and after school), which strongly enhances the school experience for many students (including those with SEN),boosts opportunities for structured social interaction and supplements our universal enrichment offer. The Library is open before and after school for pupils who wish to work in a quiet, safe environment.
The school nurse operates a drop-in which is available to all students in the school. Appointments can also be made. The school also employs a counsellor who is available to any pupil who wishes to express and clarify any distress that may be affecting his life and then support him in making changes.
When appropriate, we may request that our school-attached educational psychologist works with a pupil to improve their social skills and/or enhance their self-esteem within and beyond the educational context.
Specialist support (e.g. CAMHS or Speech, Language and Communication support) is engaged when necessary.

Accessibility to Premises and Facilities

No student is ever prevented from physically accessing the location of any lesson at Wilson’s. The school fulfils all duties under the Equality Act 2010. We are always happy to discuss the individual accessibility requirements of pupils, parents or any visitor to the school.
Due to the age and composition of the main school building (constructed in 1975), there is no wheelchair access to the first and second floor.
The Foundation Building (constructed in 2005) has a lift, which gives access to all rooms.
The Lower School building has been constructed with an adjoining walkway which enables wheelchair access to the first floor via the lift in the Foundation Building. The Britton Centre has a lift in the entrance lobby.
Wheelchair access is available to all rooms on the ground floor throughout the school. When necessary, a timetable will be rewritten to ensure that all classes for a student who is unable to use the stairs are on the ground floor.

You can read our Accessibility Plan here.

Working with others 

The school works with the following services on a regular basis:

Educational Psychology Service (Sutton: 020 8770 6780)
School Nurse (contact the school on 020 8773 2931)
Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (Sutton: 020 3513 3800)
Children’s Social Care in a range of local authorities (Sutton MASH: 020 8649 0418)
When necessary, the school may also consult or refer to a range of other local services (e.g. the Autism Spectrum Disorder Service or the SEN team). Contact details are available from the school.
When a referral is made to any of these services, parents will usually be informed.

Transition

We work hard to ensure that the transition into Year 7 is a positive experience via an extensive induction programme which help new pupils feel at home. For pupils who are already considered by their school to have SEN, meetings or visits by the SENCo or Head of Year take place.
Where students with SEND move to other schools, the liaison with the receiving school is thorough and the communication of documentation prompt.
Almost all pupils at Wilson’s stay at the school until the age of 18 and so our main consideration will be ensuring effective transition to universities, degree apprenticeships or employment This may involve additional support and guidance for pupils with SEND from our Templeton Head of Higher Education and liaison with university admissions departments where appropriate.
Where appropriate, careers advice and guidance is specially tailored towards pupils with SEND.