Inclusion and Achievement Centre

The Inclusion and Achievement Centre is an integral and vitally important part of the School, where members of staff work closely together and with students to ensure the needs of all our students are met. The Inclusion and Achievement Centre includes two main areas; SEND Department (Special Educational Needs and Disabilities) and Inclusion Department.

SEND Department

The SEND department is led by the SENCo and consists of a number of well trained staff, including Higher Level Teaching Assistants (HLTA) and Learning Support Assistants (LSA).

We recognise that our students have individual learning needs and may have specific difficulties which hinder access to the curriculum.  These may require in-class support or withdrawal for specific tuition.

Teaching Assistants are trained with teaching staff, enabling them to have a good knowledge of school aims and methods of student improvement. They work closely with curriculum areas to set targets with appropriate challenge, helping individual students to achieve or surpass their expected levels.

One of the major strengths of the department is that all support staff know the students well and treat them as individuals in order to make them independent and successful learners. Through this they are able to provide personalised learning that suits the need of the individual. The department has good links with outside agencies to support learning.  Many students who come to the school with no English are successfully integrated into the school community and achieve good results.

Inclusion Department

It is a safe environment where students are supported academically, but also socially and emotionally.  Students can access a range of support provided by staff and outside agencies.  We work closely with students, parents and outside agencies to ensure that the needs of all students are met using a student centred approach.

Positive behaviour and full attendance are essential components of an effective teaching and learning environment and they support our duty to promote the welfare of our students, and keep them safe. We believe that everyone has a right to learn and nobody has a right to prevent learning. We are firm, clear and consistent in our expectations, and we work hard to help our students develop and use the social, emotional and behavioural skills they need to succeed. This policy underpins the school’s commitment to enabling all our students to reach their highest levels of personal achievement by:

• encouraging positive behaviour
• encouraging and promoting an understanding of the importance of regular attendance and good timekeeping
• providing clear guidance to students, parents and staff
• making it clear we value all students and appreciate diversity
• expecting our school environment to be safe, secure, supportive, and reinforce the moral and ethical values we encourage our students to live by

Students may be referred to Inclusion as they are having difficulties in accessing the full curriculum.  Our ultimate aim, however, is to reintegrate those students back into the mainstream school. This process can be a short one or, at other times, can be a lengthy process.

Other students may be referred to us for behavioural reasons.  These students may work in groups or on a one to one basis.  Work with these students focuses upon understanding underlying causes and behaviour and setting achievable targets to help them re-evaluate the behaviour in the classroom. This has a hugely positive impact on their learning in school.

Email: admin@astleycooper.herts.sch.uk
Tel: 01442 394141

www.hertsdirect.org/localoffer

http://www.hertfordshire.gov.uk/handnews