Avalon School

SEN Information Report

1. Which students can come to Avalon School?

Students with learning difficulties: profound and complex needs, severe learning difficulties or moderate learning difficulties. Some may have general learning difficulties, others may have a specific condition such as autism. All students have an Education Health Care Plan (EHCP).

2. How are students' needs assessed?

The Education Health Care Plan tells us about each student’s needs:

  • Cognition and Learning
  • Communication and Interaction
  • Social, Emotional wellbeing
  • Self-help and Independence
  • Sensory and Physical

Each year this is checked and changes made where necessary so that the EHCP stays up to date as part of an annual review process. Parent carers help us to do this. Parent carers and the students themselves also help us to assess needs at other times too.

3. How are parent carers involved?

Parent carers know a lot about their child or young person, they

  • tell us what they know and they share their ideas about how to help them
  • help to set independence targets and teach these to their child at home and in the community
  • write down what their hopes are for their child’s or young person's future life and we check what we are doing against this at annual reviews
  • communicate with teachers through a home school book or talk on the phone or meet
  • tell us what is going well and what is not going well and we listen so that we can keep improving
  • share their ideas in different ways through the year

4. How are students involved?

Students, where possible:

  • reflect on their learning and tell us about their progress
  • tell us their ideas about how to help them
  • help to set their own targets  
  • write down or say what their hopes are for their future life. We check what opportunities we are giving to help them work towards the life experiences or work that they want as adults
  • tell us what is going well and what is not going well and we listen so that we can keep improving
  • share their ideas in different ways through the year
  • give their views in an accessible way at the annual review of their EHCP and at the end of each key stage
  • staff and parent carers share their observations of what students enjoy and want when they are not yet able to communicate this for themselves

5. How do we help students who will be starting Avalon?

It varies depending on the student. It can include visits for activities they enjoy, photographs, symbols, meeting other students who will be in their class; a visit from Avalon staff to the student’s current school.

Parent Carers have a home visit with our PFSA [Parent and Family Support Advisor] and also visit school and share their knowledge and expertise of their child.

6. How do we support older learners leaving Avalon to go to their next placement?

This is personalised so it varies from one young person to another according to their needs and placement. It can include:

  • Several visits and ‘taster sessions’
  • Next placement staff visiting the learner at Avalon
  • Avalon staff and parent carers sharing expertise with next provider
  • Health, social care and education planning and working closely together with parent carers and the young person

7. What training do staff have at Avalon School?

Training is linked to the needs of students, school priorities and statutory training requirements.

Across the staff group this includes autism training; PECs [Picture Exchange Communication] and other communication strategy training; Signalong; Price positive behaviour training; Thrive [emotional development]; rebound therapy. Some specific types of training are required by the government; for example safeguarding training and Prevent Duty.

8. How do we make sure all students can learn and make progress?

The ‘Curriculum’ tab describes how our curriculum is tailored to pupils needs and differentiated so that all can progress.

9. How do we know how effective our education is?

We know this through the range and level of qualifications and accreditations gained in Key Stage 4 and Sixth Form; from progress learners make from when they start at Avalon; from small steps progress in all curriculum areas; from student and parent carer views; from successful transition into next placements, from progress in independence and emotional development; from assessment against EHCP outcomes and targets and from progress against phonics programmes, Maths frameworks, sensory curriculum frameworks and PSHE frameworks.

10. With which other professionals does the school work with in partnership in order to meet the needs of students and to support their families?

  • Therapists: Speech and language; physiotherapy; occupational therapy; drama; music
  • Educational psychologist
  • Education welfare officer
  • CAMHS
  • Children’s Social care and Early Help Team
  • NSPCC
  • Parent and family support Advisor
  • Paedriatrician

Somerset Local Offer

The Government has asked all Local Authorities in the UK to publish, in one place, information about the services and provision they expect to be available in their area for children and young people from 0 to 25 who have Special Educational Needs and/or a Disability (SEND). This is known as the Local Offer. 

In Somerset, the Local Offer can be found on the Somerset Choices website.

SEND News shares some information about Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) 0-25 in Somerset. If you would like to be added to receive the newsletter by email, please email childrensimprovement@somerset.gov.uk.  

SEN Duty Line

All calls in relation to the SEND Statutory process should now go via the Children’s Contact Centre (previously known as Somerset Direct). The contact centre provide advice, guidance, and signpost callers as necessary. If you need to make contact please call 0300 123 2224 Option 1 (Children’s Services) followed by Option 3 (SEND).

 

SEN Information Report 2023