Special Education Needs & Disabilities

Implementation of the SEND policy is through three key areas:

• Learning Support Centre: Managed by Sara Goring
• Student Support Centre: Managed by Ali Lawrence
• ASC (Autism Spectrum Condition) Base: Managed by Toni Kirlew
• Oversight of all areas: Sally Emms, Vice Principal – Inclusion, SEND and Well-being – semms@budmouth-aspirations.org

For admission for children with an Education, Health and Care Plan, please click here.

Learning Support Centre

• Supports students in core subjects.
• Supports a wide range of special needs, such as and including literacy and numeracy, ADD, ADHD, Tourettes Syndrome, dyspraxia, visual and hearing impairments, dyslexia (SpLD), physical disability, Asperger’s Syndrome (those not in the Base)
• Withdraws students for intensive teaching programmes
• Liaises with outside agencies
• Works with students from Year 7 to Year 14, across the range of abilities

Contact Learning Support:

Sara Goring
Email: sgoring@budmouth-aspirations.org

Student Support Centre

• The Centre follows the six principles of nurture
• Staff are experienced in pastoral and nurture based intervention and include an ELSA who is also able to offer bereavement support
• Works with students with social, emotional and mental health difficulties.
• Supports students struggling with issues surrounding: Stress, Anxiety, Low and High Self Esteem, Relationships, Lack of Confidence, Depression, Attachment, Anger, Aggression, ADHD, Truancy, Organisation, School Phobia and Exclusion.
• Supports students on a one-to-one basis in the centre.
• Works extensively with outside agencies to benefit each individual student.

Contact Student Support Centre:

Ali Lawrence 
Email: alawrence@budmouth-aspirations.org

autistic spectrum condition (ASC) Base

• It is a Dorset Local Authority-funded provision for 12 students from across Dorset with ASC+
• Students in the base have more complex needs with comorbid diagnoses.
• It is the only mainstream base of its kind in Dorset.
• The base supports the inclusion of ASC students in mainstream lessons.
• Staff work extensively with outside agencies to benefit each individual student placed in the base.
• Additional support includes Social Skills lessons and One to One time.

Admission to the base is through a panel process organised by the Local Authority SEND team and not through the usual admissions process.

Contact ASC Base:

Toni Kirlew
Email: tkirlew@budmouth-aspirations.org

Our SEND Policy and Local Offer contain information relating to our procedures for identifying students/young people with SEND, together with our arrangements for consulting with parents of children with SEND.

Budmouth Academy offers a broad and balanced curriculum to all students.

Discussions with Subject Leaders and Progress Leaders help us ensure that the curriculum is adapted or made accessible for students with SEND.

Additional details regarding this can be found within the Local Offer.

Regular discussion with progress leaders and review of data help us shape support for students and their progress towards agreed outcomes.

The Academy has an excellent Induction programme for supporting children moving between primary and secondary education and offers an Enhanced Induction Programme for a small number of children for whom it is recognised that transition will be more stressful.

The Academy also has established links with other local Secondary schools and procedures are in place for transfer of SEND information for those joining the 6th form. Links also exist with Weymouth College so that Budmouth students moving on to alternative Post 16 provision are discussed with relevant staff.

Budmouth’s Accessibility Plan found on the Academy website contains details of steps taken to increase access to learning and the learning environment itself: We firmly believe that all students within the Academy should be able to access and engage in all activities, regardless of their learning difficulties or disability.

Budmouth has a multi layered approach towards supporting emotional and social development. Initially this starts with the Form Tutor and Year Team, but additional support exists through our vigorous Anti-Bullying programme.

The Student Support Centre, Pastoral Support Leaders and the Emotional Literacy Support Assistant (ELSA) work with SEND students to ensure that the views of students are listened to and where appropriate, acted upon.

The Local Offer and SEND Policy contain information on how the Academy involves other professional bodies in meeting the SEND needs of our students. In addition to this families are also made aware of local activities, workshops either on an individual basis, or through information published on the school website.

For students who have SEND needs and who are looked after by the Local Authority Personal Education Plans should co-exist and joint SEND/PEP meetings held.

Details of Budmouth’s Looked After Children Policy can also be found on the School website.

Arrangements for handling complaints from parents of young people with SEND about the provision made at the Academy are detailed in the SEND policy.

We hope, however that through our regular consultation processes and meetings that any concerns can be addressed as soon as possible.

If you require any further impartial support or advice regarding SEND, please see the details below and consider speaking to either Dorset SENDIASS Family Action, or the Dorset Parent Carer Council who are always happy to help.