At Boston High School we want every pupil to achieve their academic potential and develop as individuals, ready for life in the wider world. This aim holds true for all pupils, some of whom may have additional needs of some kind.

People sometimes express surprise that a grammar school has a Special Educational Needs Department; however, once a girl has passed the 11+ exam, she has the right to a place and it is the responsibility of the school to support her.

It is with this in mind that the School aims to cater for pupils with the following kinds of need (amongst others):

• Specific Learning Difficulty (or ‘Difference’) eg. Dyslexia
• Autistic Spectrum Disorders eg. Aspergers Syndrome
• Emotional and behavioural issues
• Speech & language difficulties
• Hearing or visual impairment
• Other medical or physical conditions eg. severe allergies, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS)

The School SEN Register

If a pupil has additional needs their name will be placed on the school’s Special Educational Needs Register; this can sometimes be for a temporary period only. Parents are informed and, depending on the need, an Individual Education Plan (IEP) will be drawn up. The focus of such a plan could be learning or behaviour; in the case of significant health issues a Medical Plan describes what needs to be done to minimise risk to the pupil and allow them to access the broader curriculum. The agreement of parents and the pupil is sought.

The IEP describes the nature of the need and sets out what the pupil, school staff and parents can do in the best interests of the pupil. (‘School Action’ provision). It should also contain achievable targets.

In order to meet the needs of pupils, many different members of the school community are involved. All teachers are required to read the IEPs for pupils they teach and differentiate their teaching methods in a variety of ways.  Examples of other support on offer within school are: 

• Computer software
• Literacy support groups
• Peer mentoring
• Daily monitoring by Learning Leaders
• Lap top computers
• Examination access arrangements

The Senco taught English as a foreign language prior to working in Lincolnshire.

The school may need to involve an outside agency to meet the needs of an individual. (‘School Action Plus’). As a school we use the services of many different organisations, for example:

• Learning Support Service (Dyslexia testing / advice)
• Dyslexia Outreach
• Autism Outreach
• Educational Psychology Service
• Emotional & Behavioural Support Service
• Child & Adolescent Mental Health Service
• School Nurses
• Connexions

We also have counsellors who come into school every week.

Very occasionally an application is made to the County for a Statement of Special Needs. If successful, this often results in some form of one to one support and a range of other measures being put in place.

Getting in Touch

The involvement of parents is key to the success and well-being of all pupils and we aim to work closely with them. If a parent feels that their child’s progress is being impeded by some from of additional need or would like testing to take place, they should get in touch with the Senco (Sherry Rycroft), the child’s Form Tutor or Learning Leader, as soon as possible. Equally, there may be times when a parent feels that the identified needs of their child seem to have been overlooked in some way; in this case a quick phone call to school is usually the first step towards improving matters.

Staying up to Date

Every year the Senco arranges different forms of SEN training for the staff. Some of this will be medical – for example use of the Epipen or Diabetic awareness. Other recent training has been on Dyslexia and Autism. 

Finding out More

If you are interested in finding out more about what the school is able to offer, please contact Sherry Rycroft at the school: 01205 310505 / This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

If you would to find out more about County SEN Services, contact:

www.lincolnshire.gov.uk then type in the service you want into the ‘site search’ or telephone Lincolnshire County Council on 01522 552222 and ask for Educational Psychology, Learning Support Service, Children’s Sensory Impaired Service or Emotional & Behavioural Support Service.

Other useful information can be obtained from:

www.parentpartnership.org.uk

www.autism.org.uk (The National Autistic Society)

www.dyslexiaaction.org.uk

www.education.gov.uk

www.adviceguide.org.uk