Assessment and SLD Unit

SLD Unit

Assessment Unit

Intent

Our Assessment Unit caters for children who present with a range of difficulties and a combination of needs which require a multi-disciplinary approach and intervention.  A holistic approach is used to plan for teaching and learning to build on the skills of individuals from their starting points, in line with the Engagement Model, Pre Key Stage Standards and National Curriculum. Our children experience an engaging broad and balanced curriculum supported through a total communication environment. We have high aspirations for every pupil to experience success through our curriculum pathways linked above.  

Education and Health Care Plan (EHCP) strands:

• Communication and Interaction

• Sensory and Physical 

• Social, Emotional and Mental Health (SEMH)

• Cognition and Learning

EHCP strands create a bespoke pathway for every child, embedded within our teaching and learning.

Implementation

We utilise a SCERTS approach in our curriculum throughout our pathway. Social Communication is developed through many different approaches:

• NHS Speech and Language Therapist (SaLT)

• SaLT support delivered throughout all activities and learning opportunities by the whole team    

•  We have adopted a 'Total Communication' environment to develop children's attention, communication and regulation through using a variety of approaches regularly         adapted to meet the needs of all pupils.                                                                                                     

• Attention Bucket which we have developed to teach English, Geography and History through. 

We support the Emotional Regulation of our pupils by providing bespoke approaches: 

• Sensory Diets - full body input

• Zones of Regulation

• Movement breaks

• Specialist sensory equipment to support sitting

• Joint regulation.

We take into account the difficulties our pupils face in terms of working memory, retention of knowledge and how this impacts long term learning. We also support pupils’ holistic social development.

We support the cognitive development of our pupils through:

• Highly differentiated literacy and numeracy programmes at an appropriate developmental level. 

• Individualised intensive interventions to address additional long-term learning and skill development, planned and differentiated by the class/subject teacher following specialist advice. 

• Personalised timetables but with opportunities for whole class integration

• Support for social inclusion to develop communication, language and listening skills. 

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Our curriculum is complemented by adopting Transactional Support methods ensuring the environment and resources are modified and adapted in the best interest of our pupils and all children are provided with the tools to ensure that our broad and balanced curriculum is accessible, desirable and engaging for all our learners.

Impact 

The outcomes for our learners from our creative, ambitious and engaging curriculum are that children make progress from their starting points and are ready for the next stage of their educational and personal journey. We aim to support all children to discover their preferred method of communication while immersing them in 'Total Communication' environments. 

Pupils are supported to develop their personal care skills and skills for life to help them on their journey to become as independent and as confident as they possibly can be. They are exposed to co-regulation strategies such as proprioception and vestibular inputs to help them to learn what feels good for their bodies to enable them to self-regulate with greater independence. 

Academically, children develop literacy and numeracy skills in line with their stage of development; supported and encouraged to develop a love of reading and an understanding of the world around them. This will also allow them to be involved with and thrive in the wider community.