The Learning Support Faculty is widely respected in the college, and the Governing Body, Principal, Head of Learning Support and all members of staff have important responsibilities and roles to play to ensure Inclusivity within our Catholic Community. The Head of Learning Support and our team of LSA’s have brilliant relationships with staff, students and parents, as well as other stakeholders. The College seeks to raise aspirations and attainment, remove barriers to learning and increase physical and curricular access for all. Every child and young person is valued, respected and an equal member of the learning community.

We are committed to offering an inclusive curriculum to ensure the best possible progress for all students whatever their needs or abilities. We value the contribution that every child and young person can make and welcome diversity arising from culture, religion, intellect or disability. All teachers at the College are responsible for students with SEND in their classrooms, and so we ensure CPD on special educational needs and disabilities is thorough and regular for all staff. All staff feel confident in teaching a variety of disabilities and are able to scaffold work and embed strategies to support these students in their learning and socialisation. Besides creating a learning environment which is encouraging and sensitive to individual needs, the College sees education as more than academic performance. It is also about fostering qualities of independence, self-advocacy, positive self-esteem and respect for others. 

To support our students, the Learning Support Faculty facilitates a range of Interventions, such as Writing, Reading, Maths, Wellbeing, Speech & Language, Vocabulary, Creative Wellbeing and Social Skills Groups. Over recent years we have expanded this offering, to ensure that students can access this support on a wider scale. We have grown our department through creating a progression structure, which not only gives our team the opportunity for progression and responsibility, but also encourages the pursuit of CPD opportunities and qualifications. The faculty is an inspiring place to work - colleagues have meaningful work to complete and their successes are celebrated. Therefore, as part of this progression structure, HLTA’s in core subjects and specialisms in different disabilities, such as Autism and Learning Difficulties, have been implemented to strengthen our knowledge base and ensure that we are kept up-to-date with current research and discovery within various fields.

The Learning Support Faculty completed the SENDIA Award for the school, which highlighted that our provision for students with additional needs at St Bede’s is of an excellent standard. As part of this report, the assessor stated that ‘The SENCo has a clear vision for SEND within the college, which promotes fully inclusive provision and valuing staff and stakeholders within a child-centred approach.’ Our Ofsted Report 2021 stated that: ‘The support for students with special educational needs is coordinated effectively. Teachers have received useful training so they can adapt the curriculum to meet students’ needs. The special educational needs coordinator checks what is working well for students and liaises with staff and external agencies accordingly’. We were pleased with all this positive feedback on our work and then built on these positive foundations over the last few years.

Staff