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Curriculum Support
Curriculum Support lessons are available, at an additional charge, for any Senior School pupil who requires such help. This can be as a result of in-school assessments, parental or staff concerns, or even sometimes at the pupil's own request, although we would seek parental permission in this particular situation. At St. Edmund's we conduct a screening process in the Lower Fifth Form to identify those pupils who may benefit from Curriculum Support. Recommended support activity could involve help with reading accurately, with comprehension, spelling, study skills, organisation, and class work. Lessons may be on an occasional or a regular basis, perhaps taking place once or twice a week, usually on a one-to-one basis.
We hold a register of our pupils who are receiving Curriculum Support, so that their needs can be communicated to others on the teaching staff. Any medical information will be held by the School's medical centre, who will again be consulted as necessary in the pupil's best interests.
Touch-typing sessions are offered to Curriculum Support pupils throughout the school who would benefit from the opportunity using the 'Touch-Type, Read and Spell' program (TTRS). This is based on a teaching scheme for dyslexic pupils and is designed to develop self-confidence, improve the speed and presentation of work and also improve spelling. It is also of benefit to pupils with Developmental Co-ordination difficulties (dyspraxia). There is a charge for these additional lessons.
We use a range of literacy programmes which we tailor to suit the needs of each individual. We also teach our Senior School pupils how to use mind-mapping software, and encourage them to use these techniques in planning their assignments. Furthermore, we teach pupils about differences in learning styles, to enable them to build upon their preferred style of learning.
Meetings between the Curriculum Support staff in St Edmund's Junior and Senior Schools are held regularly, to ensure transfer of information and ideas, especially as pupils move between the two sections of the school. Visits to feeder schools or meetings with the Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator (SENCo) are sometimes arranged prior to a pupil's admission to Senior School, where this would facilitate the transfer. We also work closely with the Educational Psychologists and other external specialists who assess our pupils. Where visual difficulties are suspected to be contributing to learning problems, a referral to an NHS orthoptic department is recommended; visual changes often occur around age 13, so we encourage parents to make sure that their children have eye-tests at this time.
It is essential that we are aware of any history of provision for Specific Learning Difficulties (SpLD) or any other Special Educational Needs at previous schools, and encourage our parents to assist in this by providing the school with a copy of all the relevant reports. Effective home/school liaison is particularly important in supporting the child with SEN and we encourage parents to keep in regular contact to enable them to support all that is happening in school.
