ELMWOOD SCHOOL’S LOCAL OFFER

All Walsall schools have a commitment through their ‘local offer’ to meet the needs of their pupils with Special Educational Needs and are supported by the Local Authority to ensure that all pupils, regardless of their specific needs make the best possible progress in school.

At Elmwood we follow the same principles as any mainstream school but are resourced to provide a more highly specialised, multi-approach to support our pupils who have social, emotional and mental health difficulties as a primary need (stipulated within Section A: Personal Information of EHCP or Part 4: Placement of Statement of Special Educational Need). However, our pupil profile is made up of many other categories of need:

Communication & Interaction:

  • Pupils with Autistic Spectrum Disorder

Cognition & Learning:

  • Pupils with learning difficulties (specifically Moderate Learning Difficulties) which mean they are working at a slower pace than their peers, even with appropriate differentiation and fall within the schools identification process of Moderate Learning Difficulties.
  • Pupils with Specific Learning Difficulties (SpLD)

This includes:-

Access to a highly specialist, multi-agency team:

  • Play therapists for targeted individuals, reinforcing the importance of play within emotional development.
  • Monthly speech and language allocation for targeted individuals through NHS.
  • Highly favourable teacher-pupil ratio supported by well trained staff.
  • Can facilitate small group/individual curriculum support for those identified as working below expected progress from baseline entry into the school.
  • All staff trained in advanced physical intervention techniques within an ethos accredited by IQM.
  • School health allocation by the NHS to support and deliver educational packages.
  • Family Support Workers to target post 16 pathways into education, training or employment and transition between KS2-3.
  • Targeted intervention through the Education Welfare Officer to support improved attendance over time.
  • Strong relationships with Virtual Schools across the West Midlands that is grounded on achieving at least at expected progress.

 Access to a supportive learning environment:

  • Broad and balanced curriculum that allows ‘stretch and challenge’ for all.
  • Develop an understanding around ‘risk’ awareness.
  • Reflective approaches to support all to accept responsibilities for the choices they make.
  • Restorative justice approach to support effective behaviour management.
  • A nurturing environment to support effective transition throughout the schools phases.
  • Philosophy of learning outside of the classroom, ratified by SOAF and Mortlock’s 4 stages of development.
  • A drive to use new technologies to improve learning opportunities.
  • Established links with local mainstream school for shared learning experiences for pupils and staff development.
  • Outstanding outdoor learning opportunities and experiences.
  • Teacher / teacher assistant support throughout social times to develop independence.
  • An infrastructure based around reward incentives (daily, weekly and termly).
  • Staff that model high aspirations (academically and behaviourally) for all.

Access to strategies to reduce anxiety / promote emotional well-being for parents / carers:

  • Regular communication with parents / carers via telephone, e-mail or Marvellous Me.
  • A very active and influential ‘Friends of Elmwood’ association offering support and fun session for all, including the outdoors.
  • Home visits with Family Support Worker (when required and appropriate).
  • Integration timetable enabling mid-year entries a smooth transition into the school.
  • In KS3, access to weekly 40 minute Social Use of Language Programme (SULP) sessions to develop resilience, responsibility and appropriateness of language.

WALSALL LOCAL AUTHORITY’S LOCAL OFFER

Below is a link to the above:

https://send.walsall.gov.uk/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Q9l9rianHw&t=1s&ab_channel=LocalOffer