SEND

Welcome to our SEND Support at Sir John Talbot’s School. Our supportive and knowledgeable team aims to provide support for students with additional needs so they can achieve well and enjoy all aspects of school. 

Our Learning Support department is based in the Dorothy Jones Centre (DJ Centre). The DJ Centre is a facility within school which aims to promote inclusion and remove the barriers to learning experienced by many students.  

There is wide a range of support available from our Learning Support Department both within the DJ Centre and wider school including: 

• The Learning Zone, a quiet nurture-based environment where students with a range of needs can access their learning when they cannot go into mainstream lessons. 
• Sensory Room  

• IDL Intervention to develop literacy and numeracy skills 
• ELSA (Emotional Literacy Support Assistant) students can access ELSA support and Interventions support from our team of ELSA trained Access Leaders. 
• Laptops to support students to record their learning in class. 
• Organisational and mentoring support 
• Students can utilise the DJ Centre at social times – before school, at break and during lunchtime to provide additional support for students to ease worries and provide a supportive environment for them to socialise. 

The Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Coordinator (SENDCo) and Deputy SENDCo are based in the DJ Centre alongside a team of Teaching Assistants known as Access Leaders who are on hand to support and help children within the school with their educational and social development.  

If you have any concerns about your child, their progress or support at SJT you can contact the SENDCo or Deputy SENDCo via email:  SENCO@sjt.mmat.co.uk or through the school reception. 

Sir John Talbot’s School also has a Specialist Hub. The Hub is also housed in part of the DJ Centre and is run by Mrs Unwin, Hub Progress Leader and a team of Teaching Assistants known as Access Leaders. The focus of this provision is for students with an Education, Health, and Care Plan (EHCP), who have a special educational need in Communication and Interaction (Autistic Spectrum Condition) as their main area of difficulty with some additional Social, Emotional and Mental Health needs. The vision of the Hub is to enable students who otherwise would not be able to access mainstream school, to gain a personalised education in a supportive, caring, and safe environment. 

Further details of how we support students with additional needs at SJT can be found in our Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) Information Report (SIR): 

Special Educational Needs Information Report  

The Local Authority Local Offer can be found here – there is a wealth of information regarding groups/activities/organisations and services that can support professionals and parents in Shropshire.
 

Spotlight feature in the North Midlands Autism in Schools Newsletter 

The Marches Academy Trust were recently featured in the June issue of the North Midlands Autism in Schools Newsletter, receiving a spotlight as the only Trust involved from across Shropshire with the project. 

We along with some of our fellow Trust schools – Grange Primary School, Shrewsbury Academy and Oakmeadow CE Primary School have been able to be involved in training and provided with practical suggestions and summaries of research and strategies – helping us to review our own provision and further enhance inclusive practice.