Learning Resources

Many students, at all levels of ability, will at some time, need extra help to reach their full potential. Our Learning Development Department consists of teachers, mentors and learning assistants with specialist skills and experience in meeting the needs of students who require additional support.

The aims of the Department are:

•To ensure that all students have access to a broad, balanced and relevant curriculum

•To acknowledge the student's strengths in order to meet their needs

•To provide appropriate levels of support for students and to encourage responsibility and independent learning

•To give students maximum and appropriate opportunity to show what they know, understand and can do

•To value each individual equally by raising peers', teachers', parents' and the student's expectations of ability and performance.

The Department also supports bilingual students at all stages of acquisition of English. Many students enter GCSE in community languages, often before their actual GCSE year. Their record of success is outstanding.

The majority of students needing support receive it during their lessons. Occasionally there is focussed, individual or small group work in specialist rooms with specialist leaders.

We have additional services available to support the welfare of our students. These include a Behaviour Support Team, Connexions Personal Advisers, a Student Counsellor and a Family Counsellor.

The full SENDA (Special Educational Needs and Disability Act) Policy, which covers identifying and assessing needs, monitoring and record keeping, use of external services and the use of resources, is available from the Learning Development Department upon request.