SEND & Mental Health
Welcome to SEND at Tring School. Tring School aims to embrace the needs of all students and has a whole-school approach to Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND). We provide effective opportunities for all students by responding to students’ diverse and often complex, learning needs, setting suitable learning challenges and overcoming barriers to learning. We work closely with the pastoral team to support students.
Tring is an inclusive school that believes strongly that all students, regardless of ability, background or ethnicity, have the right to participate in and enjoy all aspects of school life, including access to a full curriculum and have the opportunity to meet their full potential. Tring School recognises the definition of SEND as described in the SEND Code of Practice 0- 25, 2014. More details of which can be found here:
INTERVENTIONS
At Tring School we recognise that students make progress at varying rates. At times they may need extra support to help them overcome a hurdle or a problem to help their learning. We identify students who need further support through class teacher referrals and in school testing.
SEN & Disability Policies
Our Policies and further information is available by clicking on this link.
Tring School SEND Information Report 2023-24
Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Policy
Wellbeing Support Service
In addition to our outstanding Pastoral Student Support Services, we have recently grown our team to include Well-being Lead, Miss Gosling, offering an additional level of emotional guidance and support.
We have seen an increase in the need for emotional and behavioural support and have adapted to help students access early intervention to prevent the need of escalation to outside agencies.
The well-being team offer a range of interventions using CBT and DBT informed practices, including;
- Anxiety management skills
- Low-mood management skills
- Self-esteem building intervention
- Understanding emotions - ASD focus
- Partnership with MCR Pathways - mentoring program
Students are able to access support from The Wellbeing Team in a number of ways.
Interventions are accessible via referral by the student themselves or a member of staff.
Our approaches vary depending on the presenting need of the child and are formulated on a case by case basis, often collaborating with external agencies.
Student voice has been an integral part of this additional service and we work closely with our student body to ensure services are accessible for all.
For further information, please contact your child’s Head of House or the Sixth Form team.
Exam Access Arrangements (EAA)
Some students may need extra support during exams. This may be one or more of the following special exam access arrangements:
- Use of ICT
- Reader
- Scribe
- Rest Breaks
- Extra Time
- Prompt
Students who the school feel may benefit from additional support during exams are tested in school to ascertain the type of support which would be most appropriate. Even though students may have had access to support during their SAT’s at KS2, it does not mean that it will automatically be the case at KS3 or GCSE. The school has to retest at each Key Stage as required by the exam boards.
The school will test a student if:
- They have previously accessed exam support at KS2
- Their teacher(s) makes a referral to Learning Support with concerns about the student
- There is significant evidence from classroom-based assessments that a student needs support during tests
Once a student has been assessed, the school will contact parents with any recommendations. Please note that although we will take into consideration a private educational psychologist report about exam access arrangements, we may not apply to the exam boards with their recommendations. Instead, we have a qualified tester in school, and we will use their recommendations about how best to support a student in exams.
Our Exam Access Arrangements and Exam Policy can be found on this page.
Useful Websites
ACT Foundation – offers grants to enhance the quality of life of people in need, for example grants for equipment or adaptations where the Local Authority cannot help.
Cerebra - help to support parents/carers with children who have sleep issues. They also have a stress helpline.
Dyspraxia Foundation - offers information and supports individuals and families affected by developmental dyspraxia through books, suggestions, a teen newsletter, and an adult support group.
SOS SEN - A national charity aiming to empower parents and carers of children and young people with SEN and disabilities to access the help they are entitled to, particularly in the education system
IPSEA - Independent Special Education advice for parents
Preparing for Adulthood - Providing expertise and support for preparing for adulthood from the earliest years
Mencap Supporting people with a learning disability and their families and carers
ADD-vance ADD-vance is a Hertfordshire based charity that supports families affected by ADHD, Autism or a related condition and the professionals who support them.
https://sensory-processing.middletownautism.com/ support for autistic learners with sensory processing, ideas for activities, resources and guidance for those supporting them
www.mentalhealth.org.uk - Mental Health Foundation has on-line information about anxiety, depression, ADHD
http://www.nhs.uk/conditions - find information about ASD, SPLD and other medical conditions.
www.talkingpoint.org.uk - Speech and Language Services – Talking Point provides a guide to speech and language services and useful links to other associated websites.
www.youngminds.org.uk - Young Minds – a national charity committed to improving the mental health of all children, advice about depression, eating disorders, and other mental health issues affecting children, see website for details.
www.kids.org.uk - Young Peoples Inclusion Network – YP -in provides online guidance about both strategy and putting Inclusion into Practice covering issues such as Leisure and Sports Services , Youth Provision, Transport and Independent Living.