Learning Support & SEND

All students at Poole Grammar School are entitled to an inclusive education and students who are identified as having additional needs are supported with reasonable adjustments. For most students, this is through quality first teaching. For some students we provide interventions and more intensive support based upon their needs. Our whole school provision map can be found here.

Your first points of contact are your child’s form tutor or Head of Year, you can also contact a member of the SEND team – details below – by telephoning 01202 692132 or emailing them.

Mrs Fiona Gollan, Special Educational Needs and/or Disabilities Coordinator (SENDCo)
Mrs Katie Al-Soufi, Specialist Teacher
Mrs Maria Whelan, SEND Administrator

The school caters for students with a variety of special educational needs such as physical impairments (including mobility difficulties), sensory impairments (speech, vision, and hearing), autism spectrum disorders, specific learning difficulties (dyslexia, dyspraxia), and emotional, behavioural and social difficulties. Full details of the Disability Access Plan and adaptations made for individuals are available on request. In addition, we give extra support to students who have English as an Additional Language and students in the care of the local authority.

Our learning support team, led by the SENDCo ensure that the learning experience of pupils with a special educational need or disability is an inclusive one. We ensure staff are aware of individual barriers to learning and the provision that individual students need to access the curriculum. Parents and students are encouraged to contribute to planning the provision and providing feedback on the effectiveness of strategies. Teachers receive SEND training through continuing professional development in order to meet the needs of our students.

Students with special educational needs will be placed on the SEND Register and their progress monitored. A student can be placed on (or taken off) the SEND register at any stage of their school life. Where a student is still unable to make expected levels of progress and there is sufficient evidence to support this from teachers, we may engage external professionals for advice and support. The new SEND Code of Practice was first introduced on 1st September 2014, this places greater emphasis on early identification of needs and the importance of quality first teaching in the classroom. This document can be found here.

Students with special educational needs are welcomed at Poole Grammar School. Members of staff make every effort to ensure that they can access the full curriculum and they are encouraged to participate fully in all aspects of school life.

Please read our SEN Information Report here.

Useful links and information