Helping our students to achieve their potential is at the heart of our work in the Learning Support department. Our interventions are designed to encourage students to explore diverse ways of thinking and working that suits their particular learning style. It is our aim to provide our students with a practical study skills toolkit and the confidence to manage and succeed in their lives at Ipswich School and beyond.
Frequently asked questions
How do we support?
Around 10% of the pupils at Ipswich School have a Special Educational Need (SEN) and we are immensely proud of the work that we do in enabling them to meet their needs.
Our support includes:
- Advice around study strategies related to specific learning difficulties
- Specialist dyslexia intervention
- Social and communication skills intervention
- Study skills advice such as note taking, MindMapping and general organisation
- Reading comprehension skills
- Revision skills and exam technique advice
Subject specific support is provided by academic departments. We work closely with both academic and pastoral teams to support our students.
We would advise, in the first instance, that if you have questions around the support your child may receive at Ipswich School, to email your queries to us. We welcome open conversations about our provision and, most importantly, whether we feel that we can fully support and nurture a student with a SEN throughout their journey at the school.
Will my child receive additional support?
On entry to the school we offer specific interventions on a weekly basis to those students who have been referred for continued support from their previous school. These are reviewed on a termly basis. In addition, if a subject teacher feels that the student requires support beyond that which they are able to provide, or is not performing in line with expectations, they may be referred to Learning Support. A student may need an occasional conversation, a short-term intervention or longer term support. We always respond to the individual’s needs and liaise with parents in the process. There are no charges for Learning Support services and 1:1 private tuition is not offered.
When does Learning Support take place?
In Lower School (Years 7-8) we offer weekly intervention, in a small group setting. We provide dyslexia specialist teaching, reading comprehension booster and social skills intervention. All provision offered by our department takes place at the start of the day (8.30-9am) or at lunchtimes. We offer lunchtime and early morning drop in sessions to Middle School (Years 9-11) students. We encourage our Sixth Form students to book time with us during a study period. Pupils can also drop into the department at any time for help.
Some students are offered more bespoke sessions in response to immediate or longer term needs. We work closely with academic departments to help support consolidation in learning. Occasionally, a student with an additional learning need may be on a slightly reduced timetable and can spend two/three timetabled lessons a week under the guidance of the Learning Support Department.
How will teachers be made aware of any additional learning needs?
The Learning Support Department provides a register of students with additional learning needs to teachers. They are provided with additional information and advice around any SEN, specific information from a diagnostic report if available, or generic information on a learning difficulty where any need is not formally diagnosed.
I think my child may have a learning difficulty. How do I get my child assessed?
Please speak to our department in the first instance. We can consult teachers and gather important background information that may support any decisions taken around seeking a diagnosis. We use data collected from screening on entry to the school to support any advice we may offer. We can also contribute our specialist views around learning difficulties. Regardless of a diagnosis, if we consider that there may be an underlying difficulty present, we will guide teachers to provide differentiation in the classroom.
How can a diagnosis help my child?
A diagnosis of a SEN made by a qualified practitioner, such as a consultant paediatrician or registered psychologist, can help an individual understand and come to terms with any difficulties that they may have been experiencing due to having a learning difficulty/condition. A diagnosis provides information about strengths and weaknesses in the areas of cognitive function and emotional regulation which inform interventions to support learning styles and wellbeing. However, a diagnosis cannot be used to apply for access arrangements for public exams but could help an individual seek additional support, if required, in Higher Education and in the workplace.
What are Access Arrangements?
Access arrangements allow candidates with specific needs, such as special educational needs, disabilities or temporary injuries to access an assessment and show what they know and can do without changing the demands of the assessment. The intention behind an access arrangement is to meet the needs of an individual candidate without affecting the integrity of the assessment. The range of access arrangements is wide with some needing approval from the Awarding Body (for example, extra time) and some being centre delegated (such as word processing).They are based on the candidate’s history of need and normal way of working in the centre evidenced by teachers who have a working knowledge of the students. A centre must make decisions on appropriate access arrangements for their candidates. Although professionals from other organisations may give advice, they cannot make the decision for the centre.
How does Learning Support support the Access Arrangement process?
Learning Support works closely with teachers to gather information based on any substantial and persistent needs a student may display. Any referral for a difficulty must originate from the class teachers and must be apparent in a student’s everyday working, not just in test situations. Students must be monitored for at least a school year and observed to have continual difficulty compared to their peers before any form of assessment is considered. These processes are set out by the Joint Council for Qualifications, the JCQ.
Assessment specific to access arrangements takes place in-house, is non-chargeable and occurs between Y9-10 or in Y12 for pupils new to the school. All arrangements are formalised before Y11 and Y13 in order that they are fully established as the student’s normal way of working prior to Mock examination series. In Sixth form, if difficulties are observed, a student is monitored over Y12 for evidence of need. If a student has learning difficulties, the school or college’s appointed assessor must conduct the assessment to determine the need for access arrangements such as 25% extra time.
What is an EHCP?
An education, health and care (EHC) plan is for children and young people aged up to 25 who need more support than is available through special educational needs support. Although EHC plans can continue to 25, if a young person goes to university, their EHC plan ends.
It is a legal document that describes a child’s severe, long term and profound special educational needs and disabilities, and the provision required to meet those needs. It is written by the Local Authority, following assessments by an Educational Psychologist and other professionals involved in a child’s development and care, and is reviewed at least annually by the school with parents and others. Any application for an EHC plan by the school would only occur in a situation where a child has high support needs, a lifelong disability and support from a wide range of services. Where a child’s needs are being met in school, and they are making progress, the school would not be able to put forward evidence that suggested a requirement for an EHC plan.
We welcome open conversations about our provision and, most importantly, whether we feel that we can fully support and nurture a student with a SEN throughout their journey at the school. Therefore, on application to Ipswich School, we request that an EHC plan must be fully disclosed and a place will only be offered if it is established that the school can support the provision specified on the plan.
Please be aware of the following information relating to ECH plans and VAT on private schools: Applying VAT to Private School Fees and Removing the Business Rates Charitable Rates Relief for Private Schools
Technical Note HM Treasury July 2024 covers this point:
“2.28 There are a small number of pupils who have an EHC plan (in England), IDP (in Wales), Statement of SEN (in Northern Ireland), or who have ASN (in Scotland), whose needs could be met in the state sector, but whose parents have placed them in a private school out of choice; their plan (if they have one in place) does not say placement at a private school is necessary to, or would be the best way to, meet the pupil’s needs. These pupils are in a similar position to the pupils receiving general SEN, ASN or ALN support in private schools. Therefore, in line with the third principle set out in Chapter 1 (be fair, with all users of private schools paying their fair share, whilst ensuring that pupils with the most acute needs are not impacted), where parents and carers of children with SEN have chosen to send their child to private school, but their needs could be met in the state sector, VAT will apply to their fees.”
