• The Ruth Gorse Academy endeavours to meet the needs of individual students with SEND. However, we may not be able to support students who have more complex needs.
• We are a mainstream secondary academy and welcome students with SEND in the following areas:
  • Communication and Interaction (For example: Speech and Language, or Autism Spectrum Condition).
  • Social, emotional and mental health difficulties (SEMH)
  • Sensory and/or physical needs.
  • Medical needs.

The SENDCo is a qualified teacher, who works closely with the Senior Leadership Team and the Principal to ensure that all students with SEND make excellent progress.

• Director of SEND/SENDCo: Sandra Thabet
• Email: [email protected]
• The SENDCo is directly supported by both an Assistant Principal and a Vice Principal.
• Assistant Principal & Designated Senior Lead for Safeguarding: Anthony Bell
• Email: [email protected]
• Assistant Principal & SLT Line Manager for SEND (in liaison with the Vice Principal): Rhiannon Gully
• Email: [email protected]

• If a student has an Educational Health and Care Plan (EHCP), the school will ensure the student has access to the provision described in that document. The provision will be reviewed in partnership with parents along with the student to ensure it is suitable in enabling him/her to make good progress whilst at the same time taking responsibility for their own learning and development.
• Students are assessed for potential SEND on a highly personalised basis. The SEND team may be alerted to a particular student through referrals from a class teacher, form tutor, Head of Year, Pastoral Officer or Inclusion and Safeguarding Officer, as well as information provided by parents/carers and external agencies.
• If the SENDCo wishes the student to be placed on the SEND Register, the student’s parents/carer will be invited into the academy to discuss the reasons for this and the potential impact being on the register will have.
• The impact will be measured through the student’s progress in lessons, as well as Assessment Progress data and intervention outcomes.
• The SENDCo will oversee and assure the quality of this process, with input from a member of the Senior Leadership Team.

• The academy holds parents and carers consultation evening, where they can discuss their child’s needs and their progress with class teachers, Heads of Year, and the SENDCo.
• Parents/carers will be actively involved in the creation and review of individual pupil passports and will be contacted, as a minimum, three times throughout the academic year as part of this review process.
• If a decision is being made about a particular student, or group of students, the parents and carers of those students will be contacted.
• If a parent/carer has any queries, then they are invited to contact the Academy through the student planner, email or telephone.
• Parents of students with SEND are welcome to contact the SENDCo if they have any other enquiries.

• All pupils on the SEND register have a pupil passport. Students are actively involved in reviewing these passports and giving feedback to our Inclusion and Safeguarding Officers as part of the assess, plan and do continuous cycle.
• Student Leadership and Ace Ambassadors.
• Student voice and feedback forms.

• Every student in the academy is assessed formally on a termly basis and data is reported to parents along with information about whether or not your child is on track to achieve their target grade.
• At each Assessment Point the SENDCo, along with the Senior Leadership Team, analyses the data of students with SEND to ensure they are making progress in line with their peers. If students are not making, or are not on track to make expected progress, appropriate interventions will be put in place.

• For all prospective students, the SEND team will liaise with the current school to ascertain the student’s needs to ensure that appropriate support is in place and a smooth transition is completed.
• If students have any additional needs, or are on the SEND register, they may be selected by their primary school to attend additional transition days which will support the transition process and allow us to further identify any additional support a child may need.
• For students with existing SEND, we invite parents to contact us if they wish to meet regarding the transition of their child.
• Wherever possible, the SENDCo will attend the annual review of all Year 6 students with existing Education Health Care Plans. This facilitates effective a dialogue between the academy and primary school.
• In Year 6, all prospective students and their parents will be given the opportunity to attend transition evening, where the policies and procedures for the academy will be shared.
• All students are invited to attend a transition day, when they will be introduced to elements of a ‘normal’ school day.
• Careers, education and employment advice and guidance is available at the academy.

• The Ruth Gorse Academy is fully accessible by wheelchair/ mobility aids for students, staff and parents/carers. The academy has wide corridors, a lift, accessible washroom and a care suite.
• Wherever possible we endeavour to provide translators for parents whose first language is not English at Parents’ Evenings and calendared academy meetings. If you think you may require a translator, please contact [email protected].
• All provision for students is highly personalised and we have experience working with the visual impairment and hearing impairment teams. If we have a child with an auditory or visual impairment, we work with the relevant team/s to make reasonable adjustments to the academy environment to support these students.

• All teachers at the academy are teachers of students with SEND and will support students in their classes by personalising their lessons in response to a student’s needs and ensuring that Quality First Teaching is provided within every lesson.
• The SENDCo oversees the education programme on a day-to-day basis for students with SEND.
• The Link-Governor for SEND (Matthew Perry) is ultimately responsible for holding the academy accountable for the provision for students with SEND.
• Students may access Wave 2 intervention where additional needs are identified. This targeted support could include differentiated work in the classroom, short term group work and 1:1 intervention in the Personalised Support Centre (PSC).
• Students may also have access to Wave 3 intervention if they have a diagnosis and their needs are not being met through Quality First Teaching or if specialist agencies are involved in planning, intervention and support.
• Quality First Teaching and additional interventions are regularly Quality Assured by the Inclusion Team with the assistance of the Senior Leadership Team to ensure excellent provision.

• At The Ruth Gorse Academy, teachers expertly personalise teaching and learning to promote engagement and progress.
• In English and mathematics, students are set by ability in order to maximise progress for all. The sets are regularly reviewed to ensure that no student is being restricted in their learning.
• Although all students will receive Quality First Teaching, other interventions may be necessary, such as small group work or specific 1:1 intervention to complement learning within a mainstream environment.
• In Key Stage 4 (Years 10-11), students’ curriculum pathways are personalised and reviewed annually to accommodate students’ needs.
• The SEND Team ensure that students on the SEND register have the necessary support to achieve whilst experiencing the freedom to become an independent, resilient learner via access to the Personalised Support Centre, group interventions and 1:1 intervention, based on individual needs.

• The academy has strong ties with specialist services within the area. These include, but are not limited to:
  • Educational Psychology
  • Speech and Language Therapy Team
  • Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service
  • Visual Impairment Team
  • STARS (Autism Spectrum Conditions)
  • Deaf and Hearing Impairment Team
  • MindMate
• This list is not exhaustive and The Ruth Gorse Academy is committed to communicating and working with professionals involved with a child or family.

• If parents/carers think that their child may have SEND, the SENDCo is the first point of contact.
• Director of SEND/SENDCo: Sandra Thabet
• Email: [email protected]

• The academy will always strive to ensure your child can play a full part in activities outside the classroom. If assistance is required for your child to fully participate, then the academy will, within the best of its ability, give such assistance.
• This may include access to the Supporting Achievement Fund, which can help subsidise a trip. It may also include consideration of different resources or an alternative activity to ensure that a student gets the most from a trip.
• Prior to a trip taking place, a letter will be sent home for the parent/carer to return giving consent.
• If a student has a specific need which may affect their participation on an academy trip, then the trip leader would consider this in the planning of the trip.
• All students are welcome to attend all extra-curricular activities which are available. Again, if extra support is required for a student to participate in an extra-curricular activity, then it will be considered in the planning and running of the activity.

• The Ruth Gorse Academy has a zero tolerance attitude to bullying. Positive Discipline ensures that there are graduated and stringent sanctions for students who bully others, including restorative practise.
• Each child is assigned a form tutor who is the main point of contact for any concerns or advice about a student’s education.
• In addition, all students are part of a Year Team with a Head of Year, Pastoral Officer, Inclusion and Safeguarding Officer and Attendance Officer who all provide support to students at the academy.
• Hate incidents are reported, tracked and reported to the Local Authority.
• PSHE and RSHE lessons raise awareness of bullying as well as other key areas of student development. For more information read about PSHE and RSHE here: https://www.ruthgorse.leeds.sch.uk/pshe-rshe/ 

All complaints should follow the academy complaints procedure as set out in the Trust policy.