Inclusion is at the heart of our Trust and here at Hazel Wood we believe educational inclusion is about equal opportunities for all our students, whatever their age, gender, sexuality, ethnicity, specific need, attainment and background. We do pay particular attention to the provision for the achievement of different groups of students;
- Students who need to learn English as an additional language (EAL).
- Minority ethnic and faith groups, travellers, asylum seekers and refugees.
- Students with special educational needs (SEND).
- Those who are looked after by the Local Authority (CYPIC/CIC – Children and Young People in Care/Children in Care).
- Others such as those have long term medical conditions, those who are young carers; those in families under stress; those who are in receipt of free school meals and or the pupil premium.
We have a child-centred, inclusive approach to education and we are committed to a broad, balanced, and aspirational curriculum for all our students. We are dedicated to ensuring all pupils receive a high-quality education and realise their academic potential regardless of any challenges they may face.
Pupils with a Special Educational Need or Disability (SEND) are educated in the classroom alongside peers where they receive high quality teaching. A number of pupils may be withdrawn from selected lessons to receive specialist teaching/intervention which is organised on a personalised and individual level.
Pupils with an EHCP (Education, Health and Care Plan) receive the necessary support as set out in their EHC Plan. They have a personalised support programme with focus on their specific needs and outcomes. There are various strategies used for other additional needs pupils and are offered on a personalised level. Booster interventions (such as RWI and peer reading) are also provided for pupils not included on the SEN register.
Our approach can best be understood in our three-tier model, which is outlined in the document within the drop down menu on the left hand side of this page.
Hazel Wood High School SENCO
Our SENCo (Special Educational Needs Coordinator) at Hazel Wood High School is Mrs. R Wood.
Mrs. Wood is the key point of contact for teachers, pupils, parents and other agencies and can offer support and advice for the identification of needs and suitable provision to meet those needs.
Through the management of provision, Mrs. Wood maintains an overview of the progress of pupils with SEND and will seek to develop practice to ensure the effectiveness of interventions and support. This covers both our provision within the Aspire Centre and our mainstream school setting.
Should you wish to speak with Mrs. Wood or our wider SEND team you can do so via email to senco@hazelwood.oaklp.co.uk, otherwise please contact our school office.
Aspire Centre
Here at Hazel Wood High, we recognise that a ‘one-size fits all’ approach to learning simply isn’t appropriate. As individuals, we have different passions, interests, and skillsets that all affect the way we learn. With this in mind, we have our very own on-site Alternative Provision, which we have named Aspire in line with our values to ensure all our students are aspirational in their education.
Learners can access our Aspire centre at any point during their time at Hazel Wood and, in doing so, they will be provided with a bespoke programme that is tailored to best suit their needs – each and every learner has a timetable that is completely individual to them.
Our Aspire centre provision aims to:
- provide all learners with a sense of belonging – which is important when dealing with learners who are experiencing a level of disengagement from the mainstream provision, possibly due to having a high level of vulnerability, a special educational need or being at risk of permanent exclusion. A key factor in this is providing each learner with a keyworker who will establish a strong, positive relationship with them.
- provide opportunities for learners to experience success – this enables us to positively reinforce the desired behaviours and outcomes which our learners then demonstrate. However, we will also ensure the necessary support is in place for when learners don’t always achieve this success.
- support the social, emotional and mental health needs of learners – the wellbeing of all our learners is paramount and we support this through mentoring and counselling sessions as well as promoting ways in which to develop a healthy lifestyle. We will also provide learners with behaviour intervention where it is deemed necessary.
- stimulate, intrigue and challenge learners – we have high expectations of all learners and use a flexible and varied curriculum to ensure that they positively engage in ASPIRE sessions and develop aspirations for future success, both during their time in school and beyond.
- develop personal qualities – we create opportunities for learners to enhance their skills in areas such as communication, leadership, organisation, etc which will not only help them succeed at Hazel Wood, but also in any future study and employment.
- prepare for life beyond Hazel Wood – we provide learners with the opportunity to undertake work simulation sessions to experience what the world of work is like and also help learners to understand the necessary pathways for potential careers or further study they may wish to pursue.