Inclusion

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    Pinner High School is an inclusive school, committed to providing all students, including those with special educational needs and disabilities, access to an ambitious range of academic and enrichment opportunities. Our first response to overcome barriers to learning is through universal high-quality teaching and appropriate differentiation, further complemented by specialist guidance and support designed to meet individual needs and aspirations.

    Students are inspired to develop into independent young people, adequately equipped and prepared, academically, socially and emotionally for life in a modern, diverse society through a supportive and nurturing environment sustained through coordinated partnership with all stakeholders.

    The SEND team support preparation, delivery and assessment of teaching and learning, by gathering and sharing information to provide guidance and strategies to overcome potential barriers, so that all students can engage effectively, retain knowledge, develop and apply skills, enjoy learning and grow in confidence.

    ​Alongside staff support in designated lessons, interventions can be offered to complement the curriculum, enhancing or reinforcing learning. Maintaining positive student wellbeing, including emotional, social and mental health, is an essential ingredient in development and progress.

    Students who receive targeted SEND support at Pinner High School have individual strategies documented on a Student Learning Profile.

    The ARMS Provision

    The ARMS Provision, which has 12 allocated spaces, is an additionally resourced provision for students on the Autistic Spectrum. It is a flexible place where students are able to come when they need time out, to complete work in a quiet space or where intervention groups such as social skills take place. Students who are part of the ARMS provision are fully integrated into Pinner High School, as the provision compliments mainstream education and is not a separate unit.

    Who does it support?

    To be allocated a place in our ARMS Provision, you must have an EHCP with the London Borough of Harrow, with a primary diagnosis of Autism. All places are allocated by Harrow SENARS team and you must apply separately for a place in the Provision. Please note that currently all 12 places in the provision are full. The Provision also supports students with a range of special educational needs through more flexible arrangements and support such as lunch club and key worker monitoring.

    How many staff members work to support this provision?

    The provision is managed by the ARMS manager. The students are supported both in lessons and outside of lessons by a team of Learning Support Assistants.

    Whilst this is separate in terms of funding for school places, the students are not segregated from school life. Students in the ARMS Provision have access to specific support with their ASD, but attend mainstream lessons.

    ​More information about how students of Pinner High School are supported can be found by clicking on the links below. If you have any questions or queries, please look at these links for further details.

    ​The SEND Code of Practice (January 2015) identifies four broad areas of Special Educational Needs:

    Cognition and Learning

    Cognition refers to the thinking skills involved in gaining knowledge and understanding and learning refers to the process of acquiring knowledge or skills. Young people with special educational needs may learn at a slower pace, even with appropriate differentiation. Difficulties may be related to only one specific area of learning (SpLD) or may be more general (MLD).

    Curriculum related areas impacted by difficulties in cognition and learning include:

    • Reading, writing and spelling
    • Comprehension
    • Processing difficulties such as sequencing and inference
    • Numeracy
    • Working memory
    • Short term verbal memory

    Pinner High School use a range of targeted intervention programmes to support learning in this area:

    • Numeracy
    • Literacy: reading fluency, comprehension, inference
    • Touch Typing
    • Working Memory Activities
    Communication and Interaction

    Communication is the sharing of information, it can be transmitted one way, whereas interaction refers to acting in a manner which affects another, it is reciprocal or two way.

    Communication and interaction difficulties are usually considered under two main headings: speech, language and communication needs (SLCN) and autistic spectrum disorder (ASD).

    Young people with speech, language and communication needs (SLCN) have difficulty in communicating with others. They may have difficulties in one or more of the following areas at different times of their lives:

    • Receptive Language. Understanding what is said, written or signed
    • Phonological or articulation skills. Making the movements which produce speech or from dysfluency, or stammering
    • Expressive language. Joining words together, in the right order to make complex sentences to convey meaning
    • Processing information and responding appropriately to the verbal communication of others

    Young people with autistic spectrum disorder (ASD) may have some difficulties with social interaction, communication and imagination, which can impact on how they relate to others. They may have difficulties:

    • Interpreting both verbal and non-verbal language like gestures or tone of voice
    • Understanding abstract concepts, they may take things literally
    • Recognising or understanding others’ feelings and intentions or expressing their own emotions
    • Recognising and regulating their emotions; feeling overwhelmed can lead to a meltdown or shutdown
    • Understanding age-related social conventions of interaction, such as turn-taking during conversations or appropriate level of physical contact during play
    • Managing uncertainty, they prefer routines
    • Managing sensory sensitivities, they may experience over- or under-sensitivity to sounds, touch, tastes, smells, light, colours, temperatures or pain

    A range of targeted intervention programmes are offered at Pinner High School to support development in this area:

    • Phonics
    • Social stories
    • Social skills: Communication, Empathy, Interactions, Managing Emotions
    • Heathy relationships
    Social, Emotional and Mental Health

    Social, Emotional and Mental Health (SEMH) is a broad term which embraces a range of different needs which can lead to young people feeling anxious, misunderstood or scared. This area of need includes attention deficit disorder (ADD), attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) or attachment disorder.

    Young people may have difficulties with social situations or interaction:

    • Forming and maintaining relationships with others
    • Disruptive, uncooperative or antisocial behaviour

    Young people may have their difficulties recognising and understanding emotions in themselves and others, emotional regulation, building resilience and managing stress.

    These difficulties may be expressed through:

    • Outbursts of temper, frustration or anger
    • Verbal and physical threats or acts of aggression
    • Withdrawn and depressed attitudes
    • Anxiety
    • Self-harm

    At Pinner High School, we support the development of young people using targeted support and intervention programmes, including interventions to support in making positive friendships, building self-esteem and managing a variety of emotions effectively.

    In the event young people exhibit persistent symptoms of a diagnosable mental health condition, staff at Pinner High School would seek professional engagement to initiate and engage appropriate external support. At Pinner High School, there is also a dedicated team of pastoral support outside of the SEND department who work together to effectively support students who are vulnerable due to their mental health needs. If you have a concern about your child’s mental health, please contact their form teacher or head of year.

    Sensory and Physical Needs

    Sensory needs can be wide-ranging and include hearing impairment, visual impairment, sensory processing difficulties and physical difficulties. Young people with sensory and / or physical differences may find it challenging to access some school facilities.

    In order to support young people with sensory and physical differences, Pinner High School has a range of adaptive solutions:

    • Accessible toilets and changing facilities
    • Lifts
    • Noise reducing ear defenders and ear buds
    • Specialist equipment
    • Regular correspondence with specialist teachers

    Our experienced student first aid team oversee the medical provision for our students. For further information please see our Medical Needs Policy

    Interventions

    We deliver a variety of tailored interventions to support students with an Educational, Health and Care Plan (EHCP). We work closely with key departments and the pastoral team to identify areas of support required and organise relevant, targeted and successful interventions. Under the Literacy umbrella we deliver interventions in areas such as: reading, phonics, speech and language, spelling and reading comprehension. For Numeracy support we deliver specific interventions covering all aspects of maths from basic time skills to algebra. Our Social, Emotional and Mental Health area covers a huge range of social skills including self-esteem, self-confidence, friendships and emotions.

    Our interventions either take place during form time in the morning or are integrated into lesson time. The sessions are delivered in small group settings, allowing students with an EHCP to fully engage and benefit from this specialist support.

    Who do I contact if I have a SEND enquiry?

    If you have a query relating to a student who already receives SEND support at Pinner High School, please contact their key worker and/or the SEND admin team. If your query relates to a student who is part of the ARMS provision, please contact the ARMS Provision Manager.

    If you have a query regarding a student who is not currently receiving SEND support at Pinner High School, please contact the relevant form teacher and/or head of year.

    SEND Leadership:

    Miss H Walls Associate Assistant Head Teacher, SENDCo

    Mr M Dhannie Inclusion Manager

    Mrs R Jenkins ARMS Provision Manager

    Miss A Howell Assistant SENDCo

    Higher Level Teaching Assistants:

    Ms D Patel, Ms K Cooper, Ms H Blackman,  Ms S Kumar

    Learning Support Assistants:

    Ms S Zahir, Ms R Shah, Ms J Dolinina, Ms K Janakan, Ms C Godwin, Ms A Pinder, Ms B Popoola, Ms C Mehta, Ms S Gottlieb, Ms R Farhall.

    ​SEND Administration:

    Ms N Rochford, Ms L Wallwork, Ms S Evans (Exams Access Arrangements Coordinator)

    Links to relevant policies  [to be added links to SEND Policy, SEND Offer & Accessibility Policy (all on Policies tab)

     

     

     

    Useful support and resources for parents and students with SENDParent Info MorningSEND PolicySEND OfferAccessibility Policy