SEN

What are the kinds of special educational needs for which provision is made at Trinity Academy New Bridge?

Trinity Academy New Bridge is part of the Trinity Academy Newcastle Multi – Academy Trust.

Trinity Academy New Bridge is a Non- Maintained Day Special Academy for learners between the ages of 11-18 years (Key Stages 3-5).

In Trinity Academy New Bridge the learners identified needs will be complex and significant in the area of Social, Emotional and Mental Health as described in the SEN Code of Practice. The learners may also have associated needs in the areas of cognition/learning and communication and interaction (autistic spectrum disorder and/or speech and language difficulties).

What are the Academy policies for the identification and assessment of learners attending the school?

All learners at Trinity Academy New Bridge have an Education Health and Care Plan. All plans are reviewed on an annual basis through multi-agency reviews.

What is the provision for learners at Trinity Academy?

All learners attending Trinity Academy New Bridge will have an Education Health and Care Plan. There may be an agreement with the Local Authority that a child or young person is placed pending the outcome of an assessment for an Education Health and Care Plan.

What training does staff have in relation to the needs of learners at Trinity Academy New Bridge?

All staff have clear job descriptions, which detail the required qualifications for each post in the Academy. All staff have regular training related to their work as Teaching and Learning Practitioners, Senior Teaching and Learning Practitioners, Pastoral Staff or Teachers.

All our staff are trained in the Team Teach approach, which aims to support teaching, learning and caring, by increasing staff confidence and competence, in responding to behaviours that challenge, whilst promoting and protecting positive relationships.

We have a number of Mental Health Champions who support the staff team in appropriate strategies around mental health and emotional well-being.

What are the arrangements for consulting parents of learners at Trinity Academy New Bridge and involving them in the education of their child?

At Trinity Academy New Bridge parents are fully included in the process of working with their children/young adults.

This includes:

  • Initial visits to the academy and introductory meetings
  • At least weekly phone calls home to keep parents/carers updated on their child
  • Two-parent/teacher meetings per year
  • Three school reports per year
  • Annual Review meeting and reports
  • Parent group including workshops and training
  • Coffee mornings
  • Parental involvement in changes in school through informal and formal consultations
  • Heads of Schools questionnaires
  • Anti-Bullying questionnaire

What are the arrangements for consulting learners at Trinity Academy New Bridge about, and involving them in, their education?

All learners in our Academy are treated with dignity and respect. The Academy Council involves learners to contribute and decide on aspects of academy life relating to their needs. The assessment and annual review process of Education Health and Care Plans include the choices and views of learners.

What are the Academy’s arrangements for supporting learners in transferring between phases of education or in preparing for adulthood?

All transitions are well planned for through-out the Academy as learners move from class to class and phase to phase. Parents/carers always have the opportunity to meet the new teacher and class staff.

A phased process of transition is managed for learners that transfer between our two sites, this includes holiday workshops for those learners in their transition year.

Learners from year 9 upwards are introduced to Trinity Solutions Academy the Post 16 provision through their curriculum options.

Learners are increasingly supported in planning for their transition from school to adult life. We work closely in partnership with Connexions for Post 16 transition, which includes an individual plan for each learner.

What are the arrangements made by the Board of Directors for dealing with complaints from parents/carers of learners in relation to the provision made at Trinity Academy New Bridge?

The process for all complaints is made available in the parent admission pack. The complaints procedure is also available on the website or from Central Admin on request.

How does the Board of Directors involve others – including Health, Children’s Social Care, Adult Social Care, The Early Help Team, Local Authority Services and Voluntary Organisations, in meeting the needs of learners at Trinity Academy New Bridge and in supporting their families?

We have a wide range of staff working together within the Academy to support the Learners and their families. We work alongside a range of other professionals in meeting learners’ needs including Social Workers, Intensive Family Support Workers Educational Psychologists, CYPS workers, School Nurses, Speech and Language Therapists. All these professionals can work within Trinity Academy New Bridge, training staff, advising staff, working with learners.

All contact numbers for support services, described above, can be provided by the Academy if required and referrals made on your child’s behalf.

Where is the information on the Trinity Academy New Bridge local offer published?

The Local Authority publish their arrangements for SEN. Further Details can be found on the Sunderland website.