The Sen Faculty

The SEN faculty supports students who have additional needs to achieve their full potential – by removing barriers, and making learning accessible for all. The team seeks to promote independence and resilience in all pupils with additional learning needs and shows great care.

The key staff are:

  • Ms A Pearson - SENCO a.pearson@burnage.manchester.sch.uk 
  • Ms Angela Lord – SEN Administrator
  • Mr A Mitchell – Higher Level Teaching Assistant
  • A team of Teaching Assistants who are deployed based on student need

The team is committed to quality first teaching and to this end the majority of support for students with special educational needs is delivered through differentiation by teaching staff and/or teaching assistants supporting pupils within the mainstream classrooms. However, some students have significant needs which means they may be withdrawn for some extra intervention or placed in a temporary support class to aid their transition into year 7 from primary school.

During KS4, students can carry out qualifications at Entry Level and GSCE, where appropriate, in English, Maths and Science. ASDAN and BTEC level courses are also offered, suited to student interest and to promote independent living skills. This ensures the transition to FE colleges is as successful and meaningful as possible.

In addition to our intervention classes and teaching assistant support, we deliver a range of literacy interventions to boost students’ progress where appropriate.

Specialist and Targeted Support:

We have a clear SEN referral system, working through the principles of the ‘assess, plan, do, review’ SEN strategy. Teachers are encouraged to refer pupils for further support if needed to a faculty SEN/Inclusion link, where additional teaching strategies can be trialled and monitored as part of a team approach to meeting need. To support this work we also have the following professionals in school who may work with students at any time in a more specialist or targeted capacity. Parents will always be a key partner in this process. The team are:

  • Dr Caroline Gomez – Educational Psychologist
  • Beth Aulton  – Speech and Language Therapist
  • Alison Sailsbury - School Counsellor