SEN & Disability

At Cedar Mount Academy we welcome everyone into our community. We endeavour to make available inclusive provision to ensure that all students, including those students identified with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND), can enjoy and benefit from a broad and balanced education with access to the National Curriculum at an appropriate level, so that they may achieve their full potential. We are committed to narrowing the attainment gap between SEND and non-SEND students and offer a range of personalised learning interventions/opportunities to support this. We are very proud of all our students and their achievements.

Under the guidance of Mrs L Stubbs, our Interim SENDCO, our experienced teachers and teaching assistants provide support and strategies for our learners with additional needs.

Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator is Mrs L Stubbs, she can be contacted via email – LStubbs@cma.bright-futures.co.uk our Assistant SENDCO is Ms K. Farrell and she can be contacted by emailing KFarrell@cma.bright-futures.co.uk

How do we help?

Most of our work is achieved by supporting pupils in the subject classroom or in one-to-one and small group sessions. Support is focused upon the younger pupils as they establish themselves at secondary school, whilst older pupils are encouraged to develop independence. The team deliver a series of year 6 transition days which are personalised for pupils who have experienced difficulties in the primary setting.

How do we know which pupils need help?

Before pupils transfer to Cedar Mount Academy we are aware of any additional needs that they have. We visit primary schools to gather information and to meet with teachers, parents, carers and pupils. We use the assessment information from primary school alongside our own baseline tests to identify pupils who may require additional support.

Upon admission, all Year 7 pupils are assessed using the following tests:

• NGRT tests
• CAT 4 Tests 

The results from these tests are reviewed and, if appropriate, pupils will either be referred to the Educational Psychologist or the SENDCO for further assessment and diagnosis, following consultation with parents/carers.

Teaching and support staff liaise with the SENDCO if they have any concerns regarding any child who appears to be having difficulties in accessing learning. 

Pupils with additional needs will be included on the school’s special educational needs register. A small number of pupils will continue to find it difficult to make expected progress at school despite our support. We will then ask other professionals from outside agencies to help. For a very small number of pupils an EHCP will be necessary to meet their needs.

Supporting SEND – our Research Driven Approach

Wave 1 – Universal Offer

The first step in supporting all students with SEND is providing High Quality Teaching as part of our Ordinarily Available Practice, which must be underpinned by evidence-based research.

We look to organisations like the Education Endowment Foundation (EEF) to lead the way in gathering this evidence and sharing best practice with schools. The EEF recommends that all our teachers use their SEND “Five a Day” strategies, which are:

Wave 2 Targeted Support:

Students who need additional help move to Wave 2 support. This involves targeted interventions, delivered either in small groups or 1-to-1 sessions. These sessions are carefully scheduled to support students with a range of needs, helping them build skills and confidence as part of our inclusive approach.

We offer specific interventions in four key areas:

• Cognition and Learning Support: Programs like Fresh Start and Lexonic, designed to boost understanding and academic skills.
• Communication and Interaction Support: Includes Social Skills groups, SaLT (Speech and Language Therapy), and Lego Therapy.
• Social, Emotional, and Mental Health Support (SEMH): Focused sessions like Zones of Regulation, Music Therapy, Anger management
• Physical/Sensory Support: visits from the Teacher of the Deaf and OT support.

The impact of every intervention is carefully reviewed at the end of each cycle. We then identify clear next steps for your child, ensuring continuous progress and holistic development.

Our Wave 3 Interventions – Highly Specialised Support

Wave 3 represents our highest level of support. At this stage, highly personalised interventions add to both high-quality teaching (Wave 1) and targeted support (Wave 2).

Students receiving Wave 3 support are typically working toward highly specialised targets. These goals are often set by external professionals, such as a speech and language therapist or an educational psychologist. This level of support may also include a modified curriculum designed specifically to meet their unique needs.

To ensure consistency and clear communication, students on Wave 3 are often assigned a key worker. Their progress is closely tracked through termly reviews.

How can parents and carers help?

If a parent/carer thinks their child may have special educational needs they should contact the SENDCO, or Assistant SENDCO, to discuss their concerns and explore whether assessment of need is required.

A close partnership between school and home is essential if students are to make good progress. Parents and carers will always be fully involved and informed of their child’s additional needs and of their achievements. Parents are central in supporting the measures taken by school. We hold regular coffee mornings as an opportunity to meet with our parents and find ways of working together effectively.

After thorough assessment, pupils who have been diagnosed as having a special educational need that requires additional, highly personalised intervention or support are placed on the special educational needs register. Pupils who are under investigation, or who are being monitored, are placed on the additional needs register.

Each pupil with SEND has a Pupil Passport document, which is reviewed by the learning support team on a termly basis. In line with the SEND Code of Practice 2014, Pupil Passports place each young person at the centre of their own provision by clearly outlining how they are specifically affected by their barriers to learning and the supportive measures that they require in order to access learning in the classroom. By establishing clear, personalised strategies, we ensure that the support in place for each pupil is consistent across all subject areas. Heads of Department ensure that the strategies stipulated in the Pupil Passport documents are implemented by their teams to support pupils with SEND to meet the demands of their subjects.

Pupil Passports contain essential information regarding each pupil, as follows: 

• the special educational needs of the pupil
• a description of how their learning is affected
• strategies required to support them in the classroom

Manchester Local Offer

Cedar Mount Academy works closely with the Manchester Local Offer, a vital resource designed to help children and young people with SEND (up to the age of 25) and their parents/carers in the Manchester City Council area. It provides clear information about the services and support they can expect locally.

Beyond its informative website, the Manchester Local Offer hosts regular drop-ins and issues a newsletter. Critically, they actively collaborate with families to continually improve services and the support available. The Manchester SEND Local Offer offers information for parents, in a single place, which helps them to understand what services they and their family can expect from a range of local agencies – including their statutory entitlements

On their site will find information about national and local services and organisations which can offer support to Manchester families. There are also details of clubs, groups and activities especially for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).

There are also lots of mainstream clubs and activities which are accessible to disabled children, known as ‘universal services’. Take a look in the main Things to Do category to find out more about local groups in your area. We strongly recommend that you contact the services/organisations directly to ensure that they can meet your child’s needs.

If you have any concerns about the safety or wellbeing of a child, please ring Contact Manchester on 0161 234 5001.

Click the link below to explore their comprehensive range of support, services, and activities.

Welcome to Manchester Local Offer | Help & Support Manchester

SENDIASS

Collaborative Support for SEND

Our SEND team are delighted to work alongside Manchester SENDIASS to further support our young people and their families.

Manchester SENDIASS is a free, dedicated, confidential, and impartial service commissioned by Manchester City Council. Their staff are independently trained in Special Educational Needs and Disability, with training verified by the Law Society.

SENDIASS offers vital information, advice, and support to children, young people, and parents/carers on all matters related to SEND. This comprehensive support also includes guidance on related health and social care matters.

sendiass@manchester.gov.uk

Parents and carers can also subscribe to a monthly SEND newsletter from SENDIASS, alongside many other Manchester City Council e-bulletins, by clicking here.