Inclusion and SEND
Orchard Academy's SENCO/Inclusion Lead is Miss Rashid and she can be contacted via the school office on 01908 735882.
The Tree House
Orchard Academy is deeply rooted in the belief that every child, regardless of their individual needs, has the right to access a high-quality education that enables them to reach their full potential. The school's ethos fosters an inclusive environment where diversity is celebrated, and all pupils are valued equally.
Our intent outlines a clear commitment to providing a tailored support system that is person-centred, holistic, and collaborative. It emphasises the importance of early identification, assessment, and intervention to address barriers to learning effectively. The school's leadership demonstrates a strong strategic vision for inclusive provision, underpinned by a culture of continuous improvement and a commitment to ensuring equality of opportunities for all pupils.
Intervention menu
In implementing outstanding inclusive provision, the school adopts a multi-faceted approach that is characterised by its personalised nature and relentless dedication to meeting the needs of every child. The key features of implementation include:
Identification and assessment of needs are carried out promptly and accurately,
Specialist interventions and support strategies are implemented consistently to address identified needs, with regular monitoring and review mechanisms in place.
A menu of intervention programmes is provided for identified pupils (in collaboration with teachers through pupil progress meetings) for a period of 6 weeks increasing to 12 weeks if needed. Reviews will then be held, and impact of support provided evaluated. Pupils should leave their intervention sessions with several tools to support them to be a positive member of the school environment both at Orchard Academy and beyond.
| Intervention | Description | Time Scale |
| Nurture Lunchtime | A quiet lunch time group where students can eat their lunch in a quiet environment. Students will have the option to eat their lunch and play a game if it is decided that being on the playground is not safe for them. | 12 weeks, 1 session per day |
| Sensory Circuit | Sensory circuit group runs daily. The purpose of the circuit is to alert the child’s brain and enable them to engage in their learning more effectively in the classroom. Sensory Circuits often recommended by Occupational Therapists to help children concentrate in school. It consists of a series of exercises involving tasks such as bouncing, balancing, spinning and ball skills. The first activity is designed to wake up the brain, followed by some type of organisational task and finishes with a calming activity. | 12 weeks, 1 session per day (15 mins) |
| ELSA |
Is designed to support the social-emotional development of children. The set is built around four basic feelings: happy, sad, angry and afraid. A Box Full of Feelings is used to help children remain or get in touch with their inner world of feelings, recognise emotions in themselves, accept them, name them and have a more differentiated awareness of them. Gradually they will also learn to take perspective of others; perceptions and emotions, to feel the impact of their actions and realise that people don't experience events in the same way. All of this is at the heart of emotional intelligence. The impact of using the box is significant: practitioners' report how children are more alert to the utterances of feelings, how they use a more differentiated vocabulary concerning emotions, how their intuitions become more refined and how their role-taking capacity expands. Because these children can express feelings in a more appropriate way their capacity to participate in the life of the school is enhanced. |
6 weeks, 1 session per week |
| Nessy Intervention |
Nessy learning begins with an assessment to identify areas of need. Once a student has set their own learning objectives, they watch a strategy or rule that explains using humour to reinforce memory. This knowledge is reinforced by a series of games that develop core skills in sequence: phoneme blending, word reading and spelling, rhyming and phonological skills, sentence reading, vocabulary, and comprehension. Every computer game is developed to provide a multi-sensory environment that ensures success - students, see, hear, and do activities. |
6 weeks, 1 session per week (30 mins) |
| Learn and Thrive |
A number of children who attend our school have complex learning, communication and social skills needs with an EHCP. These children require additional support and provision to meet their unique individual needs. The Learn and Thrive group aims to provide opportunities for these pupils to reach their full potential. Learn and Thrive group will have 4 sessions a week, each of these sessions lasts for 30 minutes. The children may attend all the sessions, or it may be appropriate for them to attend selected sessions.
The children will participate in a number of activities during the week.
The activities will reflect the needs of the pupils and will support the progress of the pupils towards their SEND profile and EHCP targets. A visual timetable for each session will be available to support the children. |
6 weeks, 1 session per week (30 mins) |
| Peer Relationships Group |
Is a session which focuses on the development Is a session which focuses on the development of healthy peer relationships by building and enhancing attachment, self-esteem, trust in others and joyful engagement. The sessions result in the enhancement of emotional wellbeing for children using Therapy activities. |
6 weeks, 1 session per week (40 mins) |
| Numicon |
"Breaking Barriers”/Numicon is a proven, effective scheme as referenced in “What Works for Children with Mathematical Difficulties” – Ann Dowker Numicon is a proven approach for teaching and learning maths that builds deep understanding and engagement. Through active investigation with problem-solving at its heart and supported by structured apparatus, children reason and communicate mathematically with confidence. Breaking Barriers is specifically designed for teaching children who experience difficulties learning maths, including those with special educational needs and disabilities. |
6 weeks, 1 session per week (30 mins) |
| Lego Therapy |
Lego-based therapy (LeGoff et al 2014) is an evidence-based approach that aims to develop social communication skills in children, such as sharing, turn-taking, following rules, using names and problem-solving.
In practice, children work in groups of three with each participant having a distinct role to build a Lego model collaboratively. |
6 weeks, 1 session per week (30 mins) |
| EAL |
Supporting a group of students where English is an additional language. Explore vocabulary and through support students with their spoken language to help them access the curriculum. |
6 weeks, 1 session per week (30 mins) |
| Social Group |
is a programme which allows children to develop their self -esteem, their listening skills and their expressive language. These skills support the children in developing and maintaining relationships and leading independent lives outside the school context.
Social Group is a unique social skills programme that lasts a whole a whole term, and is divided into three units: let’s communicate, let’s be friends, and let’s practice. |
6 weeks, 1 session per week (30 mins) |
| Pet Therapy |
A type of therapy that uses dogs or other pets to improve the physical and mental health of all students who may need additional support. During these sessions students will care for the animal, learn how to treat pets and can also read to the animals if they want to. |
6 weeks, 1 session per week |
