Special Educational Needs & Disabilities (SEND)

Overview

St Luke’s Academy is a secondary special school designated for students with social, emotional, and mental health needs (SEMH). Students at our school may also have early signs or a diagnosis of ADHD, ASD, ODD, or attachment needs. Some of our students have gaps in their education due to the transition from one placement to another or in the time when a suitable placement is found. Therefore, we do ensure that specific intervention and personalised teaching is in place to ensure misconceptions are addressed and students are supported with specific knowledge gaps in maths and English.

All students access St Luke’s Academy through a consultation process from SENAT within Swindon borough, who work very closely with the school. All students at St Luke’s Academy have an education health care plan (EHCP) that is reviewed as part of the annual review process. These reviews will represent the views of our students, parents/carers, key workers/staff members, and other external agencies working with the student. We work closely with external agencies to ensure that our students get the very best outcomes and provision.

The Local Offer | Swindon Borough Council

Updated: 18/12/2024 2.06 MB
Updated: 26/09/2023 1.57 MB

The White Horse Federation's SEND Policy can be found on our Policies & Procedures page.

Pastoral Care at St Luke's Academy

St Luke’s Academy is an educational establishment for students with identified SEMH needs. Each student has their own identified needs, which are set out in their EHCP document. The EHCP document sits at the heart of the academy’s day-to-day practice and is used by all staff to support our students on their journey to becoming well-rounded and independent young people.

The pastoral system at St Luke’s Academy strives to meet every need of every student alongside their academic studies. Pastoral support is extremely important in providing the students with the emotional skill sets they will need as they grow, and giving them the best opportunity to successfully access college, apprenticeships, and work when they leave St Luke’s Academy at the end of year 11.

The pastoral care policy aims to provide guidance for staff, students, and parents in the expectations of the academy in praising positive behaviours and challenging unacceptable behaviours that reflect the world outside of the academy. Please refer to the pastoral care policy for more information.

To support this approach, each student has a key worker with whom they work closely each day for support and guidance. The key workers provide a supportive role through meeting their students regularly and communicating with home about issues such as attendance and any barriers that may affect the engagement of the students in the school setting. They also provide emotional support and guidance for their students throughout the academic year.

The key workers are supported by a pastoral team who work with the students on their emotional and social needs and reduce any barriers to making progress against their EHCP outcomes and their learning in class.

Alongside the key workers and the pastoral support team is a team of therapists who work to support our students, break down barriers, and allow them to make progress against their EHCP outcomes. Therapy sessions are an important part of enabling the students to work through any emotional and social anxieties that impair their journey to becoming independent young people. There is a team of four independent, part-time therapists that work across the week with our students in our newly formed onsite therapy centre or by supporting our students in class.

Pastoral care sits at the heart of everything that is done in St Luke’s Academy in order to provide our students with the opportunity and support to become independent young people with the tools, clear direction, and ability to take opportunities in the world beyond St Luke’s Academy.

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