Learning Support
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Our Learning Support Department at Knightsbridge School offers a warm, nurturing environment that supports students to become independent active learners. We provide a caring environment enabling pupils with special educational needs or disabilities (SEND) or those with English as an Additional Language (EAL) to achieve their full potential. All of our teachers are aware of the different needs and learning styles of the pupils and are able to differentiate within the classroom more easily due to small numbers. As we are a small school, we are more easily able to focus on the individual. We also have specialist teachers who provide extra support to those who benefit from a different approach to help their literacy and numeracy as well as study, organisational and social skills.
We work closely with members of the school community to identify possible learning difficulties, health problems and/or emotional or behavioural difficulties. The SENDCO may identify other needs or differences through screening tests, educational psychologist (EP) reports or via regular liaison with Heads of Section, Form Teachers, subject teachers, pupils, parents. Any additional support required is then coordinated by the SENDCO.
If a learning difference has been identified, the student will benefit from bespoke lessons delivered in one-to-one or small group lessons. This may involve some targeted support provided by our team of specialists, or advice given to the subject teachers about specific strategies to help students in lessons. These 1:1 or small group sessions enable some students to ‘catch up’; they provide additional explanation and help the students develop strategies and skills in reading, writing, understanding and sequencing Maths processes and in developing memory and problem-solving skills.
The SENDCO also oversees the exam access arrangements. The process for arranging exam concessions in national exams is led and determined by the Joint Council for Qualifications (JCQ). Using the JCQ guidelines and specialist assessments it is determined whether students qualify for extra time, word processor, rest breaks, scribe, bilingual dictionaries or other exam arrangements. These provisions are put in place as early as possible to ensure any adjustments are the student’s normal way of working.