EDUCATION
Special educational needs and disabilities (SEND)
At Kickstart, and across the Learning Community Trust, we strive to meet the needs of all our students.
SEND
This section outlines how Kickstart Academy implements the Learning Community Trust’s SEND Policy 2025. It complements the Trust-wide strategic framework by detailing our localised provision, priorities, and practices. Kickstart Academy is committed to inclusive education and supports young people with a wide range of Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND), particularly those with Social, Emotional and Mental Health (SEMH) needs.
‘A child or young person has special educational needs if he or she has a learning difficulty or disability which calls for special educational provision to be made for him or her. A learning difficulty or disability is a significantly greater difficulty in learning than the majority of others of the same age. Special educational provision means educational or training provision that is additional to, or different from, that made generally for others of the same age in a mainstream setting in England.’ (Special Educational Needs Code of Practice, 2014)
Four areas of SEND
At Kickstart Academy, we provide for a wide range of Special Educational Needs and Disabilities, divided into four broad areas, which are seen in the diagram below.
Cognition and Learning
- Specific Learning Difficulties e.g dyslexia
- Moderate Learning Difficulties
- Severe Learning Difficulties
Communication and interaction
- Speech and Language needs
- Autism
- Social Communication needs
Social, Emotional Mental Health
- Attention Deficit (ADD)
- Attention Deficit with Hyperactivity (ADHD)
- Emotional and mental health needs.
Physical and Sensory
- Physical disability
- Hearing impairment
- Visual impairment
- Multi-sensory impairment
- Sensory Need
Kickstart Aims
We cater for children and young people experiencing Social, Emotional, Mental Health and Behavioural difficulties who, having been referred through the Telford and Wrekin Fair Access Panel, are at risk of exclusion or have been permanently excluded from their mainstream schools.
Most young people experience multiple barriers to learning and difficulties with behaviour mask their underlying difficulties. The primary need of young people at Kickstart is Social, Emotional and Mental Health, with many also having difficulties within the areas of Cognition and Learning and Communication and Interaction. We recognise that young people often have needs that can encompass several areas and their needs may change overtime. Our aim is to tackle disaffection with learning, whilst providing a robust assessment of needs.
We aim to provide our young people with appropriate provision and support, ensuring they are equipped with the characteristics and skills they need for a successful transition into adulthood. Our intention is to motivate and encourage our learners to master the basics thus gaining the knowledge and skills to access GCSE outcomes and become confident, successful, independent learners.
Bespoke Curriculum
We cater for children and young people experiencing Social, Emotional, Mental Health and Behavioural difficulties who, having been referred through the Telford and Wrekin Fair Access Panel, are at risk of exclusion or have been permanently excluded from their mainstream schools.
Most young people experience multiple barriers to learning and difficulties with behaviour mask their underlying difficulties. The primary need of young people at Kickstart is Social, Emotional and Mental Health, with many also having difficulties within the areas of Cognition and Learning and Communication and Interaction. We recognise that young people often have needs that can encompass several areas and their needs may change overtime. Our aim is to tackle disaffection with learning, whilst providing a robust assessment of needs.
We aim to provide our young people with appropriate provision and support, ensuring they are equipped with the characteristics and skills they need for a successful transition into adulthood. Our intention is to motivate and encourage our learners to master the basics thus gaining the knowledge and skills to access GCSE outcomes and become confident, successful, independent learners.
SEND Offer
Kickstart Academy follows the graduated approach outlined in the SEND Code of Practice and the Trust’s SEND Policy 2025. This includes Assess, Plan, Do, Review cycles to ensure effective support at each wave of intervention.
Wave 1 – Universal support – response through quality first teaching
- Kickstart support plans
- Small class sizes and ability setting
- Clear classroom routines supported by visual cues
- Reward systems
- Inclusive learning environment
- Multi-sensory teaching that is well structured
- Scaffolded curriculum planning, activities, delivery, and outcomes
- Extra time for processing and completion of work
- Increased visual aids – times tables, learning mats etc.
- Use of writing frames
- Modelling and WAGOLLs
- Timers
- Non-verbal methods of communication
- Opportunities for revision and over-learning
- Peer and self-assessment
- Target setting and tracking
- Access to simple assistive devices (Pencil grips, reading rulers, coloured overlays etc.)
- Pastoral support through a trusted adult/ behaviour manager/ family liaison officer
Wave 2 – Targeted support – response though additional support
- Registered on SEND list
- Behaviour management plans
- Teaching assistant support –within the classroom
- Small group catch up classes, including reading interventions
- Access arrangements for exams
Wave 3 – Specialist support – response through specialist support
- Education, health, and care plan
- Individual healthcare plans
- Specialist equipment – visual/hearing impaired equipment etc.
- Inclusive schools forum
- 1:1 reading/ literacy/ maths/ SEMH Intervention
- Alternative provision placements
- External agency referral
Outside agencies
- CAMHS/ BeeU
- Telford and Wrekin SEND Services (including educational psychologists and specialist teachers)
- Speech and language support service
- Occupational therapy
- Social care services
- The school nurse
- Future Focus
Special educational needs and disabilities coordinator
Contact form
The SENDCo is listed on the leadership team page – click here
Contact our SENDCo using the form below..
