aDDITIONAL lEARNING nEEDS
At Heolddu, we offer a range of universal, targeted and specific provisions for students with additional learning needs. We have a team of highly experienced and compassionate teaching assistants who support the ALN coordinator and teaching staff. They ensure all students can access the curriculum to the best of their ability, as well as nurturing students' emotional wellbeing and social development.
We firmly believe in inclusion for all, and take a person-centred approach when supporting our pupils, ensuring that our learners are at the centre of planning and reviewing their support and progress. We have a strong pupil voice group that works closely with the senior leadership team to shape the additional learning support we offer to students. We understand that effective inclusion is established by ensuring outstanding classroom practice and offering regular 'staff surgeries' to share best practices and professionally discuss individual learner needs.
We are committed to working with all families and the community to support our students. We have strong and effective working relationships with a range of multi-agency stakeholders which ensures access to bespoke professional support for a range of social, emotional, behavioural, medical, and educational needs.
Academic Support and Interventions
If a student with additional learning needs is not making their expected progress, we offer targeted intervention and whole school initiatives including, but not limited to:
- Rainbow Readers
- Phonics intervention
- Literacy or numeracy intervention (e.g. 1-2-1 or small groups)
- Support from teaching assistants in lessons
- COMiT communications intervention
- Talkabout communications intervention
- SpLD mentoring and tuition
- Lego Therapy
- 5-point anxiety scale support
- ELSA (Emotional Literacy Support Assistants)
- Nurture classes
- Access to ICT (e.g. Laptops/iPads/Reader pens etc.)
- Sensory Room
- Nurture Hub for pastoral support
- School-Based Counselling
- CBT (Cognitive Behavioural Therapy)
- Bespoke EBSA Support (Emotionally Based School Avoidance)
Next Steps
In the coming academic year, we have the following priorities set for the ALN provision:
- To adopt systems and procedures to comply with the new code of practice.
- To further refine the intervention and ALN support programmes to improve the progress, attainment and therefore educational outcomes of students.
- To offer continued professional development for all staff to further improve ALN provision within all classrooms
School Inclusion and Accessibility Policy
ALN Policy
You can access useful information regarding the ALN reform in Wales here:
If you have any questions or would like to discuss ALN provision, please contact Miss Gemma Astley by phone at 01443 875531, or email at gastley@heolddu.org.