SEND & Inclusion

At Ripon Grammar School we are committed to ensuring that all students are equally valued and have access to all aspects and opportunities within our broad and balanced curriculum. Some students have special educational needs and/or disabilities and we are committed to providing personalised provision that is appropriate to each individual’s needs.

See our SEND Policy

Recent changes in special education needs (SEN) and disability provision saw the introduction of Education, Health and Care (EHC) plans for young people (replacing SEN statements), which set out the support children and families can receive. Local authorities must publish a Local Offer outlining the support available, and schools must publish a School Offer giving information about what support they offer.

See our SEND Information Report

NYCC Local Offer: www.northyorks.gov.uk/article/26714/What-is-the-local-offer

Inclusion Team:

Inclusion Manager and SENCO:  Mrs O'Brien

Full Time Teaching Assistant - Mrs Rickard 

Part-time Teaching Assistants – Mrs Lee, Mrs Sala and Miss Britton, Mrs Chan

School Healthcare Workers - Mrs Parks and Miss Britton

The learning support department maintains positive liaison and undertakes collaborative work with a range of outside agencies and support services including:

CAMHS - Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service
Child Development Centre (Harrogate Hospital)
ASCOSS - Autism Outreach Service
Enhanced Mainstream School for Specific Learning Difficulties
Social Services
Spinal Injuries Unit (Pinderfields Hospital)
Moorfield Eye Hospital, London
Sensory Support Service (North Yorkshire County Council)
The Grove Academy
Support Service for students with physical disabilities and medical needs.

Identification Procedures for Students with Special Educational Needs

  • Use is made of data from feeder primary schools
  • The Head of Lower School, Deputy Head of Lower School and Inclusion Co-ordinator visit the main feeder primary schools to discuss students’ abilities and needs with primary school staff and to meet the students.
  • The Inclusion Co-ordinator attends Year 6 transition review meetings
  • Students identified as being vulnerable and / or having special educational needs are invited to visit Ripon Grammar School in addition to the school’s Intake Day (in June).
  • Literacy screening takes place in the first half of the autumn term using the LUCID diagnostic programme. These results are standardised and made available to all staff.
  • When students who have individual needs join the school during the school year an assessment is conducted.
  • Additional diagnostic assessments are conducted for individual students as required.

How Students are Ensured Access to the Curriculum and Activities:

  • All students, regardless of their individual needs, are placed within a form group and a teaching group.
  • All students are integrated fully into the life of the school and have access to a broad and balanced curriculum.
  • Individual students have a personalised learning programme designed around their specific needs.
  • Support is made available across the curriculum in class; teaching assistants are available to aid student progress on an individual or small group basis within the classroom.
  • Teaching staff and teaching assistants have been trained in the development of Wave 1 provision. This links with the whole school teaching and learning focus, which also helps to ensure that all students can access the curriculum.
  • Pupil Profiles are devised for students with the highest level of need and these are circulated to staff and made available electronically.
  • Students identified with low literacy levels are offered additional teaching in reading and spelling in key stage 3.
  • Students identified with difficulties recording their work are offered additional teaching to improve handwriting and / or the use of IT to record their work.
  • Students have access to the wide range of extra curricular activities on offer in school.

Provision Made for Individuals

  • The school has a generic policy for special educational needs but support and intervention is planned and delivered on an individual basis. As such there is a range of provision on offer.
  • Provision may include: in class support (teaching assistant/peer); small group teaching; individual teaching; reading intervention (teaching assistant/peer); social and communication skills support; study support; support to boost the emotional, mental and social development of students.

Statutory Reporting Requirements

  • All statutory reporting requirements are met
  • SEN reporting is an integral part of the census and data collection. Data is readily available and reports can easily be generated.

Communication with Parents

Parents are welcome to contact the learning support team at any time either by telephone or email. Regular meetings are held with parents as required throughout the year

Disabled Students

There are pathways offering access to the ground floor of all buildings within the school site.

Access to Ripon Grammar School has been improved with the development of a new teaching block which has brought history, religious studies and modern foreign languages under one roof.

There is a lift in the Sixth Form Centre and maths block.

Some parts of the site are not accessible to pupils with mobility difficulties but alternative facilities are available.

There are four disabled toilet facilities in school. One is equipped to provide changing facilities. Ripon Grammar School is currently working with NYCC to revise its accessibility plan.