Specific Learning Difficulties
There are about 95 pupils in school with special needs, and we are very much aware that some children need special help at some period during their school careers. There is close liaison between the English Department, other subject teachers and the Special Needs Department.
Children with specific learning difficulties are tested in an informal way and given help by Mrs. A’Lee, a highly qualified and experienced teacher of children with learning difficulties. This support is structured towards the children's individual needs and usually takes place once a week. As it is a special requirement, there has to be a charge for this. Parents are billed termly in advance, currently at £155 a term. Mrs. A’Lee reviews pupils’ progress regularly and reports to both parents and tutors. She currently supports about 80 students.
Work is centred on discovering where the individual’s strengths and areas of weakness lie, then on improving those areas seen by the child, the parents and the teacher to be most in need of support. Poor spelling is covered by work on the basic rules, on identifying those words the child gets wrong on a regular basis and using a variety of approaches to learn correct spellings for those difficult irregular words which just have to be memorised. Children with dyslexic types of difficulties are encouraged to develop strategies to overcome difficulties of spelling or work organisation.
There are no standard textbooks as work is prepared individually. However, Hornsby’s “Alpha to Omega”, Longman's “On Target English” and CGP workbooks may be used with younger pupils, in addition the National Literacy Strategy Framework and Progress Units are used to support and monitor progress.
Dyslexic diagnostic tests are made at a simple level by Mrs. A’Lee and referral made for full testing, if this is appropriate, to enable students claim extra time allowance in public examination. Dr. Hornby of Exeter University usually does our official testing. The certification is accepted by exam boards and tests are usually carried out during Year 10, in time for students to have the certificate in place prior to GCSE, AS and A2 examinations. About 25 pupils are tested each year.
Dyslexia, Sp L D, Dyspraxia, Dyscalculia; it can be very difficult to pinpoint and label difficulties as each child is different. Here at Blundell’s we aim to ensure sympathetic treatment, individual support and a positive approach. We try not to see the students as having learning difficulties preferring the idea of “Learning difference”. Many of the students who receive support at some stage in their academic career, go on to gain outstanding results at GCSE or A level with A and A* grades not uncommon.