SEND

The Aim High Mission Statement:

At the Purbeck School we passionately believe that all our students should be given the opportunity to aim high, aspire, and be successful.

Welcome to Aim High:

Aim High is dedicated to ensuring that all students with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) have the support, resources, and opportunities they need to reach their full potential. We are committed to creating an inclusive environment where every student feels valued, supported, and empowered to succeed.

Our provision is delivered by a highly skilled, dedicated, and well-trained team of teachers and learning mentors who work closely with students, families, and staff to provide personalised support. Through targeted interventions and specialist teaching, we help students develop the skills, confidence, and independence needed to thrive both academically and personally.

We are fortunate to have two fully resourced Aim High classrooms, designed specifically to support literacy and numeracy development. These dedicated learning spaces provide a nurturing environment where students can access tailored programmes to meet their individual needs.

In addition, our team includes two fully trained Emotional Literacy Support Assistants (ELSAs), who specialise in supporting emotionally vulnerable students. They work from a dedicated, fully equipped space, providing individual and small-group interventions to help students develop emotional resilience, wellbeing, and positive coping strategies.

Aim High also works closely with our Pastoral and Attendance Teams to provide coordinated support for students experiencing Emotional Based School Avoidance (EBSA), attendance concerns, and other pastoral challenges. By working together, we ensure that students receive the right support at the right time, enabling them to engage positively with school life and achieve their best outcomes.

At Aim High, we believe that every student can succeed when given the right support, encouragement, and opportunities to flourish.

Aim High Pledge for SEND

At The Purbeck School, we are committed to ensuring that every student is supported, challenged and empowered to achieve their full potential. Through our Aim High Pledge, we guarantee that:

Adaptive Teaching – All teachers will take account of the individual learning needs of students and adapt their teaching to enable every learner to access and succeed in the curriculum using The Purbeck 6
Targeted Intervention – Students identified as having Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) will be guaranteed access to a specific intervention programme where a need has been identified.
Individualised Support – Students with an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) will have an Individual Education Plan (IEP) that is shared with staff to ensure consistent and effective support across the school.
Partnership with Parents and Carers – Parents and carers will have the opportunity to discuss their child's progress and support provision on at least three occasions during each academic year, ensuring strong communication and collaborative working.

Through these commitments, we aim to provide an inclusive environment where all students are valued, supported and encouraged to aim high in every aspect of school life.

THE PURBECK 6

PURBECK 6 SEND 2026-27

Interventions

Our intervention programme is designed to provide targeted, evidence-informed support that meets the individual needs of students. Interventions may focus on areas such as literacy, numeracy, communication, social and emotional wellbeing, study skills, independence, attendance, and preparation for adulthood. These programmes are delivered by experienced staff and are regularly reviewed to ensure they are effective and responsive to students' changing needs.

Our interventions include:

Learning Skills
Social Communication Intervention
Ready to Regulate
Move It
Team Up
Gardening Club
Forest School
Lexonik
ELSA
Differentiated key stage 4 offer

The Purbeck School CCN Base

The Purbeck School CCN Base is a specialist resourced provision within the school that provides targeted supported for students with Communication and Interaction needs.It allows them to benefit from the inclusive environment of a mainstream while receiving specialist help to support their individual needs.

The Communication Hub is designed for a small number of children and young people who:

Have an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) with Communication and Interaction as their Primary Need
Have broadly average cognitive ability, meaning that they can access a mainstream curriculum with occasional, additional support
May be slightly behind their peers (up to 2–3 years depending on their age) in some areas due to social communication challenges, not learning difficulties

Typically, children suitable for the communication hub may:

Struggle with spoken language, vocabulary, or grammar
Find it hard to interpret non-verbal cues or engage in social interaction
Experience anxiety, sensory sensitivities, or emotional regulation difficulties
Have a diagnosis of autism, ADHD, or other neurodiverse conditions

For more information please contact Miss E Woodcock ewoodcock@purbeck.wessex.ac

Exam Access Arrangements

Access arrangements are the reasonable adjustments made to examinations to enable young people with SEND to access GCSE and GCE qualifications. They are designed to meet the needs of the student without affecting the integrity of the assessment (JCQ 2015).

Young people can qualify for the following arrangements:

25% Extra Time
Reader/Computer Reader
Scribe
Use of Laptop
Rest Breaks
Prompt

Assistive Technology

Assistive Technology provides an alternate mode of performing a task so that disabilities are compensated for or by passed entirely. We are currently using the following to support our young people.

Read Write Gold (computer reader)
Word Processor

To qualify for access arrangements the young person will need to have an assessment.

A referral for assessment must come from 3 class Teachers and they must be able to evidence that this is their normal way of working.

Any recommendations arising from this will need to be supported by the Class Teacher, in order to make sure it is the young person's normal way of working.