The Best in Everyone
We are proud to be an inclusive day & boarding school for girls and boys aged 10 to 18.
Our belief is that every pupil every day should be given an equal chance to prosper. We are dedicated to providing personalised learning to cater to individual strengths and interests, allowing pupils to develop a sense of control and independence. We value unique abilities and recognise that acquiring knowledge and skills can be achieved through various academic pathways, not just the traditional ones.
Pupils' achievement is excellent and they make significant progress relative to their starting points, including those with SEND and EAL (English as an Additional Language)
ISI Inspection, April 2023
The Royal School's response to SEND
Our approach to SEND at The Royal School focuses on four key drivers:
Awareness
As a school, we foster a supportive and inclusive environment that brings out the best in everyone. Our staff benefit from a comprehensive all-year training programme that covers topics such as Dyslexia, ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder), ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder), emotional well-being for teens, and more. Additionally, all staff have access to a resourceful SEND toolkit and hold weekly SEND-specific meetings to ensure they are well-equipped to provide quality first teaching for all.
Acknowledge
All teaching staff at The Royal School are expected to work closely with the SEND team, pupils, and parents to provide the highest quality teaching. We value the views and input of our pupils and their parents. Parent and pupil involvement is essential to build the best understanding possible. Working together can only enhance the overall learning experience.
Adapt
Adaptive teaching involves adjusting teaching methods based on pupils' learning information to suit their needs better. With the support of the SENDCo, a tailored programme is developed to match each and every child's preferred learning style. Support may include personalised one-to-one lessons housed in the Learning Support & Wellbeing Centre known as 'The Hub', access to specialist resources such as coloured overlays, extensive print materials, visual aids to help with lesson transition. SEND pupils also benefit from key worker check-ins. A dedicated staff member meets with the pupil twice a week to ensure they are receptive to learning and happy. All pupils can benefit from our confidential counselling service to help manage stress, anxiety, or life events.
Our SENDCo is certified to screen pupils (Year 9+) for access arrangements in public exams and can apply to JCQ. No EP (Ed Psych) report is needed as our expertise are in-house.
Accountability
Teachers understand their pupils well, are skilled at adapting classroom instruction to meet each individual's needs, conduct thorough observations, and give regular feedback on their progress.
The school SENDCo will regularly assess a child's progress in class and through specific intervention programmes. Every intervention is monitored using appropriate methods of measurement. If a child participates in one of these interventions, the school highly values and may request the parent's participation in the monitoring procedure. Parents' active involvement is not just encouraged, but it plays a vital role in the success of this support.
All pupils and their parents or guardians are warmly invited to meet with teaching staff and the SEND team staff at pupil review drop-ins. These events are not just about discussing the child's progress and any concerns parents may have, but they are a collaborative effort to ensure the best educational experience for the child.
Pupils are also responsible for their progress and attitude towards learning. We encourage all our pupils to live our Future Ready behaviours of initiative, tenacity, collaboration, reflection, and creativity to help build self-motivation, independence and confidence. We celebrate Future Ready credits at the end of each half-term.