SEND Information Report 2023

Academy Name: Orion Academy
Address: Knights Road, Blackbird Leys, Oxford, OX4 6DQ
Telephone: 01865 771703
Email: office@orionacademy.co.uk
Website: https://www.orionacademy.co.uk
Head of School: Hannah Shuker
Governor responsible for SEND: Governance Board
Date completed: November 2023

What kinds of SEND do we make provision for?

The Orion Academy is a Special School for students with Social, Emotional and Mental Health Needs (SEMH) aged between 11-16. Although our specialism is SEMH, our students may also have an additional special educational need including Autism Spectrum, Condition (ASC), Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Conduct Disorder, Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD), Speech and Language Difficulties and Moderate Cognition and Learning Needs.

The school is situated in Oxford and accepts students from across the county.

The Orion Academy facilitates the social and emotional needs and academic development of students through a personalised approach that ensures all students are supported, valued and challenged.

We offer a tailored curriculum which is delivered by a specialised, dedicated and experienced staff team. This approach enables students at the Orion Academy to develop academically, socially, emotionally and behaviourally.

Social Emotional and Mental Health Needs, these needs may manifest themselves with anxiety or depression, self-harming, substance abuse, eating disorders or other physical symptoms. Students may have disorders such as attention deficit hyperactive disorder (ADHD) or attachment disorder.

What is the academy’s policy of identification and assessment of students with SEND?

100% of students enter the academy with a current EHCP which documents their specific needs and gives strategies for how to overcome their personal barriers to learning.

Our starting point in identifying any additional special educational needs is with our internal academy data. We track our students’ progress and act when information shows that students may not be making progress in line with our expectations.

We will communicate with parents and refer to any other professional service with regards to unidentified need to ensure the EHCP reflects the child/young person we are supporting.

How do we know that our provision is effective and how do we review the progress of students?

The progress of all students is tracked throughout the academy year. We hold an Annual Review of each student’s EHCP in line with OCC’s guidance. We also report progress to parents via an end of year report and during our three Termly Outcome Plan (TOPs) consultation evenings each year.

How will the curriculum be matched to your child’s needs and how might we adapt the curriculum and learning environment to meet the needs of our students?

We aim to offer all students a wide-ranging curriculum which will stretch and challenge them. We prefer our students to remain in the classroom as much as possible as we believe that nothing is as important as having access to the best quality teaching each and every day. We follow Government guidelines about the curriculum we offer whilst taking a flexible approach to our provision to ensure each student has an academic experience which is relevant to them.

Our pathways for Year 9s ensure that all students have a Key Stage 4 curriculum which meets their needs. For some students this means accessing a Bespoke Pathways and alternative provision for some of their time each week. Examples of the alternative provision (AP) we currently use include;

What additional support might we offer to students?

When an additional need is identified, we take an approach which focuses on the individual requirements of the student. All our strategies focus on ensuring a student retains or gains independence.

We have a Community Learning Team (CLT) that comprises of Pastoral Support Workers (PSW) and Youth Engagement Workers. This team offer interventions to support students’ needs and provide additional curriculum support around personal development.

How will your child be included in activities outside the classroom?

All students are encouraged to take part in enrichment and character development activities that aligns with our curriculum offer. We are guided by the Equalities Act (2010) in making reasonable adjustments to allow students with a SEND to take advantage of enrichment activities including trips away from academy. We will complete a risk assessment when necessary and will use this to guide our provision of support.

The Gallery Trust’s equality policy can be viewed on our website.

What support will we offer for your child’s overall wellbeing?

Students have access to services and professionals provided by the academy and by Oxfordshire County Council. We have access through referrals to a School Health Nurse, SaLT (the Speech and Language Team) and have strong links with other specialist services which are external to the academy such as the Academy Police Liaison Officer, the Locality and Community Support Service (LCSS), Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS) and Social Care. The academy is also supported by the Community Around the Academy Offer (CASO) which is a multi-agency approach.

Anti-bullying

At Orion Academy we take bullying very seriously. We help to prevent bullying of students by educating them around the effects of bullying. We deliver specific and robust anti-bullying units of work via our PSHE and ICT curriculums. Where necessary we will incorporate the involvement of external agencies such as SAFE project workers and the Academy Police Liaison Officer. We also offer restorative sessions/meetings between students and in some cases parents and families which are facilitated by a trained member of staff (please see Behaviour and Relationship Policy)

What specialist services and expertise are available for your child?

Staff at the academy have ongoing training to keep their practice up to date and relevant. All training is aimed at helping our staff to meet the particular needs of our students including phonics, writing, autism awareness, trauma informed practice and attachment disorder awareness.

How will equipment and facilities to support students with SEND be secured?

Specialist equipment used at the academy includes laptops, withdrawal spaces, reflection rooms, Art therapy room, fitness suite and our friendly dog and rabbits to help to support our students with sensory processing difficulties and those on the autism spectrum.

How do we work with parents and students?

We always aim to work in partnership with parents. We work collaboratively to support the needs of our students. We hold parent consultation meetings three times a year to ensure termly objectives are shared and reflect joint aspirations for parents, pupil and school.

We will always contact parents if we have a concern that a student may have special educational needs in addition to those stated on their EHCP. Student participation is crucial in ensuring success as the young people themselves need to be totally on board with decisions about their education. We have an active student council that work with the Community Learning Team to support decision within the school. Each year we run a student questionnaire to gather student voice on key areas related to well being mental health and ‘being a student at Orion’.

How do we support students at key transition points?

We run additional transition activities for all vulnerable students who are joining us in Year 7. This includes visits to the academy to meet key members of staff and to become used to the new academy environment.

We work closely with new settings to ensure a smooth transition for our Year 11s who may need additional support when leaving us. This involves visiting the new setting with a student many times over a period of time running up to the end of Year 11 as well as helping with applying for and securing a place on an appropriate course.

Transitions between year groups (especially from Key Stage 3 to Key Stage 4) are also recognised as key moments for our students. We work closely with students who find change challenging to ensure they understand what is happening and what to expect from their new year-group.

How accessible is the academy’s learning environment?

The academy’s learning environment is accessible for all our current learners.

We continuously review our learning environments and make reasonable adjustments when necessary.

How does the governing body involve other agencies in meeting the needs of our students and in supporting their families?

The academy and its governing body work closely with different agencies to support the needs of all students. These include social care via the Oxfordshire MASH (Multi Agency Safeguarding Hub), LCSS, the Virtual Academy for Looked After Children, SENDIASS and CAMHS.

All relevant agencies are invited to contribute and attend to their annual reviews of students on role. As previously stated we invite agencies to support us in our work at the school e.g. Thames Valley Safer Schools Partnership, Social Care and Health.

Where should you go to find more information about the SEND provision in Oxfordshire?

Please visit the following website for more information about Oxfordshire’s SEND provision- Oxfordshire’s SEND Local Offer.

Who should you contact to discuss provision for your child at Orion Academy?

We are committed to joint working with our young people and their families. We would encourage you to speak with your child’s Class Lead/Teacher to discuss their provision. If you have any concerns or wish to make a complaint with regards to your child’s provision at Orion Academy, please follow the academy’s complaints procedure. This can be found on the academy’s website.