Aspire Learning Hub (ALH)

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Identifying and Supporting Needs

Support begins long before students join Sir Harry Smith Community College. We work closely with primary schools, families and agencies during transition to ensure that appropriate support is in place from the start. As students progress through school, we continually monitor attainment, attendance, wellbeing and engagement to identify any barriers to learning.

Where concerns are identified, we follow the graduated approach of Assess, Plan, Do, Review (APDR), working collaboratively with students, parents/carers, teaching staff and external agencies to determine the most effective provision and support. Parents and carers are always involved in decisions regarding additional interventions or specialist support.

Ordinarily Available Provision for All Students

The most effective support takes place within the classroom through high-quality teaching and reasonable adjustments that enable all students to access the curriculum.

Teachers use a range of strategies to meet individual needs, including adapted resources, visual supports, explicit instruction, scaffolding, assistive technology and differentiated teaching approaches. This ensures that students can access learning alongside their peers while developing increasing independence and confidence.

Teaching Assistants are deployed strategically across the school to support learning, promote independence and help students access the curriculum where required.

Targeted Support and Interventions

Where students require additional support beyond quality first teaching, targeted interventions may be delivered individually or in small groups. These interventions are carefully selected to address identified needs and may focus on areas such as:

• Communication and interaction
• Social, emotional and mental health
• Study and organisational skills
• Emotional regulation and resilience
• Social skills and friendship development

Students participating in interventions are regularly monitored through the Assess, Plan, Do, Review process to ensure that support remains personalised, effective and responsive to need. Parents and carers are informed when targeted intervention programmes are being introduced.

Enhanced Resource Base (ERB)

Sir Harry Smith Community College hosts an Enhanced Resource Base (ERB), sometimes referred to by the Local Authority as the Enhanced Provision Centre (EPC). This specialist provision supports students with significant cognition and learning needs who require a more personalised curriculum and additional support to access education successfully.

The ERB provides opportunities for students to develop communication, social, independence and life skills alongside core academic learning. Working closely with families, mainstream staff and external professionals, the aim is to enable students to build confidence and independence while gradually increasing their participation in mainstream lessons where appropriate.

Access to the ERB is determined through the Local Authority admissions and annual review process and is typically available for students with an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) identifying significant levels of need.

Pastoral Support and Wellbeing

We recognise that successful learning depends upon students feeling safe, valued and supported. The Aspire Learning Hub works closely with pastoral teams, Heads of House, tutors and external agencies to ensure that students receive the emotional, social and pastoral support they need.

Students can access key adults, mentoring opportunities, safe spaces and structured support during social times where appropriate. We encourage students to develop self-advocacy skills, build positive relationships and become active participants in decisions regarding their education and support.

Assessment and Specialist Support

To ensure that students receive the most appropriate support, we utilise a range of assessments and specialist advice where necessary. These may include assessments of literacy, numeracy, cognition, communication, processing speed and access arrangements for examinations.

We work collaboratively with a range of external professionals and specialist services including Educational Psychology, Speech and Language Therapy, Occupational Therapy, CAMHS, the Specialist Support Service and other Local Authority services where appropriate.

Working in Partnership

Strong partnerships with families are central to everything we do. Parents and carers are encouraged to contribute to reviews, planning meetings, annual reviews and informal discussions regarding their child's progress and provision.

Through regular communication and collaborative working, we aim to ensure that every student receives the support they need to thrive academically, socially and emotionally. Together, we aspire to develop confident, resilient and independent young people who are prepared for their next stage of education, employment and adult life.

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Copies of our Policy on Assessment of, and Provision for Students with Special Educational Needs are available from the College reception.