WATFORD GRAMMAR SCHOOL FOR GIRLS Learning Enrichment Policy

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1 WATFORD GRAMMAR SCHOOL FOR GIRLS Learning Enrichment Policy FIRST DATE OF ISSUE: - 15 th July 2013 REVIEW DATE: July 2016 ADOPTED BY BOARD OF GOVERNORS: approved

2 1. General Aims and Ethos "To be a centre of excellence and achievement and to provide a wide range of educational opportunities." The ethos of the school requires all pupils to work hard and to translate their full potential into performance. There is a collective responsibility to create a community where there is mutual respect, understanding, trust and consideration for others. The aims of the school apply equally to all pupils: those of outstanding academic ability, those experiencing learning difficulties and all those in between. Learning Enrichment at Watford Grammar School for Girls has always implied particular care for pupils at both ends of the ability spectrum. 2. Learning Enrichment aims: 2.1. To contribute to an environment in which pupils of all abilities feel that all members of the school value their efforts and achievements To develop clear methods for the identification of pupils in need of Learning Support at both ends of the ability spectrum To develop clear methods to assess the learning needs of all pupils To promote effective provision within and across the curriculum to meet the needs of individual pupils To ensure that effective use is made of resources within and beyond the school To support the teaching staff and provide appropriate training where necessary To monitor all aspects of Learning Support. 3. The Role of the Head of Learning Enrichment 3.1. To be responsible for co-ordinating the identification and assessment of More Able Pupils(MAPs) and Less Able Pupils (LAPs) and pupils with Special Educational Needs (SEN) 3.2. To maintain the Learning Enrichment Register (Ys7-13) 3.3. To operate the SEN Code of Practice 3.4. To manage the Student Support Manager and the creation of the Individual Education Plans for LAPs and pupils with SEN To manage and coordinate the Higher Level Teaching Assistants and Teaching Assistants within the Department To lead and deliver Learning Enrichments part of the curriculum, through Integrated Studies, and where possible and appropriate, in class To work with the Gifted and Talented Leading Teacher to support effective and challenging learning within each subject for the MAPs To liaise with pupils, staff, parents and external agencies to provide learning Support 3.9. Identify and manage the testing and arrangements for Exam Dispensations for all internal and external exams.

3 3.10. To liaise with the Exams Officer, IT Team and Cover Manager to ensure all resources and staff are provided for special Exam access arrangements To promote the development of study skills To implement and monitor the study buddy system, and to set up monitoring procedures with the help of the Learning Enrichment Prefects To organise, inform and lead the LS link teachers' group and to play a part with the group in staff training To ensure that her/his own professional development in relation to the role, and the training of the teaching staff, are up to date. The Head of Learning Enrichment will be Line Managed by the Assistant Headteacher responsible for Learning Enrichment. Both liaise with the Governor responsible for Learning Enrichment. 4. Identification and Assessment: Implementing the Code of Practice 4.1. The school maintains a Learning Enrichment Register (LER) that includes all the pupils in the school. The aim of the LER is to gather and show information to identify the LAPs, MAPs and pupils with SEN and support the learning of all pupils. The school employs a variety of means to gather information about pupils new to the school. Prior to joining WGGS: Information from primary school Primary school reports Key Stage 2 results The induction interview After joining Year 7: Teachers' initial observations and assessments Standardized Reading and Spelling Tests Year 7 and 9 WGGS Visual Creativity Test Cognitive Abilities Test Internal review of progress Meeting between Parents and Form Tutor Formal Progress Sheet at end of first term 4.2. From this information, a provisional LER for Year 7 is drawn up. Pastoral and Subject Teachers are consulted. Unless joining WGGS at a specified stage of the Code of Practice, LAP and pupils with SEN will be identified as Stage 1, or Stage P. This provisional status is made definite following the Year 7 Parents' Consultation in the Spring Term, at which point the new pupils are subject to the full implementation of the Code of Practice LAP and/or pupils with SEN will be given an Individual Education Plan (IEP). The Student Support Manager is responsible for identifying the appropriate students then creating and updating the IEP. Pupils who have made sufficient progress may not receive an IEP in subsequent years MAPs are identified using some of the above sources, but principally through teacher nomination of those girls who are performing at a higher level than

4 the majority of the class. Pupils nominated in more than four subjects are deemed More Able The same process will identify any pupil who is particularly Talented and Gifted in any area of the curriculum, whether or not this is seen in more than one subject The LER is available in the Staff Area on the IT network 4.7. The LER will be reviewed each year. Pupils may have their status changed based on the review. 5. Provision within the Curriculum 5.1. It is the responsibility of each Department to provide for pupils of all abilities who are studying that subject. This is to be achieved through appropriately differentiated teaching strategies and materials, coupled with syllabus initiatives. Appropriately structured induction courses are used at transition points to assist pupils to adapt to changes in their learning regime Each Department is also expected to provide a range of Enrichment activities that support and extended the learning for all students Support is planned and delivered for all candidates for higher education, especially for those applying to courses or Institutions that require entrance tests and interviews Integrated Studies is taught in Years 8 and 9 to a small group who do not take a second foreign language A Foundation Learning course maybe created periodically. FL will be provided for students in Year8/9 who would benefit from more support in English, Maths and IT and will be disapplied from MFL completely. The decision to create a FL course will be based on the need within the Year group and individual student assessment data Lower Sixth students volunteer to act as individual Tutors to girls in Years A programme of General Study Skills is taught through PSE to complement the subject specific study skills tuition being given by Departments The Extended Curriculum provides many opportunities for the pupils to develop and display a range of other talents and to try these in competitions and challenges in school and against other schools. 6. Resources 6.1. Funding for Learning Enrichment is drawn from the whole school budget. Resources for whole school provision and for individual LAP that are outside the direct demands of the curriculum will be provided from the LE budget. Departments are responsible for developing a range of teaching materials and these should be drawn from the Departmental budget The LE Prefects meet regularly to help set up the study buddy system as well as monitoring it. The Get Ahead Guide has been produced by the LS Perfects for use with Tutees in a variety of subjects The Head of Learning Enrichment will maintain a resource bank of information about all aspects of LE provision, including differentiation The School Library is a developing centre for a variety of learning resources, and has an extensive stock of academic textbooks and challenging fiction for all abilities.

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6 7. Staff Involvement and Development 7.1. Individual Education Plans (IEP): The Students Support Manager is responsible for creating IEPs. Subject teachers, Form Tutors and Heads of Years and the pupil will be consulted in order to formulate the draft Individual Education Plan. They may attend the meeting with parents at which an existing IEP is reviewed and/or a new IEP is agreed. Subject staff are then primarily responsible for monitoring the pupil's progress towards her targets Subject teachers are informed of any targets on an IEP which pertain to their lessons and may be asked to monitor and report on progress. During this process, other meetings may take place - formally and informally - with colleagues, support staff from the Authority or other agencies The LE Link Teachers Group consists of a representative from all curriculum areas. It meets every term. Information on pupils, courses and resources is discussed; the updated LE Register is discussed; schemes of work and successful teaching strategies are shared. The Link Teachers then report back to their Departments, which incorporate these ideas as appropriate Link Teachers and other staff are involved in delivering INSET on Learning Support, particularly the sharing of good practice for LAPs, MAPs and pupils with SEN. The aim of this involvement is to stimulate and sustain formal and informal discussion among the staff about differentiated teaching strategies and effective learning Information about external training opportunities is disseminated to Departments via the Link teachers. Provision for training in Learning Enrichment is a delegated element of each Department s training budget. 8. Partnerships beyond the school Parents 8.1. The Code of Practice places special emphasis on the need for schools to work with parents. Contacts with parents may be informal or formal at specially convened meetings. Parents are involved at all stages of LE. The annual review of the LER for each year group takes place following the Parents Consultation Evening, to take account of current information from home and school Information provided by parents in the initial application to the school, during the induction process and at yearly Consultation Meetings is valuable in the identification process for LAPs, MAPs and pupils with SEN Parents are involved in drawing up IEPs and setting learning and behaviour targets. They receive a copy of the completed IEP and are asked to monitor progress toward the targets and to contribute to the review prior to the next IEP The school benefits from the voluntary support of parents who work with individual pupils or as teaching support in the classroom.

7 External Professionals 8.5. The school will employ the services of an Educational Psychologist as may be appropriate. She/he carries out assessments of pupils at Stage 3 of the Code, attends Statement Review meetings where relevant and advises teaching staff. The Educational Psychologist also leads Staff training sessions on specific aspects of Learning Enrichment in the classroom The school may also employ the services of a range of specialist support professionals such Speech and Language Therapists to support the learning of individual pupils The school maintains a close working relationship with the Education Welfare Office, which assists school staff in monitoring attendance issues, which often appear as an indicator of learning needs The school will also work with partners such as the Educational Guidance Centre at Chessbrook in supporting pupils with learning and other difficulties. Links have been established with the Learning Enrichment Resource Base at Francis Combe School The Head of Learning Enrichment may also attend the SEN Co-ordinators Secondary Support Group to share good practice and mutual support. The group also provides a forum for discussion of new ideas and initiatives from national or county level. 9. Monitoring and Review 9.1. The effectiveness of this policy will be monitored by the extent to which: Progress of pupils identified on the LE register over the course of time in the school IEPS are in place and teaching staff, pupils and parents are involved in a dialogue to draw them and to review them regularly The Learning Enrichment Register is maintained and updated The effectiveness of the Study Buddy system, will be evaluated each year The minutes of Link Teachers Group Staff Inset sessions on Learning Enrichment matters take place will be evaluated. The Policy will be reviewed as part of the continuing cycle of Policy Review carried out by the School Management Team. Authors : S. Tai and K. Chopra, April 2013 Reviewed by : Leadership Team, 22 nd May 2013 Updated for Governor Review July 2013