SEND & Inclusion

In School Testing

Dyslexia Screening

This is a probability of dyslexia screening test not a formal diagnosis.

The computer based LUCID Screening Test is in three parts;-

1. Phonological processing – this tests how pupils can hear the different parts of familiar words and separate them out.
2. Auditory sequential memory - this tests if pupils can remember information or numbers and put it in sequence. Dyslexic people also often have difficulty in sequencing.
3. Phonic decoding skills – this tests how pupils can use knowledge of phonics to read unknown words. One of the most common and troublesome difficulties in dyslexia is in acquiring what teachers usually refer to as ‘phonics’, i.e. in learning the relationship between letters and sounds using this knowledge to decode unfamiliar words and write words that are spelled regularly. This results in difficulties in acquiring the skills of reading, writing and spelling.

Dyscalculia Screening

• We have a basic test which will indicate the likelihood of dyscalculia, there is no definitive test, we can only get an indication.
• Irlens Screening
• This is conducted by a computer based LUCID VISS stress test. Irlen’s is a visual perceptual dysfunction related to difficulties with glare, light source, intensity, wave lengths of light and black/white contrasts.
• Sufferers can experience background interference and/or print distortions, which inhibits their ability to read letters, numerals, graph paper, musical notes and maps etc. Also, fluorescent lighting and black writing on a white board (both at book and board distance) can intensify these difficulties.

Learning Support Centre

At SWS we are committed to ensuring that your child is able to reach their full potential

We have a passionate and enthusiastic team with a wealth of experience and expertise in SEND who deliver a high standard of care and support to our young adults.

Assistant SENDCo

Miss Lydia Chapleo: Lydia.chapleo@sws.cheshire.sch.uk

Please feel free to contact us should you have any concerns or queries.

Literacy Intervention

At SWS we are committed to ensuring that your child is able to reach their full potential

HOW?

We run a literacy intervention programme across the whole of KS3 for an initial 8 week period concentrating on key literacy skills. Students are assessed every 8 weeks and are offered further intervention if required.

WHY?

Our aim is to increase the reading age of students whose reading age is below their chronological age. It is of paramount importance that our students are able to fully develop their literacy skills. This ensures a firm basis to start KS4 and their GCSE option subjects. Most GCSE exam papers have a minimum reading age of 14 years. If a student's reading age is below this they may struggle to access the exam paper and therefore not achieve their full potential.

How can you help?

• Read with your child and share books.
• Keep it short—little and often is the key.
• Discuss books that you have read, it is important that they understand what they have read.
• Play word games—e.g. Write a long word down for your child and see how many other words they can make out of it.
• Find books on a subject that you know your child is interested in, and at a level that they can read.
• Praise your child.

Numeracy Intervention

At SWS we are committed to ensuring that your child is able to reach their full potential.

HOW?

We run a numeracy intervention programme across the whole of KS3 for an initial 8 week period concentrating on addition, subtraction, multiplication and division. Students are assessed every 8 weeks using whole school assessment and are offered further intervention if required.

WHY?

The main aim of the programme is to enable the students to achieve their potential in Maths using strategies developed in the intervention.

It is essential that our students are able to fully develop their numeracy skills as this will help with everyday number problems experienced both inside and outside of school.

How can you help?

• Practise times tables on car journeys or at the tea table.
• Use TV listings to discuss what time their favourite programme starts and how long it is on for.
• Help them with their Maths homework.

Specific Learning Difficulties (SpLD)

Dyslexia

Students who suffer from any of the problems associated with dyslexia are screened for dyslexia using an online test. The test measures a student's response to non-stressful and stressful visual situations. The system then rates a students risk of suffering from dyslexia. This information is then conveyed to class teachers and staff to ensure that dyslexic strategies are used in the classroom to enable students to access the curriculum and reach their full potential. The process tests 3 main areas; phonological processing (word chopping), auditory sequential memory (ability to recall heard information in its correct order) and phonic decoding skills (ability to break down into chunks or sounds).

Irlen Syndrome

Students who suffer from any of the problems associated with Irlen Syndrome are screened for Irlens using an online test.  The system tells us where the problem lies and also what level of risk a student is at of suffering from Irlen Syndrome. By using this system we can determine whether or not your child would benefit from using a coloured overlay and which areas teachers need to focus on in class to assist your child to access the curriculum.

Students can be referred for testing via concerns raised by Raising Standards Leads, class teachers, teaching assistants and parents/carers.

We have a passionate and enthusiastic team with a wealth of experience and expertise in SEN who deliver a high standard of care and support to our students. Please feel free to contact us should you have any concerns or queries.

What is Dyslexia?

Dyslexia is a learning difficulty that primarily affects the skills involved in accurate and fluent word reading and spelling.
A dyslexic person might have any of the following problems:

• S/he might see some letters as backwards or upside down
• S/he might see text appearing to jump around on a page
• S/he might not be able to tell the difference between letters that look similar in shape such as o and e and c
• S/he might not be able to tell the difference between letters that have similar shape but different orientation, such as b and p and d and q
• The letters might look all jumbled up and out of order
• The letters and words might look all bunched together
• The letters of some words might appear completely backwards, such as the word bird looking like drib
• S/he might see the letters ok, but not be able to sound out words -- that is, not be able to connect the letters to the sounds they make and understand them
• S/he might be able to read the words o.k. but not be able to make sense of or remember what she reads, so that she finds herself coming back to read the same passage over and over again.

A dyslexic person could have any of the above symptoms, or none! It is possible for a dyslexic person to be able to read very well, yet find it extremely difficult or impossible to write or spell.

Irlen Syndrome

What is Irlen Syndrome? (Also called Scotopic sensitivity)

Irlen Syndrome causes eye problems for many people because it alters the way they see things. These eye problems are based on their visual perception. The eyes are not the main source of the problem. The problems are caused by the way in which the brain interprets the visual information that is being sent through the eyes.

GENERAL PROBLEMS

• Eye strain working under bright lighting
• Difficulty finding comfortable lighting
• Poor concentration
• Lack of attention
• Strain working at a computer
• Glare from bright objects
• Headaches from:- reading, computers, lighting, TV, supermarkets

READING

• Poor comprehension
• Skips words or lines
• Reads slowly or hesitantly
• Loses place
• Takes frequent breaks
• Avoids reading
• Eye strain

JUDGING DISTANCES

• Clumsy
• Accident prone
• Bumps into things
• Difficulty catching small objects

OTHER PROBLEMS

• Difficulty with number columns
• Difficult reading music
• Difficulty writing on a line
• Unequal spacing when writing

As a school we endeavour to support our families from a holistic angle which does mean we often try to support families with ideas, information and links to help children while at home.  There are moments when families need to gain advice or look for strategies that can help.

SEND Useful links

We work closely with Cheshire Young Carers to offer support and guidance to the young carers in Sir William Stanier.

Our young carers have weekly meetings with our school assigned link from Cheshire Young Carers, where they have an opportunity to discuss their lived experience over the week and are given a variety of opportunities through the Cheshire Young Carers programme to meet other young carers. This includes school respite programmes which run over the school holidays and monthly activities through “Team YAC”. Working closely with Cheshire Young Carers, Sir William Stanier strives to give our young carers the best balance of support both in school and at home.

If you wish to find out more about Cheshire Young Carers, please visit their website by clicking on this link: https://www.cheshireyoungcarers.org/

Feedback 

“I have been made to feel so welcome by all members of staff and students, as a visitor I feel very privileged to come into school to work with your young carers. Through my time speaking with the young carers they have all expressed how much they love attending SWS and feel supported by staff, they have great things to say about science (I have never been into a school where all the pupils I have spoken to have said science is their favourite subject), the year 10 and 11 pupils I have spoken to have clear direction of what they want to do after they have left school and have said they feel supported by the relationship between the school and college.”

Sarah-Jane Dickinson, Cheshire Young Carers.