Special Educational Needs

The school assists in the implementation of a broad range of strategies designed to enhance early learning and to prevent and manage learning difficulties.

To this end, our Special Educational Needs (SEN) team is equipped to support pupils with a range of different needs.

From Year 3, pupils sit for Cognitive Abilities Tests (CATs). These help to identify young children who are possibly experiencing learning difficulties. Results of these tests are published confidentially to teaching staff to help our teachers to ensure that pupils can be supported, and challenged, appropriately.

Pupils may receive in-class support in some of their lessons, one-to-one or small group tuition, or a combination of these, depending on their level and type of need. Pupils with behavioural and emotional difficulties may also receive support from the team in the form of mentoring and monitoring.

An important member of the team is the Student Counsellor. Pupils, and their parents, may contact the Counsellor in case of any worries or concerns, however great or small, for which additional support may potentially be required.

Parents of pupils at the school who have more complex problems may be recommended, where necessary, additional external help from specialists include Speech and Language Therapists, Occupational Therapists, Psychologists and Counsellors.

Assessment referral

It is also possible for teachers to refer children for assessment within the school, in order to identify difficulties in more detail and define strategies for teachers and parents to support them in their learning.

St George’s acknowledges that some pupils may have difficulties at a level which may not be possible to manage adequately within the school, and in these rare cases the Principal of the school will be consulted. In such cases the school may ask for additional funding to support the needs of these students.