Special Educational Needs
At Whitefield School, inclusion is at the heart of everything we do. We are deeply committed to creating an environment where every student feels valued, supported, and empowered to succeed. Our vision for inclusion extends beyond the academic curriculum, embracing all aspects of school life. We strive to eliminate barriers to learning and participation through structured support, close monitoring, and exceptional teaching and learning opportunities, ensuring every child can thrive and reach their full potential.
We provide personalised support to help our students grow as confident, independent learners. A key focus is improving literacy skills for all. Our experienced Literacy Team promotes a love of reading and provides targeted support for students who need additional help. Through tailored interventions, such as one-to-one and small group sessions, we ensure that literacy challenges never hinder achievement. Our goal is for every student to access and enjoy a rich variety of high-quality literature regularly, fostering a lifelong love of learning and reading.
Autism Resource Provision
The Whitefield ARP (Autism Resource Provision) is deeply committed to ensuring that our students receive the essential scaffolding and support necessary to not only access mainstream classes but also to actively participate in the social fabric of school life. We understand that each student possesses unique needs, and as such, we meticulously assess and agree upon individualised timetables that strike an optimal balance between studying within the Whitefield ARP and engaging in mainstream classes.
Recognising that students may have differing priorities, we are dedicated to accommodating these needs by offering a tailored curriculum within the Whitefield ARP. Here, students have the opportunity to benefit from specialised services such as speech and language therapy, occasional occupational therapy, as well as comprehensive education in Personal Social and Relationships Education (RSHE). Additionally, we provide pre- and post-tutoring sessions aimed at enhancing their academic performance. Moreover, we offer designated 'catch-up time' and dedicated support for students who may encounter difficulties in completing homework assignments at home.
Key Information
We have listed below some key information for parent and carers, for further information please see the attached SEND polic documents at the bottom of the page.
How does the school ensure that children/young people who need extra help are identified early? What should a parent do if they think their child may have special educational needs?
- Some students arrive at Whitefield School with identified SEND, in which case the SENCo will liaise with the previous school or special unit to ensure there is a smooth transition and continuity of provision. Information will be gathered, including seeking the views of parents and the pupil, as well as from teachers and assessments.
- There can be many reasons for learners ‘falling behind.’ These may include absences, attending lots of different schools, difficulties with speaking English or worries that distract them from their learning. The school understands that students who experience these barriers to learning are vulnerable. This does not mean that all vulnerable learners have SEND, only those with a learning difficulty that requires special education provision will be identified has having SEND.
What support does the school offer for children and young people's overall health and wellbeing?
- We have a dedicated team of Pastoral Support Officers (PSOs) who support children in the school with all and any difficulty. They get to know each individual child very well and work closely with parents and carers to ensure their child gets the best out of their time at Whitefield School. PSOs should be the first point of contact for any question or concern about your child. They can direct you to the correct person to speak to and take part in Inclusion Meetings and can raise concerns and refer children.
- We have two school counsellors who work in the school on a part time basis and for different tiers and levels of need. We have a dedicated counselling room, which is a safe and consistent space for pupils to engage in therapy programs, mentoring and counselling. We work closely with CAMHS (Child and Adult Mental Health Services) and BICS (Barnet Integrated Clinical Services) to support children who are on their caseload.
- Learning Support is always open to children to offer them a safe space to come and discuss any concerns, get advice or interact. We run various clubs before school, during breaks and after school.
- We encourage children to develop their social skills through real life activities like games clubs but also offer social skills groups and other interventions.
What specialist services and expertise are available at or accessed by the school?
- We have a school counsellor on site who students can book in appointments with.
- We work closely with outside agencies including Speech and Language, Education Psychologists, Mental Health Services, Family Support, Social Care, Autism Advisory Team, Barnet Inclusion Team, Physiotherapists, Occupational Therapists. When necessary we buy into these services to fulfil the needs of the pupils.
- We have one Higher Level Teaching Assistants and trained Teaching Assistants.
- Our SENCO holds the National Training Award for SENCOs.
How are children/young people included in activities outside the classroom including school trips?
- We are an inclusive school and children are included in all areas of the curriculum. This includes extra-curricular activities and trips. As a faculty, we strive to ensure that all pupils are included in school trips and activities. Full risk assessments are carried out before any visits.
How does the school support children/young people when they transfer to a new school / college or the next stage of education and life?
- We provide advice and guidance for students on making the next choices at Key Stage 4. In year 11, we provide specialist careers advice to help students make decisions on the best routes for employment, training or Further/Higher Education.
How are parents involved in school life?
Parents/Carers play an important part in their child’s education. We value their opinion and expertise.
We share information with parents in a variety of ways;
- regular phone calls home
- letters
- website
- postcards home
- emails
- termly reports
- review meetings
- parent meetings
- open evenings
- multi-agency meetings with parents as required
Who can a parent/carer contact for further information?
- We encourage parents to contact their child’s Tutor/Year Team Leader if they have any questions or concerns. The Tutor/Year Team Leader knows your child the best here in school and they can communicate with various class teachers or departments to find answers to questions about specific subjects.
- The school SENCO – Ms Khasheena Beddoes can be reached via email; Kbe@whitefields.barnet.sch.uk
- Whitefield ARP lead teacher - Mr Figueiredo can be reached via email; Nfi@whitefield.barnet.sch.uk
We try to deal with every issue that a parent raises. We ask that you are patient with us, we are working hard to support you and your child. Every child is unique and important to us but sometimes we don’t have the luxury that a parent has on focusing on just one child, we have many children to support and referrals and waiting lists in the borough can be long
