At Shrewsbury High School, we know that your child is an individual and each child has different needs. Where possible, all teachers endeavour to meet every pupil’s need within the classroom through excellent teaching and comprehensive departmental support. For many pupils, this is more than sufficient. For those pupils who need more targeted support, we have a number of personalised short courses which are delivered by a member of the Learning Enhancement team. This short course will support your child to catch up with others, and we usually find that pupils no longer need any additional support afterwards.
If a child needs a more complex level of support, both the Junior and Senior School have qualified and experienced Special Educational Needs Co-ordinators (SENDCO) who can better assist your family with organising the correct pathway for your child’s education. This can be discussed at an initial meeting prior to starting at our school with follow-up meetings planned throughout their time with us.
Communication is very important to us and we endeavour to create a partnership between parents, teaching and support staff, and the individual to ensure success. We pride ourselves on working closely with families and ensuring parents are given opportunities to discuss support plans regarding their child. Success depends on regular communication between home and school.
Pastorally, our department is always available for your child. Throughout the school, our teams include a number of teaching assistants who work with teachers and pupils in lessons and are always a friendly face to turn to if your child needs any help. In addition to this, both SENDCOs are part of the Pastoral Committee at SHS and understand that the transition from Year 6 to Seniors can be a challenging time for some pupils. By working closely, Mrs Thomas (Senior School) and Mrs Lock (Junior School), ensure your Year 6 child will make a smooth transition through regular visits to the Senior School site, meeting their Form Tutor and getting to know their new Head of Year (in addition to the two transition days we already have on offer). This has been a great success—with pupils less worried about the ‘big move.’
Our department strives to know your child—strengths, ambitions, interests, hopes for the future, as well as their needs. We are an inclusive school with small class sizes and excellent special educational needs provision. Through personalised support and superb pastoral care, we have seen pupils truly thrive no matter what barriers they have. If you would like to discuss how we can enhance the learning of your child, whatever their starting point, please do not hesitate to arrange a meeting.
Natalie Thomas (Seniors) and Emma Lock (Juniors)
