SEND
Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND)
SEND Lead: Amy Clewlow
Who We Support
Intuition School is an independent special school and alternative provision providing a nurturing, inclusive and highly personalised education for young people aged 11–16.
Our special school supports pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), including pupils with Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs). We also provide alternative provision for young people who may not have an EHCP but who require a different approach or environment to successfully access and engage with education.
The young people we support may have needs associated with social, emotional and mental health (SEMH), autism and other forms of neurodiversity, communication and interaction, sensory processing, anxiety, emotional regulation, attendance and engagement with education. Some pupils may have experienced disrupted education or found it difficult to access a mainstream educational environment.
Every referral is considered individually to ensure that Intuition can appropriately meet the young person's needs.
Identifying Individual Needs and EHCP Outcomes
Understanding the whole young person is central to our approach. We consider information from EHCPs where applicable, previous and current educational settings, assessments, parents and carers, local authorities and other professionals. This is combined with pupil voice, our own observations and ongoing assessment to develop a clear understanding of each young person's strengths, needs and barriers to learning.
Where a pupil has an EHCP, the identified needs, provision and outcomes within the plan inform their individual programme. EHCP outcomes are incorporated into meaningful individual targets and day to day provision, with progress monitored and reviewed, including through the Annual Review process.
For pupils accessing alternative provision without an EHCP, individual needs and intended outcomes are identified through referral information, assessment, observation and consultation with the young person, family, commissioning school, local authority and relevant professionals where appropriate.
Personalised SEND Support
Our provision is personalised around the individual rather than expecting the young person to fit a standard approach.
We recognise that sensory processing, communication and emotional regulation can significantly affect a pupil's ability to feel safe and access learning. Depending on individual need, support may include:
- sensory strategies and access to appropriate spaces or resources;
- adapted communication, visual information and additional processing time;
- predictable routines and clear expectations;
- regulation and coregulation strategies;
- movement or regulation breaks;
- adaptations to the environment, pace or presentation of learning; and
- other reasonable adjustments required to reduce barriers to participation.
We seek to understand what a young person's behaviour may be communicating and support pupils to recognise their own needs, develop regulation strategies and become increasingly confident in communicating and advocating for themselves.
Individualised Timetables and Therapeutic Support
Where appropriate, pupils have individualised therapeutic visual timetables that provide structure and predictability while reflecting their educational, emotional and sensory needs.
Timetables can incorporate academic learning alongside planned regulation opportunities, sensory activities, pastoral support and therapeutic or specialist interventions. They can be adapted in response to the young person's needs while maintaining the consistency and structure they require.
Our holistic approach recognises that academic progress, emotional wellbeing and personal development are interconnected. Where specialist therapeutic support or professional recommendations form part of a young person's provision, we work with relevant professionals and seek to incorporate agreed strategies into their everyday educational experience.
Alternative Provision
An EHCP is not required to access Intuition's alternative provision.
Our alternative provision supports young people who may be experiencing barriers to attendance, engagement or progress within their existing educational setting and who may benefit from a smaller, more personalised and supportive environment.
Each placement has individually identified aims and outcomes. We work with the commissioning school and/or local authority to monitor attendance, engagement, wellbeing and educational progress and to plan appropriate next steps, including reintegration, transition or progression to another suitable destination.
Transition and Preparation for Adulthood
Transitions are planned carefully according to each young person's individual needs. This includes joining Intuition, transitions within their education and moving on to further education, training or another appropriate destination.
Preparation for adulthood is embedded within our approach and, where applicable, linked to EHCP outcomes. Depending on the pupil's age and needs, this may include independence and life skills, communication and self advocacy, social development, accessing the community, careers education and guidance, employability and preparation for further education or training.
Our aim is to help young people understand their strengths and needs, develop greater independence and confidence, and make informed choices about their future.
Working in Partnership
Partnership working is central to our provision. We value the knowledge that parents and carers have of their child and encourage their involvement in discussions about needs, progress, provision, reviews and future planning.
We work collaboratively with placing and commissioning local authorities, schools and relevant education, health and social care professionals. This includes contributing to EHCP and Annual Review processes where applicable, reviewing progress and outcomes, sharing appropriate information and supporting transition planning.
Where a young person's needs change, we work with the pupil, family, local authority, commissioning school and relevant professionals, as appropriate, to consider the support and next steps required.
Assessing Progress and Annual Reviews
Progress at Intuition is considered holistically and reflects each young person’s individual starting points, needs and intended outcomes. We assess and monitor academic progress alongside engagement, attendance, communication, emotional regulation, social development, independence and personal development, as appropriate to the individual pupil. Please see our curriculum policy for details on specific assessment tools.
Assessment is informed by ongoing teacher assessment, observations, pupil work, individual targets and other relevant information. For pupils with an EHCP, progress towards identified EHCP outcomes is also monitored and used to inform future planning and provision. For pupils accessing alternative provision without an EHCP, progress is reviewed against the individual aims and outcomes agreed for their placement.
Where a pupil has an EHCP, Intuition contributes to the statutory Annual Review process. The review considers the young person’s progress towards their EHCP outcomes, whether their needs or circumstances have changed, the effectiveness and appropriateness of current provision, and their aspirations and plans for the future.
Pupil voice and the views of parents and carers are an important part of the review process. We work collaboratively with families, the local authority and relevant professionals to share information, review progress and consider whether any changes to outcomes, provision or future planning may be required.
Our Commitment
Whether a young person attends Intuition with an EHCP or accesses our alternative provision without one, our approach starts with understanding the individual.
We aim to create a safe, nurturing and supportive environment where barriers to education are identified and reduced, individual needs are understood and young people are supported to make meaningful academic, social and personal progress.
Our goal is for pupils to leave Intuition with greater confidence, independence, resilience and understanding of themselves, prepared for their next stage of education and adulthood.