Tettenhall College Academic Support Department recognises the importance of providing a high quality provision for our pupils. We know the importance of each pupil being assessed as an individual and pupils are given support strategies whilst capitalising on their strengths and addressing their individual learning needs.
Highly qualified teaching staff and two teams of teaching assistants that are based within both the Preparatory and Senior School give support to ensure the very best outcomes.
In our Preparatory school our Academic support is available to all pupils from Nursery to Year Six. Our experienced and highly qualified team provide both in class support to those who require it, as well as more focused one-to-one and small group interventions. In our Early Years department any additional needs are supported within the setting, by the experienced practitioners, who have good relationships with the children, to ensure they are happy and confident when working with the adult towards their targets.
Our specialist teachers use a range of tests and methods to assess pupils with a wide range of needs identified by parents or classroom practitioners. We follow a graduated approach to support our children depending on the level of need required. Pupils who required specific strategies in class have a personal ‘One Page Profile’ that identifies their skills, strengths, needs and the best strategies to support them in class. This is shared with all their class teachers.
Where more specific interventions or programmes are required, the in class support or one-to-one and small group sessions are monitored and reviewed closely with the academic support teachers and class teachers. Parents are also included in these discussions and kept informed of their child’s progress and next steps. We also work closely with any outside agencies or professional to ensure a high standard of provision is given to all pupils requiring additional support, including pupils receiving speech and language support or with an EHC Plan.
This programme of support follows up to and throughout the Senior School where the academic support staff work closely with the pastoral and academic staff to ensure that pupils are supported and motivated. In this way we can create a ‘team around the child’ that, with parental/ guardian support, ensures that we have the emotional, pastoral and academic well-being of each individual child as our focus. Pupils are supported in class by TAs who are timetabled in to lessons and work alongside the class teacher to ensure success in reaching targets, as set out in Individual Pupil Plans. If the need is greater, pupils attend small group interventions, which allow for focussed learning within the specialist teaching rooms of the Department.
At Tettenhall College we are committed to providing tailored support to meet all the needs of each child to ensure they reach their full potential. Key, of course, to this is regular and positive communication between home and School.
