Academic Support
Academic Support at Reed's is an integral part of the school and the department is equipped with an array of learning resources and the latest technology to help pupils with specific learning difficulties (SpLDs).
The department is positioned in a central location of the school in the Shell building. We have four spacious classrooms which have whiteboard walls, large screens and beanbags to sit on.
We support pupils who mainly have mild dyslexia, dyspraxia, ADHD and ASC as well as pupils who are undiagnosed but have been identified by their Head of House as needing a little extra support. Academic support sessions aim to build on a pupil’s individual strengths, whilst supporting their weaknesses.
The focus with younger pupils is often with literacy or maths. As pupils progress through the school the lessons move towards supporting study skills and exam techniques to suit their learning profile. Every child is different, and support is tailored accordingly, working in a multi-sensory way to address the needs of the pupil.
Lessons are offered on a term-by-term basis, so that those who progress can try and work independently back in lessons and those who require a little more support can continue with lessons for a little longer. This enables pupils to move in and out of the department and get support as the need arises.
Alongside our lessons we offer drop-in sessions which any pupil is free to attend. Study Buddies has a revision focus, Stress Busters is all about trying different ways to relax and Nellie’s Gang enables pupils to meet our therapy dog alongside developing communication skills with the rest of the group. Our aim is to be inclusive, and everyone is welcome to pop in and see us.
Pupils are monitored throughout their time at Reed’s to identify those who may have a discrepancy between their ability and their attainment. Initially, we gather teacher feedback and then our team of specialist assessors can explore the cause of the pupil’s particular difficulty and if necessary, arrange exam access arrangements.
Pupils who arrive with access arrangements will have them reviewed during their time with us to ensure that these continue to reflect their normal way of working at Reed’s School and to ensure that we have sufficient evidence to meet JCQ’s requirements.
Pupils with SEND achieve excellent learning outcomes, with examination results in line with the whole-school average.
