Learning Support

We are committed to taking positive steps to provide a supportive environment for all students. We aim to support all students in line with the Disability Discrimination Act. We believe that no-one should be denied access to study. We provide support by;

Lakes College Local Offer

At Lakes College we provide for a range of SEND needs (Special Educational Needs and Disabilities). Learners who have a learning need or disability following an assessment of need are supported on their chosen programmes of study in a variety of different ways.

These can include:

• reduced class sizes
• qualified and experienced learning support workers
• additional ‘catch-up’ time outside of lessons
• support for Social, Emotional and Mental Health which included a college counsellor and pastoral support
• support for those with specific learning difficulties
• software and assistive technology
• quiet spaces when feeling overwhelmed
• liaison with relevant professionals to ensure personalised provision can be put into place to promote independence and preparation for adulthood and employment

Staff use a 3 wave approach to teaching learners which begins with quality first teaching, then targeted support, followed by enhanced additional provision. Teaching and support staff work closely to ensure strategies and provision are appropriate and learners follow a challenging differentiated programme of study. As a result learners are given every opportunity to follow their chosen career pathway. They are involved in setting targets for themselves and for those learners with and Education Health and Care Plan they are involved in the review of their plans and meetings for this.

Access for People with Disabilities

We aim to ensure that all our facilities are accessible to everyone. If you have difficulty accessing any part of the building, please let us know.

Transition Process

We work closely with local secondary schools and those in resourced provision / special schools to ensure that learners who are transitioning from school to college is a smooth one. We know that any transition between education establishments is a large one which often causes SEND learners a lot of anxiety. Equally with work with adult services and other external services for learners who are transitioning out of college. The learning support and curriculum teams support this process in a variety of ways which involve bespoke plans tailored to each individual learner.

Transitions plan can involve the following:

• attending Year 11 ECHP annual review meetings
• meet with learners within their current setting
• individual tours with parents
• group tours with other learners from school
• taster sessions in the area of interest / applied for
• assessing and ensuring the correct support is in place to facilitate learning once September arrives
• meetings with external agencies to ensure plans are in place to begin before learners leave college

Contact details: Lisa Gracey (Inclusive Learning Leader): lisag@lcwc.ac.uk