Page 40 - Beacon Hill School Annual Report 2016-17

Special Educational Needs Special Educational Needs

The Beacon Hill School SEN department has ESF to look at ways to embed the social thinking
had a busy year full of changes. This year we curriculum into our teaching. Following on

said goodbye to Mrs Belinda McLaughlin who from this we were invited to present a shorter
we are proud to say has gone on to ‘head-up’ workshop aimed at using specific resources
the ESF as SEN advisor for kindergarten and to approach emotional regulation. We continue

primary- we wish her the best of luck in her new to look for opportunities to bring this learning
role. Mrs Colette Davis moved into the position to all of our children at BHS and not just

of head of SEN at BHS and we welcomed back those with social communication difficulties.
Mrs Rosie Fletcher as LSC teacher for Years In today’s world we believe that strong social
5 and 6. Alongside Ms Rhona Barr and Ms skills are a necessity for all! We have done

Haymen Mak, we have continued to work this through whole school assemblies, displays
closely as a team to ensure that BHS remains around the school and looking for opportunities

as always an inclusive school promoting equal in Units of Inquiry during year group planning.
opportunities for all of our students. Our team In term 2, we worked closely with colleagues
plan alongside mainstream teachers to ensure at Kennedy School to find opportunities within

that differentiation is carried out within the pyp their curriculum to embed aspects of social
curriculum and that all of our children’s needs thinking as well. Close relations with the other

are met. We are extremely well supported by ESF schools and the ESF Special Needs team
a team of excellent EAs who bring with them ensures that we are continually searching
a wealth of experience working with children for best practise and sharing new ideas and

with a wide range of individual needs. We said innovations.
goodbye to Mrs Brigitte Lussiere who has

retired this year and will be missed by both As always we prioritise working closely with
our team and the children she supported. our parent group and have maintained strong
links this year. In term 2 we held a weekly

A strong focus for us at BHS is the emotional parent group for parents of children with
Special Educational and social well being of our students. We use a special educational needs. This was a great

broad range of resources and social curricula opportunity for us at BHS to share some of the
to help promote well being in our students strategies and tools that we use when teaching
and to help them with social communication. social thinking and emotional regulation. Equally
Needs Our whole teaching department attended a important, this group provided an opportunity

workshop with the founders of the social for parents to share their experiences and

thinking curriculum and were inspired and learn from each other. Meanwhile the children
motivated by the fantastic ideas that were on practised their social skills in a less formal
offer. This year we were invited to present a setting and enjoyed an opportunity to further

whole day workshop to colleagues across the develop their skills. Feedback was extremely