Overview

Here at Upton-by-Chester High School, the Supportive Education Department wants to ensure that all of our learners have full access to a high quality education within a broad, balanced and relevant curriculum. We believe that this will enable them to reach their full potential and enhance their self-esteem. We work hard to ensure that this happens alongside their peers, within the normal curriculum of mainstream school, and will involve the parents and learners in meeting their needs.

'Pupils flourish in this school’s nurturing and inclusive environment.' (Ofsted 4^th Feb 2025)

Staff in Supportive Education:

Supportive Education has a dedicated team, and consists of specialist Teachers and Teaching Assistants.

• Miss J. Fisher KS3/Transition SENCO
• Mr M. Jones: KS4/5 SENCO
• Mrs J. Jackson: Assistant SENDCO
• Miss M. Carter: SEND Administrator
• Miss S. Hitchen: Nurture Teacher
• Mrs C. Wilson: Behaviour Pathway

Email the department: SENCO@uptonhigh.co.uk

At Upton-by-Chester High School our vision is clear and it is expressed in our school mission statement, ‘Learning to Shape the Future.’ This really does capture what is at the heart of the school. Upton-by-Chester High School promotes the learning and wellbeing of learners with special educational needs. We strive to ensure that learners are given the opportunities within school to achieve their potential with the support and guidance of teachers and support staff. We are focused on creating an inclusive environment, where provision is tailored to the needs and abilities of learners, no matter how varied.

Our approach to teaching learners with SEND:

High quality teaching is our first step in responding to learners who have SEND. This will be adopted for individual learners. All teachers and Teaching Assistants at Upton-by-Chester High School are trained in the Maximising Success Model.

We will also provide the following interventions:

• Nurture group
• Additional literacy lessons
• Study Skills classes
• Supervised homework club

We make the following adaptations to ensure all learners’ needs are met:

• Adapt our curriculum to ensure all learners are able to access it, for example, by grouping, 1:1 work, teaching style, content of the lesson, etc.
• Adapting our resources and staffing
• Using recommended aids, such as laptops, coloured overlays, visual timetables, larger font, etc
• Adapting our teaching, for example, giving longer processing times, pre-teaching of key vocabulary, reading instructions aloud, etc.

Teaching assistants will support learners when they have an Education Health Care Plan (EHCP) or Top-Up Funding.