SEN Information Report

1. Introduction

Clovelly House School is an SEMH Independent special school situated in a rural area in the Leicestershire countryside. The main school site, for up to 10 pupils, is at Merrylees near Thornton, but the school also has an annex at Enderby which caters for an additional 10 pupils. 

The school ethos at Clovelly is that of a ‘countryside school’ and caters for mixed gender pupils from 10-19 in small class groups of up to 4 in a class. However, most of the classes at Clovelly are delivered on a 1:1 or 1:2 basis. The site at Enderby is more of a ‘moving on’ site where the pupils are expected to have more structure and to work in classes of up to 10 pupils at a time. These pupils are on external examinations routes or are on Independence Plans, and are expected to do some lessons in groups as part of their preparation for college or further education setting. 

The children at the school have, primarily, SEMH challenges, but may also have learning difficulties, specific learning difficulties, some mental health challenges and some physical difficulties. The majority of the pupils have anxiety and stress, school avoidance, and are on the Autism spectrum. Most of the pupils who attend the school will have an ‘Education Health Care’ Plan, (EHCP), and will have experienced some assessments of need. 

The school also offers a robust Outreach program and Remote Learning package for pupils who struggle with onsite education. There are currently two pupils on outreach programs.

The school has a strong Education Leadership Team to support you and your children including:

Principal – Jennifer Collighan, School Head – Ethan Hawkins, SENCO – Neil Robinson, DSL – Ethan Hawkins, Bursar – Tamlyn Brink.

2. Overview of past year

During April 2024, the school had a full OFSTED Inspection and achieved a ‘good’ in all areas. Since then, the school has made significant progress in developing the curriculum and SEN provision. Neil Robinson has been appointed as SENCO since September 2023 and has completed the L7 SENCO award through NASEN. He is supported by Jennifer Collighan and the School Head, both experienced SEN educators. 

3. Information

3.1 Policies

The school has policies and procedures for assessing, identifying and working with pupils with Special Educational Needs. These include: 

Accessibility Policy

Admissions Policy (See School Website)

Assessment Policy

Child Protection Policies and Procedures

Children with Medical Needs Policy

Curriculum Policy (See School Website)

EHCP Review Procedures

Equalities Action Plan

Examinations Policies and Procedures

GDPR Policy

Inclusion Policy

LAC Policy

Pupil Integration Policy

SEND Policy (See School Website)

Teaching and Learning Policy (See School Website)

Transition Policy

Well-being policy

Copies of all policies and procedures are available from the school in hard copy or on the school website: www.clovellyhouse.co. Copies may be obtained by mailing SchoolHead@clovellyhouse.co or by phoning the school on 01455-821253. 

3.2 SEN staffing and training

The Principal, Jennifer Collighan, is an experienced SENCO and is qualified in Special needs. Neil Robinson was appointed to the role of SENCO for the school from September 2023. The School Head is experienced in Special Needs education and the bursar is experienced in providing resources for the SEND school. These four leaders form the SEN team for the school. In addition, the school has a staff team who bring high levels of experience and expertise in working with SEN pupils. The SEN team meets every half term to discuss matters and the Senior Leadership Team, (SLT) has a weekly meeting including an agenda item to discuss SEN matters weekly. The SLT team includes the Principal, the School Heads, the SENCO, and the Bursar who contributes to budget and resourcing.

The school appoints staff members who have experience in working with SEMH pupils and who have a range of specific subject specialisms. To compliment this part-time staff members may be employed to broaden the range of subject offerings in the school. 

The staff team consists of Teachers, Tutors, offering vocational, PE, Outdoor Pursuits and skills courses, as well as teaching Assistants who support all learning in the classroom and out. 

Pupils who show a particular aptitude or interest in a subject will have their needs met by the school sourcing a suitable specialist to teach them where possible.

Staff members are encouraged to engage in ongoing CPD on Wednesday afternoons and ‘Reflective Practice sessions’ on Monday afternoon where the staff team to share good practice and learning from each other and where pupil needs are discussed with the whole staff team.  In addition, when a new child is admitted to the school, the Principal and SENCO prepare a pupil profile as well as an EHCP tracker which is shared with all staff. This is used to inform provision moving forward. 

The school is negotiating to appoint a part-time qualified SALT and OT to support those pupils who need it. 

All staff members are trained in therapeutic and nurture approaches using DDP and PACE overseen by the school counsellor well as using models including ‘Zones of Regulation’ and ‘SCERTS’, overseen by the School SALT. 

During 2023, the whole staff team were trained inhouse in understanding SEN. Other staff members are trained to level 2 in Autism, Epilepsy, Diabetes and managing Allergies. All staff are offered continuous training in SEMH needs.

The school has a CBT trained counsellor who works with all pupils each week. 

The SALT offers regular training in ‘Communication & Interaction’ using strategies such as ‘Zones of Regulation, ‘Talking Mats’, etc. The SENCO and exams team have been trained to apply for access arrangements for pupils who needs support to access formal qualifications. The SENCO delivers or arranges training to cater for SEND needs within delivery of the curriculum.

The trainee OT aide offers weekly individual support for pupils who have sensory and/or motor skills needs and who have been identified as needing specialist support in their EHCP. 

3.3 Systems

The school has a robust SEND policy which is consulted upon by all stakeholders. The SEN team also produces a school provision map, up-to-date SEN information report, minutes of meetings wherein SEND needs are discussed. Where GDPR rules allow, these are available on the school website.

Pupils who are offered outreach or remote learning packages are monitored to ensure that they address any SEND needs of pupils. 

Curriculum planning is personalised for each pupil and addresses their individual needs. Assessment and target setting is closely tied with their SEND needs and, where necessary, access arrangements are applied for to support pupils writing examinations. 

Where necessary, the school provides resources to support pupils with SEN such as enlarged print, handwriting pencils, coloured overlays, SEN reading materials, IT support, scribes, etc. The staff members are also aware of learning styles and try to cater for each child’s specific learning styles. Support may also be provided by offering technology for learning and online learning programs which may be more approachable for pupils. 

This is all recorded in the school’s provision maps which are available, in general, online, and for specific children, in line with GDPR, in the children’s files.

The curriculum and timetable may be adapted for pupils such as breaking the lessons down into shorter units, alternating more formal activities with practical activities and providing opportunities for movement during lessons.

Attention to SEND provision is included in the School Development Plan, 2025/26, (see below)

3.4 Consultation with parents/carers

The school welcomes enquiries from parents and carers of children with Special Needs to discuss the needs of their children. Prospective parents/carers can phone or email Jennifer Collighan, (Principal), and arrange a visit to the school. Visitors are requested to try and make appointments so as not to disrupt the smooth running of the school although if this is not possible, the Principal will try to meet any reasonable request by parents/carers visiting the school. At all times the contributions made by parent/carers will be listened to and valued as important information about the child. 

After placement, parents/carers are encouraged to support the child in their education placement. Parents/carers should arrange a handover about each child in the morning and after school each day to provide a wrap-around service. This may be as easy as a quick text or email each way. 

Each child has a ‘Mentoring Meeting’ at least once a term. Parents/carers are encouraged to attend these to review the child’s progress and to plan new targets for the following half term. Parents/carers are also encouraged to report to and/or attend meetings and contribute to the child’s Personal Education Plan, (PEP), and Education Health Care Plans, (EHCP), reviews. (These may take place by phone call or online video, but parents are encouraged to have face-to-face sessions where possible.) 

Parents/’carers are invited to the Termly Open days held by the school to celebrate the achievements of the children. In addition, the school has a number of social events during the school year such as ‘sports day,’ ‘picnics,’ ‘open days’ etc., which are opportunities to share and celebrate our children’s success with each other. Parents/carers are invited to join in these social events.

3.5 Support for parents/carers 

If a parent/carer has a concern about a young person, or are worried about their learning, they are encouraged to contact the child’s teacher in the first instance and to express their concern and try to find a solution to the problem. If the parent/carer is not satisfied with the response from the teacher, then s/he should escalate the concern or worry to the School Head. 

For more serious concerns, the school also has a ‘Complaints Policy and Procedures’. This is available on the school website, or copies may be obtained by phoning the school on 01455-821253.

If the parent/carer has a safeguarding concern, this must be reported to the DSL or the Principal, who function as the Safeguarding Officers for the school. If, however, the concern is about the DSL or Principal, the parent/carer should refer the matter to the Local Authority Designated Officers, (LADO), Kim Taylor on 0116-3055141 or Lovono Brown on 0116-3058161. Parents/carers can contact the Local Authority safeguarding officers at any time if they feel that they can’t speak to anyone in the school. 

3.6 Arrangements for Consulting with Pupils 

The school has a very personalised approach to teaching children and young people. Pupil voice is considered to be important for building relationships, maximising learning and for the smooth running of the school. Given the small classes, to a maximum of four, but more usually one to two, pupils have constant opportunities to discuss with the tutor, contribute to the school and to verbalise their views and are given feedback on each lesson. Children are consulted at the referral stage, where possible, and, during induction, the children are encouraged to do some assessments, including verbal and oral sessions where they can plan their learning with education staff. The results are shared with children, where appropriate, and forward planning is done with the child. 

Clovelly House School has a school meeting weekly with pupils which is an opportunity for collective discussion about school matters. The school also has a school counsellor who works with all children weekly during individual ‘talk time’. 

Local Authorities may request and fund additional individual therapy sessions for children and these also give the young person an opportunity for working through and verbalising their challenges with their own therapist.

3.7 Assessment and Review of Progress

When the young person is first placed in the school, the school will endeavour to obtain previous data about the pupils’ education history. Following this, the school will undertake a comprehensive assessment of the pupil’s needs. This includes standardised assessment in basic literacy, basic numeracy, Cognitive Ability Tests, learning styles, Assessment of Specific learning difficulties, Boxall and other tests. The assessment period may take up to twelve weeks. 

Teachers and tutors will use ‘Continuous Assessment’ in the classroom based on the ‘Mastery to Learning’ steps. 

The Local Authority may also request an Educational Psychology Assessment which can be contracted out to the Educational Psychologist for a more formal assessment of learning.

Once the school has the above information these results are used to set goals and to plan learning opportunities for the child according to his/her abilities and interests.  These are reviewed half termly with parents/carers where possible at the child’s PEP review and Mentoring meeting.

All tutors/teachers are required to write a full school report for each child at the end of the school year, or to coincide with the child’s PEP, LAC review or his/her entrance to the school. This will be shared with parents/carers and relevant professionals.

Please see the school ‘Assessment Policy’.

3.8 Transition

Where possible pupils who enter the school will have a transition period when moving from their previous home/placement to the new school. This will allow pupils to visit the school and enter into dialogue about their future in the school. 

Given the small size and location of the school and the small staff team, pupils who attend Clovelly House School will have a seamless transition between phases, KS2 to KS3 and KS3 to KS4. 

The school attends to transition between the school and college placements or moving on placements. In year 10 and year 11, pupils may be encouraged to attend part-time college courses to do taster courses in vocational studies in Leicester. These may take place with Clovelly House staff support and helps to build the pupil’s tolerance and independence. In cases where the pupil is moving on to full-time college, this will be prepared with dialogue, visits, meetings with the new support officer/tutor and other relevant persons. At all times the pupil will be consulted and asked for their opinion. All plans for transition will be recorded in a ‘Transition plan’. 

Please see ‘Transition Policy’.

3.9 Teaching pupils with SEN

At all times the school has high expectations for pupil achievement. The school has a robust ‘Curriculum Policy’ and a ‘Teaching and Learning Policy’ which are available on the school website. Plans for teaching pupils with SEN depend on their specific needs. Children who have learning difficulties will have a moderated curriculum to allow them to make progress according to their abilities. Assessment opportunities will be made by using ‘Unit awards’ and ‘ASDAN award scheme’ levels. 

Children who have specific learning difficulties will have a personalised curriculum and tutors will use learning styles according to their interests and abilities. Pupils may have a package of GCSE level examinations combined with Functional Skills and BTech exams.

This year, the school has introduced a portfolio of ASDAN awards to develop pupil vocational skills. In addition, all learning is linked, where possible to careers development in line with new government policy and Gatsby benchmarks.

Pupils who have SEMH needs will have a personalised curriculum to develop their academic stamina and tolerance for formal learning and structure. This may be done through giving small, achievable targets and offering positive incentives, working towards formal examinations. For school refusers, the school uses their own unique model, ‘The Clovelly House Hidden Curriculum’ which is a model based on accelerating and encouraging pupils to build up their ability, tolerance and stamina for formal learning using a nurture approach.  

All pupils will be supported to work towards obtaining qualification and formal learning will be encouraged and valued, leading to GCSE results where possible. Where pupils would find it difficult to access GCSE’s within the timeframe allowed, pupils will be entered for Functional Skills qualifications, B Tecs, ASDAN Awards and AQA Unit awards. 

The school promotes high class teaching and expectations for all pupils, including those with SEN and ‘Protected Characteristics.    

3.10 Adapting the Curriculum and Learning Environment

Given the small class groups in the school, it is possible to personalise the curriculum and learning for each child. The school will use graded assessment steps to help pupils to experience success at the lowest level, thereby building BTech and Functional Skills through to GCSEs, Foundation and Higher.

The learning environment may also be adapted by offering a wide range of vocational and practical qualifications which may offer opportunities for pupils to experience success and achievement. These are aimed at building self- esteem, identity and career opportunities. The rural environment and large site of the school are conducive to a range of such qualifications which may be accredited through ASDAN and BTec routes. 

3.11 Self-Evaluation

The school has a comprehensive SIEF, (self-assessment form) which identifies strengths and areas for development for the school. It also has a School Development Plan, (SDP), which is reviewed throughout the year to determine progress towards meeting objectives. The school is also subject to OFSTED inspections and is required to meet the Independent School Standards. 

The Principal uses this information together with the following information to evaluate the progress of the school and to set objectives for the following school year:

Quality Assurance Surveys

Pupil feedback

Parent/carer feedback

Staff feedback

Therapist feedback

Complaints

Care Home Manager Meetings

Feedback from Professionals

Local Authority audits of the school 

In addition, the school is happy to make changes for the better in response to appropriate feedback from all stakeholders throughout the school year.

3.12 Equipment and Facilities

To support learning, the school has purchased for each pupil, an online FS course which has built in assessment and progressive plans, leading to the final FS assessments. 

For pupils with higher needs, there is a SEN reading program, and SEN resources in most curriculum subjects. 

The school also has a ‘Sensory’ approach and areas which are accessible to pupils during the school day. Additionally, there are areas in the school and grounds for pupils to go to if they wish. These aim to encourage sensory processing and quiet spaces for self-regulation. These include the reading corner, small pets, the stream and pond, the ‘tree house’, the trampoline, swings, and the gym. 

The school has appropriate ICT equipment and will offer opportunities for pupils to learn through technology according to their responses to formal learning. Pupils may access programs such as online educational programs.  

There are extensive opportunities for ‘land studies’ learning in the surrounding countryside, in the stream surrounding the property, in the pond, in the polytunnel and greenhouse and in the gardens. Pupils will be encouraged to engage in special projects and resources will be sourced for these.  

Additionally, there are extensive facilities for engaging in outdoor pursuits activities in the surrounding areas – these include walking, fishing, golfing, hiking, cycling, sports centres, Birdland, the zoo, animal farms, etc.

3.13 Peer appropriate community and independence activities

Pupils will be encouraged to attend ‘Taster courses’ at a college in Leicester or other lA from year 10 and in year 11. They will have the chance to meet peers from other schools in Leicestershire. Pupils will also be encouraged to join sports groups such as football and basketball, youth groups and join horse riding clubs in the area. When pupils are settled and thriving in the school, the school will source links with local schools for the chance to share resources and offer mainstream opportunities for our pupils. The school has links with the LEBC careers service for professional support. 

3.14 Emotional and Social development

The school has appointed a CBT trained counsellor, and OT aide to work with children if referred by the local authority. In addition, one of the SEN support officers is undergoing training in supporting social, emotional and education assessment, including setting relevant targets and monitoring outcomes. The SENCO also functions as the well-being officer and has been trained to do this role.

In the school PSHE is considered a ‘core’ subject for all pupils who work through the appropriate PSHE curriculum. In addition, the teachers in the school have extensive experience in working with SEMH pupils and the ethos of the school is to adopt a therapeutic approach. To this end all staff members engage in reflective practice, and share information and good practice to support the emotional and social development of the young people. The school has a pastoral support worker who supports individual pupils who are struggling, and all staff members tackle and discourage bullying in the school. 

See ‘Pastoral Care Policy’ and ‘Bullying Policy’.

3.15 External Professionals

The school does not have a Governing Body, however, the Principal has a Senior Leadership team, which includes  the School Business Manager, SENCO and the School Head. This team promotes links with external professionals such as the LAC Nurse, the local Beat Officer, Local Authority officials, CAMHS, YOT team members, and special nurses. These links are promoted for the benefit of the pupil.

The school is regulated by OFSTED, under the Independent Special School Standards, as well as being audited by Local Authorities such as Coventry, Leicestershire and Warwickshire.

3.16 Complaints

The school has a ‘Complaints Policy and Procedure’ which is available on the website. Parents/carers are encouraged to approach the school in the first instance to deal with any issues which may arise, but if they are dissatisfied with the response, may use the ‘Complaints Process’.  All complaints are recorded and stored and are available for OFSTED Inspectors during Inspection proceedings. 

In addition, pupils have access to a pupil complaints leaflet and are encouraged to express their complaints through this process. This is also subject to audit by OFSTED. 

2.17 Outcomes for pupils

The pupils at Clovelly generally have excellent outcomes. They all make measurable progress in their academic achievements and learning. This is evidenced on the school website under ‘results & achievements’. All pupils make very good progress with their SEMH needs. Incidents are reducing in frequency and intensity and pupil participation and engagement is learning is recorded on a lesson-by-lesson basis, thus allowing for weekly monitoring of engagement. Boxall profiles allow for further assessed quantitative tracking of SEMH progress. Graphs of data are monitored half termly by the SLT. All data is accessible to OFSTED and monitoring LAs according to GDPR. 

2.18 Support Services for Parents/carers

According to the SEND Code of Practice, 2015, and the Families Act, 2014, the local authority is responsible for supporting parents/carers to access the ‘Local Offer’. This is an offer which provides funding for pupils with Special Educational Needs to attend an appropriate school and details access to support services. This ‘local offer’ takes into consideration parental/carer choice. 

Parent/carers who are interested in planning their children at Clovelly House School are advised to access this route at www.leicestershire.gov.uk/local-offer.  For support with this contact:

Alison Barnes

Local Offer Co-ordinator

Leicestershire County Council

Room 500

County Hall

Glenfield

Leicestershire LE3 8RA 0116-3058727

3. Additional Provision

The profile of the school is to take pupils with high anxiety and stress as well as higher functioning pupils with autism. Many of the pupils have a history of school refusal and poor attendance. In order to address this, the school puts in gradual transition plans for some pupils and all pupils with attendance difficulties have a robust enhanced action plan to address this. The school supports a policy of positive attendance so that pupils can thrive in the school environment. Therefore, the aim of the school is to reduce the amount of non-attendance over time. 

Pupils who struggle to maintain a placement on-site and with peers, may be offered an outreach program at community centres in Nuneaton or Coalville delivered by school staff. This is highly structured and pupils receive a curriculum package in line with those pupils on site. SEND needs are constantly monitored to ensure that these pupils receive high-quality provision.

Pupils in KS5, 16-19, are offered an individualised package to learn independence and vocational skills and they are supported to seek suitable vocations in line with their SEN needs, interests and abilities.   

4. Conclusion

Although there was a change of SENCO in 2023, the SEND provision at the school is healthy. EHCP annual reviews are monitored and kept up-to-date. SEND considerations are embedded into strategic planning, staff appointments and training, curriculum planning, assessment, preparing for examinations, outreach work and remote learning.

The school is committed to maintaining these high standards.

For all other enquiries please contact Jennifer Collighan (Principal – Clovelly House School – 07853852519)

For More information on our SEN provision please contact Neil Robinson (SENDCO) at Nrobinson@clovellyhouse.co or Jennifer Collighan (Principal) at Jcollighan@clovellyhouse.co