Inclusion / SEND Department  

Perryfields Academy is a fully inclusive mainstream secondary school, which is committed to meeting the needs of all students, including those with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). We aim to celebrate their success and increase their development through a diverse mainstream curriculum with integrated specialist support and varied teaching styles so that they gain the skills and confidence they need in their future lives. All members of Perryfields Academy are entitled to be valued equally and to enjoy respect as individuals.  

The Inclusion team is led by Sarah Thompson, SENDCo/Assistant Headteacher, and Joseph Loone, Deputy SENDCo. We have two intervention coordinators, one for SEMH and one for Learning. We also have an Inclusion manager who runs the Inclusion base for students who are unable to access their lessons and a study support teacher who leads small intervention classes for English and Maths. In addition to this, the team is supported by a full time SEND administrator. The team is made up of 9 LSPs who have a wide range of knowledge and experience. All LSPs are key workers and lead intervention groups / small group work on a weekly basis.                            

Our aim is to identify any student’s SEND need as early as possible in order to put in place appropriate interventions and resources. Students who face challenges in their learning, despite receiving high-quality teaching, will be likely to need additional strategies, or different provision, in order to meet their needs, removing barriers to learning by deploying effective special educational provision. We also have a specialist team to support students with SEMH needs.  

The Inclusion department runs a wide range of interventions and provisions on offer at Perryfields and these are open to all students. We run over 20 intervention sessions per week. These range from: Sandwell Numeracy, VIP, Stairway to Spelling, CBT and social skills.  Additionally, we run a wide range of activities to support SEND students including homework club, lunch and break Time Social Clubs.