The Hub is an inclusive and supportive place where pupils who need extra academic support can access it. We have high expectations for our pupils and our aim is that all our pupils will reach their potential.
We have our own designated building in the school, which comprises five small teaching rooms, a study area, a small classroom, and an office. We currently have six part-time teachers who work in the department with a wealth of experience and expertise between us.
The Hub is not a place that gives continuous extra teaching to pupils and does not provide subject tutoring, as it is expected that Quality First Teaching and subject clinics from subject staff will meet the classroom needs of most pupils. Support is sometimes 1:1 and is sometimes provided in a small group, and is tailored as much as possible to each pupil’s individual needs. Support may be proactive or reactive or a combination of both. For some pupils, support may be to help pupils with their organisation, prioritising tasks, or helping them start off a difficult prep, whilst for others it might be learning good study and revision methods, looking at exam technique, focusing on essay skills or consolidating difficult topics.
Support is usually given 1:1 or in a small group in a 35 minute session, usually once a week or sometimes once a fortnight. Support may be offered on a short or longer-term basis, depending on a pupil’s needs and progress at school. Sometimes a pupil just needs a few support sessions to help them get back on track, as our aim is for pupils to become independent learners who are equipped with a toolkit of strategies that can help them in their learning.
Support is needs-based rather than diagnostic-led, meaning that some pupils with a diagnosis will not need support, whilst others without will receive it. Any pupil can self-refer to The Hub and staff can also refer a pupil to The Hub. Any pupil who we know is starting at King’s, who has had previous support, will be allocated a teacher to check in with them and determine whether they need some small group or 1:1 support.
Support is free and pupils are never taken out of timetabled lessons. Pupils are invited to The Hub for support, but we do not force a pupil to attend, as support is much more effective when the pupils are invested in the process.
There is a pupil Learning Enhancement area on the school intranet with tips on revision, accessibility features and interesting news items relating to neurodiversity. This is also the place where pupils can self-refer for support when needed.
The Learning Enhancement department ensures that all staff in the school understand how to support neurodiverse learners in the school, through inset/training and by providing resources for staff on the school intranet. It is expected that Quality First Teaching in the classroom will meet the needs of most pupils.
The Learning Enhancement department regularly sends out information to pupils on how to revise effectively, via their tutors or directly to their emails.
Metacognition, Maths skills, Study skills, Touch-typing. The department also uses online literacy programmes.
All pupils requiring access arrangements for exams due to a learning difficulty will need to be reassessed once they are at King’s. We usually do this in the Remove year.
On entry to school in Shell, (or for new entrants in Remove, where possible) all pupils are screened by the department using an online tool called Exact, which in conjunction with other information, such as reports and handover information from previous schools, can help flag pupils who may have unidentified learning needs. These pupils are monitored and if there are concerns that a pupil is not making the expected progress, they may be invited for support or an assessment in The Hub.
Most Shell pupils who have had access arrangements at their previous school will be able to continue with these arrangements when they first start at King’s, providing the basis for awarding them meets the Joint Council for Qualifications (JCQ) criteria. This is most likely to be for extra time or a laptop. Unless it is not possible for a pupil to do so, most pupils will start at King’s by taking exams in the main exam hall with the rest of the year group.
If a pupil has previously been awarded extra time for having a diagnosis of ADHD, when they start at King’s they will be awarded rest breaks instead, as the JCQ regulations state that we must try rest breaks as an access arrangement for ADHD in the first instance. Pupils who have previously had access arrangements for cognitive processing difficulties will be invited for reassessment in the Remove year.
In most cases (although there are a few exceptions) access arrangements recommended in an in-house assessment will last throughout a pupil’s time at school, providing there is evidence to back up the need for the arrangements.
Once your child is at the school, please do not arrange for them to have a private assessment by an educational psychologist or dyslexia specialist without contacting the SENDCo first. We cannot use an external assessment for access arrangements unless the assessor has established a relationship with the school, prior to assessing, and the school has provided the assessor with evidence of need.
If a pupil joins in 6b and has previously had access arrangements for GCSEs, these arrangements can be continued without need for reassessment, provided the assessment continues to meet the JCQ criteria for access arrangements, that we receive a copy of their assessment report, and that their previous school supplies us with evidence of need, the Form 8, and the assessor’s qualifications.
A usual way of working must be established if a pupil is to be allowed to have access arrangements, therefore except in the case of unexpected medical issues, we cannot assess pupils for access arrangements after their mock exams. If an external assessment/ consultant recommends certain access arrangements, we cannot necessarily put these in place, as we have to follow the JCQ regulations, establish a usual way of working and evidence the need for these arrangements.
For a medical diagnosis (including ADHD) to be considered for access arrangements, we cannot accept a diagnosis from an Educational Psychologist and can only accept reports from CAHMS, clinical psychologists (if they are registered with the HCPC), the Local Authority Education Service, the Local Authority Sensory Impairment Service, Occupational Health, a Speech and Language Therapist or a medical consultant (not a GP). The majority of medical diagnoses that require access arrangements will lead to rest breaks being offered in the first instance, as required by JCQ.
All pupils whom we see regularly will have a list of personalised strategies, which we share with teachers (e.g. if a pupil does not want to be asked to read aloud, that would be a personalised strategy) alongside more generalised strategies that support their learning needs. With pupils who come regularly to The Hub we identify 2 or 3 targets with the pupil, which we also share with teachers. Parents will have one report from us a term and will be able to meet with us at parents’ meetings to discuss their child’s progress. The SENDCo is always happy to be contacted by parents, but due to the numbers of pupils we see in the department and the nature of our support, we do not send out action plans to parents or provide weekly feedback.
Pupils with a diagnosed learning difficulty, health problem or disability who are applying to a UK university may be entitled to apply for the Disabled Pupils’ Allowance (DSA).
It is possible to apply for the DSA if you live in England and have a disability that affects your ability to study, such as a:
• specific learning difficulty, for example dyslexia or ADHD
• mental health condition, for example anxiety or depression
• physical disability, for example if you have to use crutches, a wheelchair, or a special keyboard.
• sensory disability, for example if you’re visually impaired, deaf or have a hearing impairment.
• long-term health conditions, for example cancer, diabetes, severe asthma.
It is important to note that exam access arrangement assessments done in-house by members of the department are not diagnostic assessments. To apply for the Disabled Pupils’ Allowance, you must have a diagnostic assessment carried out by a specialist. It should not matter what age this diagnostic assessment was completed, so even if a pupil was diagnosed whilst at prep school, providing you still have a copy of that assessment report, you should be able to use this. If you do not have a copy, it is worth asking the original assessor if they are able to provide one.
Despite not being able to apply for the DSA using an in-house access arrangement report, some universities have in the past accepted our school assessment reports as evidence to allow exam access arrangements at university, even where the DSA has not been applied for. If a pupil has an access arrangement report recommending accommodations but no diagnostic report, it may be worth phoning the university to see what their policy is on this.
The following link gives more detailed, important information about the process of applying for the DSA and getting the needs assessment, which they will ask you to do once a pupil is accepted for the DSA. Please do read this information carefully if you think a pupil might be eligible for the DSA:
Help if you’re a pupil with a learning difficulty, health problem or disability: Disabled Pupils’ Allowance
“My 1:1 support has really helped me feel more confident regarding exams. This was done by frequent recaps, more in the content heavy subjects, and also different revision techniques. It has also made me aware of active revision and why it is important.”
“More confident over topics I didn’t understand, helped me organise my work/sport/music commitments.”
“It made me more confident and it validated issues that I had.”
“I really like how they care for every single pupil.”
“Helping pupils with academic work and being a safe space”
“It offers support widely, everyone is helpful and helps you access all the support you may need.”
“Supports pupils and helps them to develop and achieve their best.”
“The knowledge of different types of support as well as the feeling of being understood goes a long way for me personally.”
“It made me feel more confident in a topic and made me feel better about exams.”
“Helped me cover what was needed and gave me more confidence.”
“I wasn’t afraid to ask questions and I learned way better.”
“Improved motivation because I’m not doing the work just for myself, but also to tell the LE teacher that I’ve done it”