The school prides itself on the achievement and well-being of students. The Curriculum Support Department gives encouragement and support to students who need help to achieve their potential in any aspect of the curriculum, or with other issues affecting their learning.

Students who have Special Educational Needs are identified and appropriate support is provided by specialist staff. Support is provided in a variety of ways; students with identified literacy or numeracy difficulties may be withdrawn for a timed individual literacy or numeracy programme. Extra support in the form of additional staffing may be provided to meet the needs of some students in their regular lessons. Students who have an Education, Health and Care Plan are also provided with individual support across the curriculum.

The Curriculum Support Department also offers students who are experiencing social or emotional difficulties short courses to meet their needs. The courses include workshops on anger management, confidence building, Lego therapy, social skills, study skills and self-esteem. Students will be taught strategies to enable them to achieve their potential in mainstream classes.

Students are encouraged to use the Curriculum Support facilities at lunchtimes and after school if they are experiencing difficulties with their classwork or home learning. In addition, the students have access to computers and iPads for research and home learning. Staff from the department are always available to provide help and advice.

The teachers and our team of learning support staff help to produce individual teaching materials. These enable each student to achieve his or her potential. The learning support staff and classroom teachers work together, thus continuing the school’s aim of raising standards to the highest possible level.

Other external agencies also provide students with support and strategies to aid their learning; we have an inhouse educational psychologist, counsellor and cognitive behaviour therapist. We consider parental involvement essential and thus parents are always welcome to come into school to meet with any of the learning support staff to discuss their child’s progress.