Additional Needs

The additional Needs (AN) faculty provides a wide range of learning support strategies for children who may require additional help. Porthcawl Comprehensive School is an inclusive school and aims to meet the needs of all its pupils. The AN faculty will ensure that all pupils have access to the full curricuum.

In order to achieve this, the faculty aims to:-

• Keep a database of all pupils who require additional support or special arrangements.
• Screen all pupils on entry to Porthcawl Comprehensive School to identify difficulties with literacy skills - support is offered to pupils with reading/spelling age of less than 10 years.
• Provide withdrawal support to:-

1. Boost literacy skills
2. Enable pupils to manage behaviour and social/emotional skills more effectively
3. Boost language and communication skills
4. Help pupils improve handwriting or record work more effectively
5. Offer advice and strategies for successful revision and study skills
6. Help pupils to become more organised

• Ensure that special examination arrangements are put in place for pupils who are entitled to them (External exams only).
• Liaise with members of staff and keep them informed about pupils and work co-operatively to develop an Individual Action plan (IAP)
• Make decisions with parents about placing pupils on (or removal from) AN Database.
• Secure additional support for identified pupils, where necessary.
• Ensure special arrangements are in place for pupils who have a physical or medical need.
• Arrange support and ongoing assessments for pupils who are learning English as an additional language.

In addition, the department offers an alternative to one GCSE course at KS4:-

Key Skills -

Level 1 - Communication, Numeracy, ICT

BTEC -

World of Work

Pupils in years 10 and 11 who have Additioanl Learning Needs may opt for this course, via discussion with SENCo and senior member of staff.

Course requirements -

• 5 Lessons per fortnight throughout years 10 and 11
• No examination
• Qualifications awarded on successful completion of each module
• Work moderated by an external moderator

Both Key Skills and BTEC qualifications are recognised at a National level and will compliment other qualifications namely GCSE/Entry Levels.