Class Teachers

SEND is not a separate part of our school, it’s a key part of our School Development Plan. We provide regular training on a range of areas related to SEND and routinely check the quality of teaching and learning, with a focus on adaptive teaching to ensure it meets the needs of all children.

Teaching assistants (TAs)

At Springbank we have a dedicated team of 18 Teaching Assistants (TAs), (equivalent to 12.36 FTE), a part-time eco-coordinator who delivers sessions with children and a part-time Higher Level Teaching Assistant (HLTA).

We understand that well-trained staff are key to supporting children with SEND effectively. That’s why we invest in ongoing professional development for all our team. Each year, we ask staff, parents, and pupils for feedback to help us understand what training is needed. This helps us plan our staff development (CPD) so that we can meet the needs of all learners.

All staff receive regular training to help them understand SEND and use inclusive practices in the classroom. Recent training includes:

• Adaptive teaching – tailoring lessons to meet different learning needs
• Compassionate Leeds: Trauma-Informed Practice – understanding how trauma can affect learning and behaviour
• Emotion coaching training – delivered by Leeds Educational Psychology service

Specialist Staff and Expertise

 We also have specialist staff, including a Teaching Assistant with a post graduate certificate advanced practice in speech language and communication needs. These staff work closely with external professionals to develop advanced skills and strategies that benefit our pupils.

All training is recorded in an annual report to our school governors, so we can keep improving and stay accountable. 

External agencies and experts

Sometimes we need extra help to offer our pupils the support they need. We work with a range of external support services to meet the needs of our pupils with SEN and to support their families. These include: