How does the school enlist support from external agencies?

When the progress of a learner continues to cause concern despite additional support and intervention, or their learning needs are more complex and persistent than can be met by school interventions or support, school will engage with relevant specialist external services. This happens when:

• Learners continue to make inadequate progress
• Learners continue working well below age related expectations, despite targeted support and intervention
• Learners continue to have difficulty developing basic English and Maths skills
• Learners have emotional or behavioural difficulties, which substantially or regularly interfere with their own learning or that of their peers, despite following school procedures for behaviour management as outlined in the Behaviour Management Policy
• Learners have sensory or physical needs and require additional specialist equipment or require regular advice or visits by a specialist service
• Learners have on-going communication or interaction difficulties that impede the development of social relationships and cause substantial barriers to learning
• Learning needs are manifesting themselves either in a more complex or in a more specific way as they progress through the school

For these learners, the difference between their attainment and that of their peers is widening, despite support and requires further investigation. In addition some learners who are learning English as a new language may also be identified as they are not making progress at the same rate as their peers with a similar starting point. In these cases an assessment will also be carried out prior to referral in their mother tongue.

A request for support from external services will follow a decision taken jointly by school staff in consultation with parents and carers. In seeking the support of external support services, those visiting the school will need to have access to the relevant Early Help Assessment Form, which will have been completed with parents and carers, to establish which strategies, interventions and support have already been implemented and parental permission must be given.