The Griffin Schools Trust commitment to providing a high-quality inclusive education to all local students is an established tradition at Lammas.

We aim to secure the best progress and achievement for all our students whatever their needs or abilities. We encourage each student to develop a positive self-image, a sense of community and personal independence both in the classroom and in the wider social world. We put young people and their families at the centre of discussions about support offered.

Approach

At the heart of our commitment to educational excellence is our dedication to meeting the diverse needs of every learner, including those with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND).

Pupil Passport and Individual Learning Plan

Every student on the SEN register has a Pupil Passport and an Individual Learning Plan, which are central to our adaptive teaching approach. The Pupil Passport captures key information about the student’s strengths, areas for development, and specific support requirements. This document provides valuable insights for teachers and support staff, enabling them to understand each student’s unique needs and tailor their approach accordingly. The Individual Learning Plan is a personalised roadmap that outlines specific learning goals, accommodations, and strategies to support the student’s academic, social, and emotional development. It serves as a dynamic tool that guides teachers in adapting their instructional methods to meet the diverse needs of their students.

Inclusive Classroom Strategies

Our commitment to adaptive teaching is reflected in the inclusive classroom strategies employed by our educators. Teachers receive training and ongoing support to implement a variety of evidence-based instructional practices, such as differentiated instruction. These strategies allow teachers to modify content, process, and product to accommodate diverse learning styles and abilities, ensuring that all students have equitable access to the curriculum.

Partnerships

In line with our approach, we work closely with external providers to ensure that our students receive the specialised support and resources they require to thrive academically and personally. This collaborative approach reflects our belief in the power of partnership and our unwavering commitment to creating an educational experience that empowers every student to reach their full potential.

Waltham Forest Educational Psychologist Service

Our inclusion department works closely with the Waltham Forest Educational Psychologist Service to provide a range of support services to enhance the well-being and development of our students. This includes facilitating training and professional development for school staff on behaviour management, learning difficulties, and mental health awareness. We collaborate with Educational Psychologists to conduct assessments to understand students’ cognitive, emotional, and behavioural functioning, and to provide recommendations for educational support and interventions. The service work closely with parents to offer support and guidance regarding their child’s educational and emotional needs, providing strategies and interventions.

At Lammas School and Sixth Form, we are dedicated to providing adaptive teaching that meets the diverse needs of all our students. Our approach to adaptive teaching is grounded in the principles of Quality First Teaching, ensuring that every student, including those on the SEN register, receives the best possible education tailored to their individual needs.

For more information on Waltham Forest’s Local offer, please visit their website. 

Flourish Specialist Education Services

Flourish Specialist Education Services collaborates with Lammas School and Sixth Form to provide comprehensive training for staff, such as workshops on autism and direct support for SEN students. They also offer workshops for families to provide them with the necessary knowledge and skills to support their children with special educational needs. Through these training initiatives, Flourish aims to contribute to an inclusive and supportive environment for both students and staff at the school.

SEN Interventions

We understand that some students require targeted interventions to support their specific needs. Our inclusion department works closely with parents and external specialists to identify and implement personalised interventions that address academic, behavioural and emotional challenges. Our academic focused interventions are designed to provide targeted support for students to achieve the same academic goals as their peers, albeit through a different pathway and with additional support.

Boxing Clever

Boxing Clever is led and founded by anger management specialist Michael Kennedy, who works on improving students’ behaviour inside and outside of the classroom. Through a combination of physical exercise and mindfulness techniques, students are empowered to manage stress, build confidence, and develop coping strategies. This innovative initiative promotes a positive mind-set and equips students with valuable life skills.

1-1 Mentoring

Our 1-1 mentoring programme provides personalised support for students who may benefit from additional guidance and encouragement. Through regular meetings with a dedicated mentor, students have the opportunity to set goals, discuss challenges, and receive tailored support to help them achieve their full potential.

SaLT Provision (Speech and Language Therapy)

For students who require speech and language support, our SaLT provision offers specialised interventions to enhance communication skills and promote language development. Our speech and language team work closely with students and their families to address individual needs and facilitate effective communication in and outside the classroom. This support may include activities to develop language comprehension, expression, social communication, and pragmatic language skills, tailored to the individual goals outlined in the student’s Individual Learning Plan.

Sensory Circuits

We recognise the importance of sensory integration for many of our students. Our sensory circuits are designed to create a supportive environment for students with sensory processing differences. These circuits aim to prepare students for calming, alerting, and organising themselves for the school day through movement-based activities. By engaging in sensory circuits, students develop self-regulation skills and sensory awareness, which can positively impact their readiness to engage in learning and social interactions.

Social Skills

Our inclusive approach includes a focus on social skills development, with the intention of promoting friendship building, confidence, problem-solving, and social awareness. Through structured programmes and activities, students have the opportunity to develop essential social skills, such as cooperation, communication, and empathy. These activities are designed to build confidence in social situations, enhance problem-solving abilities, and foster a greater awareness of social dynamics, thereby promoting positive relationships and interactions among students.

Reciprocal Reading Groups

Reciprocal reading groups are utilised to enhance students’ reading comprehension and communication skills. Through these groups, students engage in activities that focus on summarising, predicting, clarifying, and questioning texts. By practicing these skills in a supportive group setting, students develop a deeper understanding of the material and improve their ability to express and exchange ideas, fostering both academic and social growth.

English Interventions

With a specific focus on GCSE English examinations, Key Stage 3 English and literacy, our interventions aim to empower students to develop essential literacy skills and succeed in their academic pursuits. Through personalised instruction and targeted support, we strive to ensure that students are equipped to excel in GCSE English examinations, despite any additional challenges they may face. Our approach emphasises the individualized needs of each student, allowing them to progress along a pathway that is tailored to their unique learning styles and abilities. By providing additional support where necessary, we aim to bridge the gap between students’ current proficiency levels and the standards expected at their respective academic stages.

Maths Intervention:

Our maths intervention offers small group support focused on GCSE examination preparation and closing the gap in any missed subject knowledge from Key Stage 3, while also building subject knowledge for future success. We understand the importance of providing targeted support to ensure that every student is prepared to excel in GCSE mathematics examinations and develop a strong foundation of mathematical understanding.

Through small group sessions led by experienced educators within the Inclusion team, our interventions aim to provide students with the support needed to address any gaps in subject knowledge and build essential skills for future success. By focusing on personalised instruction and targeted practice, we aim to empower students to thrive in their mathematical pursuits.

EAL Interventions

Our commitment to the success of students for whom English is an Additional Language, goes beyond academic progress. We provide a wealth of support opportunities for every EAL student at Lammas to thrive in school and beyond.

Within our community, EAL students are actively encouraged to engage with their English-speaking peers; language development is evidentially enhanced through interactions with positive language role models.

We are proud of the cultural diversity of Lammas school, and recognise the importance of supporting developments in the linguistic competencies of all students (whether English is their first or an additional language). We foster improvements in communication for our EAL students through a comprehensive EAL support plan integrated within subject areas, via small group interventions and targeted EAL lessons, the provision of access to laptops for use in lessons and targeted curriculum support.

Engagement with the families of our EAL students is of course pivotal to our mission and core priorities. Lammas is dedicated to nurturing well-rounded individuals who excel academically and thrive socially and culturally.

Interventions

Our aim is that all EAL students will develop the competencies in English to be able interact socially and confidently and access the curriculum so that they can achieve according to their academic potential. ​ To this end, we have implemented a series of interventions tailored for EAL arrivals who are in the initial stages of developing linguistic competence (Bands A-C in language acquisition):

• Daily access to electronic devices for translation and research.
• EAL lessons twice a week.
• Communication Skills and Reading interventions.
• Functional Skills in Key Stage 4.
• Parental workshops to support EAL students at home and develop stronger links with the communities.
• Teachers receive data, training and strategies to support best these students in their lessons.

Testimonials