We are looking forward to seeing our Year 8 families on Thursday 30th April for parent's evening.
Please book appointments with your child's teachers using the link below:
https://beckfootthornton.schoolcloud.co.uk
At Beckfoot Thornton students have a range of difficulties including communication and interaction; cognition and
learning; social, emotional and mental health difficulties and sensory or physical difficulties.
We have a Resourced Provision, known in the school as the Lighthouse, which is for students with Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs) who have a professionally identified primary need of Severe Learning Difficulties (SLD) or
Moderate Learning Difficulties (MLD).
Students are identified and allocated one of the places in the Resourced Provision (The Lighthouse) by Bradford Local
Authority SEN Team through a consultation process prior to entry. The Lighthouse is situated on the lower ground floor of our main school building and can accommodate a maximum of 15 students, across years 7-11.
Students moving from Year 6 to 7 are identified as having an identified SEND through close collaboration between
members of our transition team and colleagues in our partner primary schools.
The transition team includes our SENDCO, Deputy SENDCO, some members of our teaching support team and our
leaders of Year 7 pastoral care. This process takes place throughout Year 6 so that student needs have been clearly
identified before a student joins Year 7.
Our SENDCO or Deputy SENDCO also attend annual reviews of students with EHC plans in Year 6. Identified
students, including those joining the Resourced Provision (The Lighthouse), have additional opportunities to visit their ‘new’ school prior to starting in September.
On entry to our school, all students complete a range of online reading and writing assessments. Our SENDCO and Literacy Lead work together to conduct the assessments and make effective use of the outcomes. As a result of this initial assessment, identified students’ complete additional assessments. This includes, for example, screening for Dyslexia and further assessments into the student’s cognition and learning profile. If a student joins our school into years 7 – 11 mid-term, assessment information will be taken from the previous school, and a decision will be made whether further assessment is needed to identify a students’ specific learning needs. Information is also gathered by observing a student in the classroom or other learning space and looking at the work s/he completes.
Should a need develop or become apparent that has not already been highlighted during the transition process, a referral can be made to the SEND Team by any member of staff, using our internal Microsoft forms via our school SharePoint. Staff are encouraged to include any evidence e.g. photocopies of exercise books or assessment results. We also accept parental or student self-referrals.
A review of needs for all students is embedded as part of our data cycles where staff have time to review data, plan and adapt interventions and preventions to close gaps for all learners. This means they will be using data to make any referrals required to the team three times a year as a minimum.
On an educational basis, we evaluate the impact of the additional support we have provided for students with an identified SEND. This includes: the quality of personalisation which takes place in the classroom; the quality of the in class support provided by HLTAs and TAs in collaboration with the class teacher; the quality of interventions
provided to individual students and small groups, the impact of interventions in our Resourced Provision and/or SEND teams and also the quality of intervention provided by external agencies, such as, for example, support for students with hearing impairment or speech and language sessions. We also invite external evaluation involving specialists from the Trust and through commissioning colleagues to undertake a review of aspects of the school’s provision. Part of the framework of external evaluation is that provided by Ofsted through inspection, where Inclusion and the learning experience of students with an identified SEND need is a particular focus.
Students regularly evaluate their work in lessons; attend review meetings; contribute to target setting and reviewing and reflect on their learning and achievements at, and prior to, review meetings, such as those related to an EHC Plan.
Where appropriate students are assigned a mentor or key worker whom they meet regularly to review achievement and progress, to acknowledge success and address any concerns.
Students with an identified SEND need are also represented in all areas of our developing student leadership programme.
Most of our assessment practice takes place on a daily basis in lessons. Teachers question students, look at their
work and observe their interactions in the classroom. Teachers provide regular feedback to individual students and
to groups of students and this supports students to move forward in their learning. Specific strategies used include: Forensic monitoring, cold calling (teachers may pre-call a student to allow time for information processing and answer formulation).
Formally, we have an assessment calendar which identifies times in the year when each year group in turn is our focus. This is twice per year in years 7, 8 and 9 and 3 times a year in years 10 and 11. Teachers submit grades for achievement and for attitudes to learning. These are communicated to parents through a summary report and parents have an opportunity to formally meet with their child’s subject teachers each year. Students within the Resource Provision (Lighthouse) have a more personalised report on their progress.
Parents are encouraged to communicate any emerging concerns or questions with their child’s Year Team. In
addition to this, parents of a child with an identified SEND are encouraged to contact the SEND team through the
SEND administrator.
We also have a Quality Assurance process that assesses the effectiveness of Teaching and Learning for all students,
including those with SEND. This process involves visiting lessons, looking at student work and talking to students
about their work. The outcomes of these evaluations are used to create and implement development plans for all
aspects of school life. There is, for example, a SEND Action Plan, which includes the SEND team’s stated priorities,
and this is supplemented by insights gained from Quality Assurance activity.
Additionally, we are held to account by Ofsted through inspection and parents have access to these reports. The quality of education received by students with identified SEND is a central part of the inspection process. Finally, for students who are receiving an additional intervention, related to reading or speech and language, for example, we analyse for effectiveness of the intervention to ensure it is having the required impact. If it is not having the desired impact, we re-think and adjust.
Our teachers have high expectations of all students, including those with an identified SEND. All teachers will be told about your child’s individual needs and will adapt their lessons to meet these requirements. We call this ‘personalisation’. Teachers have experience and/or are trained in doing this. This training takes place regularly and sometimes takes the form of more experienced teachers working with less experienced teachers to plan forthcoming lessons and sequences of learning.
Personalisation may involve using different teaching strategies, adapting resources and activities, and may involve consideration of where your child sits in the classroom and who is his/her learning partner for the lesson. This means your child can access the lessons fully. Sometimes, personalisation may involve support being provided by another adult in the class – a HLTA or TA. We have a SEND support team which includes colleagues with a range of expertise, and we will look to deploy them appropriately to meet learning needs. Our HLTA’s lead each of the different broad areas of need and deliver interventions for example Zones of Regulation, implementing Speech and Language therapy interventions under the supervision of the school’s link Therapist, SEMH interventions such as CBT under the supervision of the Mental Health Schools Team.
Following the assessment cycle data driven planning process, a student may be offered additional help and support away from the classroom in which case you would be informed. This might be a short withdrawal to work on a particular aspect of learning, or it may be a longer withdrawal covering a number of lessons to ensure your child is in a position to make strong progress alongside other students back in the classroom.
When your child begins courses which are externally examined, based on their learning levels or type of SEND, we may decide to assess and apply for Exam Access Arrangements according to the Joint Council for Qualifications exam regulations. This application will usually happen in Year 9. Being granted Exam Access Arrangements may mean your child will be given some support and/or additional time to complete examination papers. If your child’s normal way of working has been to use a laptop or tablet to support recording in lessons, this may also become part of the Exam Access Arrangements for your child.
For students moving from primary school, we use the information provided by our partner primary schools to
ensure your child is provided with the most appropriate curriculum from the start of Year 7. Most of our students,
including those with an identified SEND, follow the full school curriculum as published on the school website.
Students in the Resource Provision (DSP) are expected to access 70% of mainstream lessons but also have
withdrawal sessions built into their timetable to support their learning. A small number of learners have a more
personalised curriculum to match their individual needs. This personalisation may provide, for example, more
opportunities to develop reading skills or a more gradual transition from the primary to secondary school
environment.
Students with EHCPs will have targets and strategies set by the SENDCO, any outside professionals working with
the student, support staff and subject teachers. Annual Reviews involving the student, parents, subject staff and
other professionals evaluate these targets and strategies to ensure that they are relevant and appropriate and to
assess their impact. The decision whether to place a student in an intervention or to continue with an intervention
is based on evidence of need and impact.
Beckfoot Thornton school is set across 4 floors and several buildings with no lift access. In the original part of the building there are stairs every 200 meters to compensate for the gradient on each floor. The school dining hall is set on the lower ground floor and is accessed by 2 sets of steep stairs, one set to enter and one to exit. Due to the number and gradient of these stairs, along with the lack of lift access in each of the separate school buildings the Local Authority completed a building audit and Specialist Teachers have confirmed that Beckfoot Thornton School mainstream provision is not suitable for students with physical difficulties and mobility issues. Our Accessibility Action Plan can be found here: SEND – Beckfoot Thornton
We have a wide range of staff to support pupils and address any additional needs they may have, including pupils
with SEND. This includes the SENDCO; teaching assistants; heads of year and other support staff. Resources are
allocated based on evidence of need and effectiveness.
Students with an EHCP have resources allocated as outlined in their Plan. Teaching assistants are allocated to
support students in lessons. Staff liaise closely with them to ensure maximum effectiveness. They have a huge
range of skills to offer in supporting students directly and indirectly, assisting staff and helping parents/carers.
Students with EHCPs will have targets and strategies set by the SENDCO, support staff and subject teachers. Annual
Reviews involving the student, parents/carers, subject staff and other professionals evaluate these targets and
strategies and assess their impact. The decision is based on evidence of need and impact.
First and foremost, our lessons are inclusive. Teachers will adapt to personalise the content and expectations of the lesson so that all students can make appropriate steps forward. Sometimes, a child will be supported by the intervention of an additional adult to ensure learning can be accessed and progress is made.
Our students with an identified SEND who are also deemed to be disadvantaged are supported through use of the Pupil Premium. Whilst the main use of this funding is to provide students with a high-quality learning experience, some school finance is used to enable disadvantaged students to participate in activities which would otherwise be unavailable to them.
We are aware that for some students, school can feel to be a loud and fast-paced place, and activities are provided which allow students to socialise and engage in additional activities in a quieter environment.
All opportunities are open to all students, including school visits and extracurricular activities. If necessary, additional adult support will be provided to ensure they have equal access.
The best support we provide for all our students mental health is in providing a calm, purposeful and structured
learning environment. Relationships are positive and we look out for each other – this is a very evident part of our
school culture. Additionally, our structure and processes are predictable, so students understand what the day will
bring so they are prepared. Support staff are trained in supporting a range of SEMH difficulties both in class and
through withdrawal interventions these are lead and monitored by a specialist SEMH HLTA and referrals are made in consultation with parents and the students to outside agencies when required. Our SEMH HLTA works within the
wellbeing centre which is an area where students who are in crisis can access and be supported to regulate
themselves ready to return to learning.
Daily contact with the Tutor and easy access to the Year Team means that our students know where they can get
support quickly if needed. Our student receptionist is available throughout the day to support students with a
whole range of matters from nose bleeds to feelings of anxiety.
School has its own Wellbeing service, Haven, which provides students with specialised counselling and listening therapies so that concerns can be addressed speedily. Staff and students can also be supported by the Mental Health Support Team (MHST) which is an NHS led school-based provision.
We have created an Additional Needs Team where there is a single system for identifying and responding to student need. This includes SEND and other needs such as those relating to literacy and where attendance is an obstacle to making progress in learning and where students will not necessarily be identified on the SEND Register. The New to English team work as part of the Modern Foreign Languages department to support those newly arrived in the country, for whom English is not their first language.
The SEN team is divided into the 4 main areas of need with staff within these teams specialising in assessing and delivering interventions in their specific area of need. This integrated approach enables us to more sharply match need with provision; help students to overcome barriers they face in their learning and accelerate their progress.
Our SENDCO is Therese Holden
Her email address is: [email protected]
Her tel no is: 01274 881 082 Extension: 13112
Our Deputy SENDCO is
Her email address is:
Her tel no is: 01274 881 082 Extension: 13144
Our SEN administrator is Angela Smith
Her email address is: [email protected]
Her tel no is: 01274 881 082 Extension: 13196
Communication relating to students in our Resourced Provision (Lighthouse) is with Resourced Provision Lead Victoria Kemp
Her email address is: [email protected]
Her tel no is: 01274 881 082 Extension: 13149
The SEND Department is line managed by Portia Taylor Deputy Headteacher: Teaching and Learning
Her email is: [email protected]
Her tel no is: 01274 881 082 Extension 13124
We have an experienced SENDCO and Deputy SENDCO in post. We also have a senior leader with the SENDCO
post-graduate qualification. Our Head of our Resource Provision (DSP) is an experienced teacher and has links with
specialist agencies within the Bradford area.
Through our Trust, SENDCOs meet regularly and can share insights from their own work and keep up to date with
developments in SEND nationally.
Our SENDCO leads regular meetings and training with both Higher-Level Teaching Assistants (HLTAs) and Teaching
Assistants (TAs) to support their professional development. All SEN staff have appraisals with their SEN leader,
where individual development targets are set and reviewed termly each year.
HLTAs and TAs work alongside teachers for several training events so that their expertise is developed along with the teachers with whom they work on a daily basis. As noted earlier, we have an Additional Needs Team (ANT) where there is a system for identifying and responding to student need. We are using the development of this team as an opportunity to look again at the experience, specialist skills and professional interests of our SEND staff and have developed teams within the SEND department over the past 2 years to ensure the 4 areas of SEND needs are met: communication and interaction, cognition and learning, physical and sensory and SEMH. Each team is led by experienced HLTA’s, the SENDCO and deputy SENDCO and the development of their provisions and impact is monitored by the SENDCO and senior leaders.
Associate staff training has been delivered on the following:
As a school we can access a range of services including Visual and Hearing Impaired and the Physical Difficulties
Team.
These services are contacted when necessary and appropriate, according to your child’s needs. If you believe your
child needs specialist equipment or other facilities, please contact the SENDCO or discuss the issue at the next
review/parents evening.
Informally, a parent of a child with SEND, or a parent who has a concern about a learning need, can contact the
SENDCO, Deputy SENDCO, Resourced Provision (DSP) Lead, or our SEND administrator.
More formally, parent views are central during transition periods, open and consultation evenings and through the
EHCP process.
Additionally, regular drop-ins are calendared and highlighted to parents so that parents with children on the SEND
Register can discuss their child’s experience of school and share insights from family life with the SEND team at an
appropriate time, rather than waiting for a formal consultation event.
To ensure your child can make the most of their learning opportunities, we recognise the huge positive impact that
is made by parents in:
Pathways for GCSE are discussed with parents and our students in Year 9 and are tailored to need based on school
assessment information and having discussed with you and your child, our understanding of your child’s aptitudes
and aspirations.
One of our school priorities is to create confident communicators and we support our students to make their voice
heard ‘loud and proud’ in school.
Students have daily contact with their Tutor, who is a key part of our process of pastoral support. This provides a
daily opportunity for students to ask questions, raise concerns and for the teacher to take note of a child’s
wellbeing, through observing their manner, general demeanor and interaction with other students.
The Year Team is central to communication with your child and you. Your child’s Year Leader is likely to be your
first point of concern for queries about any aspect of their school experience.
Students with an identified SEND are included in our Quality Assurance work where we formally ask students ‘how
is it going?’ on a whole range of matters from checking they feel safe and happy, to their experience in specific
subjects and to their views of the support they are receiving as they plan forward for life after school.
At every formal parental consultation event, we invite parents to complete a brief survey. This provides important
feedback on how aspects of school provision, including SEND provision, are seen. Results are analysed, shared with
appropriate staff and actions are taken in response. Sometimes, a sample of parents will be asked for their views
relating to a specific item of practice. For example, how well do parents feel the induction process was managed,
or do parents feel they are well-informed about the learning targets that have been set for their child.
Additionally, at the time of the school’s inspection, parents are formally invited by Ofsted to complete the Parent
View survey, which now includes an item specifically for the parents of child with an identified SEND.
Parents can complete the Parent View survey at any time and school checks responses on a regular basis.
Should communication with school be found to be unsatisfactory, and a resolution hasn’t been found through
communication with school staff and leaders, parents can make use of the school’s complaints procedure:
Beckfoot Thornton – Trust Policies
As a school we access a range of services including Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS); Mental Health Support Team; Social Care; School Nurse Service; Educational Psychology Services; Careers Service; Speech and Language Service as well as a range of specialist educational support services, such as the Hearing Impairment Service and the Speech and Language Team.
These services are contacted when necessary and appropriate, according to your child’s needs. If you believe your
child needs support from a specialist, please contact the SENDCO or discuss your concerns at the next parent
evening.
As we are aware of the heavy demand placed on many of these external services, we also provide support for
students’ social, emotional and mental health through our own wellbeing and counselling services.
To discuss what support is available in school please contact the SENDCO, who may also be able to advise you on
advice and support services available in the local area.
For the comprehensive list of Local Authority and voluntary support services please refer to `The Guide’, which is
the Bradford and District Local Offer. This can be found at https://localoffer.bradford.gov.uk or a printed copy of
the booklet can be obtained from Bradford Families Information Services by calling 01274 437503 or 439261
On moving from primary to secondary school, parents may feel the process of getting to speak to a teacher is
different, but the importance of maintaining strong communication between school and home continues to be
very important.
When a student joins our school with an EHC Plan in place staff from Beckfoot Thornton will attend the Y6 Annual review meeting to ensure we have a good understanding of that student’s needs and to enable us to have appropriate support in place for when they join in Y7. When a student with SEND transfers to a new setting the SEND team ensure that all relevant information is shared to facilitate a successful transfer.
Informally, a parent of a child with SEND, or a parent who has a concern about a learning need, can contact the SENDCO, Deputy SENDCO, Resourced Provision Lead, or our SEND administrator, through the details provided.
For the comprehensive list of Local Authority and voluntary support services please refer to `The Guide’, which is
the Bradford and District Local Offer.
This can be found at https://localoffer.bradford.gov.uk or a printed copy of the booklet can be obtained from
Bradford Families Information Services by calling 01274 437503 or 439261
When a child has an Education Health and Care Plan (EHCP), at their annual review in Year 5, parents are asked by the Local Authority for their school preferences to consult school for a place in Year 7. This can be for either the mainstream provision within the school or the Resourced Provision. The school is then consulted about whether they can provide the educational adaptations specified in the EHCP, and the school’s response to this goes directly to the LA.
If the place being requested is within the Resourced Provision this consultation is directed to the Resourced Provision Lead and considered separately.
Where a child is identified as needing SEND Support, but does not have an EHCP, parents follow the usual admissions procedures through Bradford Council’s Parent Portal. Citizen Portal – Sign in (bradford.gov.uk)
*Last Updated September 2025