Seven Hills School

Summary
Seven Hills School is an 11 - 19yr secondary school for students with severe learning difficulties and/or complex needs.

Description

Seven Hills School is an 11 - 19yr secondary school for students with severe learning difficulties and/or complex needs.

Who to contact

Telephone: 0114 2743560
E-mail: enquiries@sevenhills.sheffield.sch.uk
Website: Seven Hills website

Where to go

Name: Seven Hills School
Address: Granville Road
SHEFFIELD
South Yorkshire
Postcode: S2 2RJ

When is it on?

Time / Date Details: Monday - Friday 9.00am - 3.00pm
Time of day: Afternoon
Morning

Inclusion Information

Wheelchair Access: Yes
Wheelchair access details: The building is wheelchair accessible; however it is a two storey building with lifts connecting the upper and ground floors.
Cater for special dietary requirements: Yes
Supports special needs and disabilities: Yes
Special needs and disabilities experience: Down's Syndrome
Profound & Multiple Learning Difficulty
Severe Learning Difficulty
Able to accommodate other cultures/ethnicities: Yes

Other Details

Age Range

11 years to 19 years

Facilities

Disabled Facilities
Secure setting
Visual aids

Local Offer

Description: Seven Hills is a secondary school for students with severe learning difficulties and/or complex needs.
Contact Name: Clive Rockliff
Contact Telephone: 0114 2743560
Contact Email: enquiries@sevenhills.sheffield.sch.uk
Links: Seven Hills Ofsted Report
School website and virtual school tour
School Policies including SEND policy and Parents Handbook
Local Offer Age Bands: Secondary (11-16 years)
Transitions to Adulthood (16+)
SEN Provision Type: Specialist

Schools Extended Local Offer Response

If you are a specialist setting what other admissions criteria do you use?

Admission is usually based on a core severe learning difficulty this might be accompanied by physical, sensory, or communication difficulties.

Please state the number of pupils on your roll and your average class size

We have 171 students on roll.

Students are grouped according to their learning needs. More able students may be in groups as large as thirteen. Students with more severe/ profound needs would usually be in groups of eight. Each class has a teacher and either one, two or three teaching assistants, dependent on the needs of the group.

How does the setting identify learners with SEN?

The students who attend Seven Hills all have an EHC plan.

Is your setting physically accessible to all learners?

Students are taught in classrooms which are designed to accommodate both able bodied students and those with mobility or physical needs.
Classrooms do not have adjoining quiet rooms this is a limitation for students who need a withdrawal area and limits the provision of a low stimulation environment.
The building is wheelchair accessible; however it is a two storey building with lifts connecting the upper and ground floors.
Symbols are used in school to aid students understanding and visual support for learning materials are used widely.
The school supports and encourages the use of Makaton to aid communication and learning.
There are disabled changing facilities and hygiene rooms in school and a variety of toilet facilities to enable and encourage differing degrees of independence.
The playground / yard for the younger students is fenced and secure. The yard for the older students is more open and is shared with our co-located school – All Saints Catholic High School.
We share other facilities with All Saints including the dining room for our older students.
Students who are unable to cope with shared areas due to sensory difficulties are catered for in a variety of bespoke alternatives. This might mean eating in the quieter setting of the Community Room or in their classroom.

How does your setting adapt the curriculum for learners with SEND?

The curriculum is designed to meet the needs of students with Severe Learning Difficulties.
Lessons are differentiated to ensure all learners are being challenged at a level which is appropriate to their needs.
The curriculum is designed to help students reach academic goals and gain accreditation. It prepares students for progression to their next targeted provision and provides a solid life skills and work-related learning programme.
The school also provides lunchtime clubs and after school club activities which contribute to social, sporting, health, life skills and generic skills development.

What training have your staff received to support learners with SEND?

Staff at Seven Hills receive extensive training to enable them to meet the needs of the students and ensure that they are safe in school and that their educational and care needs are catered for.

All teaching and support staff are trained in:

Safeguarding (child protection)
Team Teach (behavior support training)
Makaton
Fire Safety
ICT (including e-safety)

Key staff receive training in:

SEND education and specific training in different curriculum areas and initiatives
Manual handling
First aid
Administration of medicines (including rescue medication)
Gastronomy tube feeding
Personal care

Staff also receive training about the particular needs of individual learners or groups of learners, including training about specific medical conditions as necessary.

An extensive programme of continuous professional development is provided for teachers and teaching assistants, with a range of bespoke training on a weekly basis as pertinent to their roles. The school works closely with outside agencies and professionals such as speech and language therapists, educational psychologists, physiotherapists, school nurses, occupational therapists, visual/hearing impaired services, and local MAST services (Multi Agency Support Teams) to ensure that staff receive up to date information and guidance.

The school provides basic training for new staff and temporary staff through established staff induction procedures and essential information about the needs of all students is made available to staff via the school database.

How do you communicate with and involve families?

The school communicates with parents in a number of ways. All parents are invited to attend an annual review meeting to discuss their child’s progress and set targets for the next year. There is also a parents’ meeting each year where parents have the opportunity to meet a wider range of staff involved with their child. Progress information is also sent home in a year-end report.

For day to day communication, the school will phone or write to parents in some circumstances use a mobile phone messaging service. The school will translate letters for families whose first language is not English, and use a translation service for meetings as needed.

Key information about the school is available on the school website.

Some students have home/school books to help parents communicate with class teachers. The school uses Parent Mail to communicate with parents about a range of things, including ordering and paying for school lunches.

Parents and carers are invited to attend a range of parent workshops that focus on issues that are important to them such as e-safety or independent travel. Outside agencies and professionals often speak at these events.

How does the setting evaluate the effectiveness of its provision for learners with SEN and how often does it do this?

The school has a rigorous cycle of self-review and is constantly seeking ways to improve the education and care that it provides for students.

Progress of all students is recorded and monitored throughout the year and regular review points allow under-performance to be identified and actions taken to address this where needed.

Parent and student views are gathered by yearly surveys and parents’ views on transition arrangements from primary schools are also recorded each year.

The school reports information about its’ effectiveness to the board of governors and the head teachers meet regularly with a School Improvement Partner to review self-evaluation processes and outcomes.

What support do you provide for the learners' overall wellbeing?

Students’ social and emotional wellbeing at Seven Hills is provided through a phase pastoral system. Each phase team liaises closely with parents, carers and outside agencies to support students’ pastoral needs.

Students’ social and emotional views are surveyed yearly and this information is used to identify areas for improvement. The student voice is captured through the work of the School Council who represent all students in school.

Every class is supported by at least one teaching assistant. Some students who have particular social or emotional needs receive a greater level of support; often 1:1 at key times. Lunchtime and after-school clubs are available to students which also help foster positive relationships, and students trained as peer mediators assist others resolve conflicts when needed.

What kind of behavioural interventions do you use?

All staff are trained in Team Teach (behaviour support) and additional help in maintaining positive relationships with others is provided by behaviour support staff who work with groups and individuals as required to encourage healthy social interactions. Phase leaders monitor attendance and work closely with parents and MAST services to encourage attendance and minimise barriers to learning.

A small minority of students exhibit extreme behaviours on occasion and these incidents are handled sensitively putting the health, safety and welfare of both students and staff as a priority. Consequences of challenging behaviour are designed to allow students to learn from their experiences.

How do you ensure learners with SEND are included in non-classroom based activities?

The school organises a rich programme of outside the classroom activities that are designed to broaden the learning experiences of the students. All activities are designed to be as inclusive as possible and students are given regular opportunities to work with, and alongside, students with a range of different learning needs.

THe school has developed the use of the outdoors as a learning environment and now includes a Science Garden and polytunnel; Horticulture cabin; Rainbow Garden (outdoor play); Woodland Walk; outdoor exercise equipment and roundabout.

Students are able to access a range of off-site visits including curriculum trips, class trips (extra-curricular) and adventurous activity trips as part of the Lord Mayor's Award and Duke of Edinburgh Award scheme. We aim to be inclusive as possible when arranging these trips and plan for maximum participation from students.

Do you offer Breakfast Clubs, After School Clubs or Holiday Clubs? Please specify.

Breakfast / snack are offered in school to every child as part of the school morning.

We also have an after school club on Monday and Tuesdays each week.

How do you consult with and involve learners in their education?

Students attend annual reviews to talk about their own progress and have an opportunity to voice concerns, requests and views.
Staff prepare students for the review by working through questions and recording responses in advance of the review.
Sheffield Futures attends reviews for Y9 and older students to explore with them their opinions and thoughts on college, Post 16 or next stage provision.
The school facilitates college taster courses and college attendance to enable students to gain experiences which they can use to help them make choices.
In the classroom setting from lesson to lesson students are asked to evaluate their own progress against familiar targets and identify areas where they may require more support. Assessment for Learning is a strong theme within the school and students are encouraged to evaluate, support and praise the work of others as well as themselves.
Students views about the school and their education are gained through a yearly survey as well as regular Student Voice meetings.

Do you have an online prospectus? Are there open days for families and learners?

The school has a website which can be used to gain further information.
Visits to the school are for parents and carers in the first instance and take place regularly throughout the school year.
The school has a Parents’ Handbook which is available on the school website

Does your setting offer any additional services for learners with SEND?

If a student becomes unable to attend school for medical, physical or behavioural reasons school will offer a level of home tuition which will be agreed with the family as an acceptable option.

Last Updated: 05/01/2021

Keywords: School, Special School, SEN, Disability, Disabilities, Special Educational Needs, Learning Disabilities, Support, Extra Support,