Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND)
As students at BCG come from many different backgrounds, we are fortunate enough to boast a student body with a great breadth of cultural heritage. This range of cultural perspectives and experiences brought to the classroom by individual students and staff is to be respected and celebrated.
Students’ experiences and baselines vary greatly. To each and every student who joins us we are committed to giving the entitlement to education and opportunities to find their strengths. Regarding students with special educational needs, the school will assess the level of support for the students to thrive and support will be put in place as long as the needs don’t exceed the current SEND school provision.
BCG is an academically selective school with a culturally diverse students’ body. Valuing diversity, we understand that each student is unique and has different learning needs. Some students may need support to access the curriculum at some point in their school lives due to learning challenges. The SEND department will coordinate support, either a short-term or a more long-term intervention depending on their needs.
Effective support for a student with learning needs also relies upon the close and successful collaboration between home and school. Working in partnership with parents is essential. All families are invited to take an active role in their child’s progress and success. There are regular meetings to discuss support programs at the school, as well as training and information sessions for a better understanding of the particular needs.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Working in partnership with parents is vital for the student's success. Collaboration and engagement of parents with the school has been proved to be the most successful support a child can receive.
We have an open-door policy so that parents can ask at any time for an appointment to discuss their child’s progress, in addition to scheduled parents’ evenings.
Parents considering BCG should discuss their child’s needs with Admissions and provide reports from psychologists, medical professionals or other suitably qualified professionals.
Students can be identified with learning needs in different ways:
- During the application process, parents share their concerns as well as any previous learning needs with the Admissions department. BCG may request school reports, external and clinical reports as well as any other relevant information. At school we discuss each application on a case-by-case basis.
- In the classroom through formative, summative and observational assessments, when students don't meet the expected outcomes.
- Through a SEND assessment once a referral is made to the department.
Support at BCG is provided in multiple ways:
- Universal support, a style of teaching that focuses on high quality and inclusive teaching for every student in a classroom, providing differentiation, flexible grouping and TA assistance.
- Additional support, adds to universal support and is provided to students who show difficulties in their learning process when the universal measures are not sufficient to cater for their needs. Small group interventions are the most common practice.
- Intensive support, when the universal and additional measures are not sufficient, the student may need frequent and consistent individual support in and/or outside the classroom. In some cases, the school may advise parents for external support.
Students in the Secondary school who have an identified learning need (like dyslexia and ADHD) are entitled to access arrangements. There are pre-exam arrangements made on behalf of candidates with particular needs that will allow them to access tests and examinations without changing the demands of the assessment. Depending on the student's needs this can be extra time, using a word processor instead of handwrite, between other arrangements. In order to be able to apply for these, parents' agreement and collaboration is paramount.