The Special Educational Needs Team work together to ensure the guidance in the SEN Code of Practice (2014) and Children and Families Act (2014)  is implemented to support our students and ensure they learn in a fully inclusive environment.  The work we do is outlined in The SEN Information Report and The Education Authorities Local Offer is accessed from:

Strood Academy’s SEND policy can be found here:

Strood Academy’s SEND Information Report can be found here:

Special Educational Needs

Please find the answers to frequently asked questions about the SEN department at Strood Academy.

Who is the SENCo at Strood Academy?

The Special Educational Needs Coordinator (SENCo) is Miss J Lindsay.

How does the school support students with an EHCP?

We will hold an annual review and 2 mid-year reviews with the student and parents/carer. During the meeting we will review interventions, outcomes and set new targets. Depending on the need of the student will provide TA support and meetings between the student and SEN team.

Will my child receive TA support?

There are TAs in English, Maths, Science and the SEN department. Our TAs are deployed to support students in lessons where a successful application has been made for High Needs Funding. Students in receipt of this funding will have been identified as having a significant need across the curriculum/school.

What interventions/support can you offer?

Our SEN team currently run the following interventions:

  • Caseworker – Students are allocated a caseworker for about 8 weeks to support individual needs.

  • Lexia Power Up – Year 7 students who may require additional support to make progress in their reading, grammar and comprehension the school will identify these students based on relevant testing.

  • Social Communication Skills group – A 6-week intervention to support a small group of students with their social skills.

  • Lego Therapy – A 6-week intervention to support social skills

  • Numeracy – A 6-week intervention to improve maths understanding.

  • Literacy – A 6-week intervention to support reading and comprehension

How will the school support my students with their emotional well-being?
  • Each year group is allocated a Director of Progress to support students on a day to day basis. The school also uses two different mentoring services and a counsellor to support individual students. Students may also be allocated a caseworker, see above.
How does the school support students with Dyslexia?
  • All teachers use the Open-Dyslexic font with a cream background for the interactive whiteboard to reduce visual stress and to ease reading. If you have obtained a private diagnosis of Dyslexia for your child, the school will implement the strategies advised where possible.
How will the school support my child if I have concerns about potential SEN needs?
  • In the first instance, please contact the SEND team at SEND@stroodacademy.org to discuss actions going forward. The SENCo will run 2 SENCo surgeries per academic year, this offers parents the opportunity to discuss any concerns.
Who do I contact if I am worried about my child at school?

  • If you need to contact a member of staff, please use the SEND email: SEND@stroodacademy.org

  • For all other enquiries, please address the email to the Director of progress or pastoral team.

What is in the SEN register?
  • The school has two registers, internal and external. The external register is for students who have an EHCP, High Needs Funding, significant needs or accessing an alternative provision. The internal register highlights students that may require an extra level of support.
How do teachers know about my child’s individual needs?
  • The SENCo liaises with the local primary schools to gain information which will inform a whole school provision map. This is accessed by all staff to recognise strategies to support students in the classroom.

Parent Support

Emotion Coaching for Parents

Emotional coaching has been championed in primary and early years, but it can also be the key to creating more emotionally intelligent secondary students who are happier, healthier and even perform better academically.The diagram below guides you through emotion coaching techniques that can be used within families to build better behaviour, create stronger bonds between parent and child and develop emotionally mature young people.

1.) Normalise your emotions

Pay attention to your own feelings, recognise when you are feeling unhappy or when you are feeling great about yourself. Think about how you behave when you feel like this. Now look for the same kind of behaviour from your child and try to identify their mood. Look for specific facial expressions, posture and tone of voice.

2.) Listen to your child

Respect your child’s emotions, try not to be dismissive or controlling of their behaviour. Use moments of intense emotion as an opportunity to learn. Encourage them to talk about their emotions, and share some of your feelings too. Try to intervene and talk before they misbehave, speaking can offer them another outlet for their emotions.

3.) Identify feelings

When speaking with them, name your own emotions and encourage them to do the same. This breaks down the barrier that many children have between their external and internal selves. Naming their emotions helps to sooth them, and building a broader emotional vocabulary will make it easier to discuss these feelings in the future.

4.) Solve problems

If your child misbehaves, and you feel they need to be disciplined – be clear that their actions, not their emotions, are being punished. Talk them through other possible ways to release this emotional energy. Encourage other activities for emotional outlet, like creating art, or doing sports and make a point of rewarding good behaviour you see.

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