Inclusion at OTS
Everybody learns in different ways. Whatever the need is, our Inclusion team ensures that students are supported in an inclusive environment.
OTS celebrates neurological differences (neurodiversity) and is experienced with supporting children with Education, Health, and Care Plans (EHCPs). Due to the nature of the students at OTS, all students may require some form of additional support. At OTS, providing for a diverse array of needs is part of our expertise and we thrive on the opportunity to help students with additional needs to flourish in the setting.
We believe that it takes a whole school community to achieve the best outcomes for students to thrive in a small, therapeutic, and nurturing environment. The Inclusion team regularly communicates with parents to ensure that they are fully informed throughout the process of support. Moreover, staff also work closely together to enable all pupils to fulfil their potential and feel positive about their learning.
A positive and inclusive learning environment
OTS creates a welcoming learning environment that provides students with the necessary structures, boundaries, and routines that can help enable individuals to manage their individual needs as part of school life. Students may present with many different behaviours and the school takes a positive approach to supporting students. Our high expectation of students is combined with a rewards system for good behaviour which we have found helps our students to build self-confidence, self-esteem, social interaction skills, and allows them to better understand themselves and others around them.
Excellent staff and a high staff to student ratio
OTS has a high staff to student ratio and has small class groups (no more than eight). This means that students can be given the time and attention that they need, targeted support strategies and interventions can be more effectively undertaken, and any concerns can be flagged immediately. Moreover, all our staff are familiar with the individual learning profiles of the students in their lessons and know how to adapt their teaching accordingly.
The OTS curriculum focuses both on traditional academic subjects (english, maths, science etc.) as well as social and life skills. Students are therefore able to benefit from accessing a broad and balanced academic curriculum in line with national frameworks as well as develop the crucial skills and understanding that they will need to navigate everyday life.
"Working very closely in partnership with external professionals, staff consider pupils’ individual needs and plan for them meticulously. They routinely discuss any challenges and identify the most appropriate strategies to use. They provide the strongest support for all pupils. Leaders and staff are quick to identify where additional specialist support may be needed." - Ofsted Report 2022
IEPs
Individual Education Plans (IEPs) are individual support plans written and reviewed every term. These outline the specific goals - academic, behavioural, emotional, social - for a student and, importantly, what interventions and support strategies are required to meet those goals. Overseen by the Inclusion team, and often drafted in collaboration with parents, students, and teachers, IEPs provide a structured way through which students are guided and nurtured throughout their time at the school. IEPs also allow students to reflect on their own experience as learners and feel confident about discussing their own strengths and areas for improvement.
Therapeutic interventions
Students may also require targeted therapeutic intervention such as SaLT, OT, counselling. Where this is necessary and possible, the Inclusion team will help to integrate these within the fabric of school life. This both minimises disruption to academic study and allows for any additional strategies to be effectively implemented.
Speech and Language Therapy
At OTS, our speech and language therapist works closely with parents/carers and teaching staff to support students’ communication by adapting the environment; differentiating the language of the curriculum; and helping students and staff to use different strategies to develop their communication skills. The speech therapist will develop specific therapy programmes to maximise students’ communication potential. Therapy sessions may be in class, in groups, or individually as required, with the aim to help students communicate as confidently and successfully as possible.
Occupational Therapy
Our occupational therapist works with students who are having difficulty participating in school routines and activities, from concentrating in class to self-care tasks and social interactions. They use a variety of techniques including exercise programmes, sensory integration and cognitive-behavioural therapy to improve students’ functional abilities and enable them to participate as successfully and fully as possible in school life.
Assistive technology, access arrangements, and reasonable adjustments
Students may require particular pieces of equipment or electronic devices in order to help them with their learning needs. In addition, for exams, certain access arrangement such as the use of a word processor, scribes, or rest breaks may be needed. In these instances, the Inclusion team will identify, determine and implement appropriate access arrangements and reasonable adjustments for both internal and external test and examinations.