Academic Support

Personalised learning at St Columba’s College

At St Columba’s College, we nurture the whole person and are not bound by traditional measures of success. Our pupils are known, valued and treasured, and have a deep understanding and appreciation for the fact that they are so much more than the grades they achieve. We are proud of our dedicated and highly qualified Department and, as a school, passionately committed to meeting the needs of each individual. We aim to ensure that all our young people, regardless of their learning needs, are supported to achieve their full potential throughout their time at the College. This means that, when the time comes for them to leave us, they depart as successful, confident and lifelong learners.

Support at St Columba’s College comes in many forms. Through specific and targeted intervention, we work with our young people to assist them with developing strategies to support their specific learning difficulties, gain confidence in their areas of strength and fulfil their academic potential whilst flourishing holistically and spiritually. Guided by the College SENDCo’s, Mrs Emma Dubberley and Miss Charlotte Maton, we take a whole school approach to identifying and supporting students with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) and English as an Additional Language (EAL). The department also provides training, support and information to the wider staff body with regards to how they can implement adaptive teaching, further enhancing the educational experiences of our young people.

The department oversees and monitors all access arrangements for internal and public examinations, working closely with the Exams Officer. All access arrangements put into place stringently follow the JCQ and ICE guidelines.

Communication with parents and carers is vital to a pupil’s learning and well-being. We understand that support works best when home and school work closely together.

Further information regarding Special Educational Needs and Disabilities can be found in our SEND Policy.

Prep

We observe and assess our pupils from the day they arrive in Reception, taking careful note of input from parents, having previously met the children and their carers at Nursery. From the beginning, we continue to evaluate every pupils’ progress and address most learning needs through our philosophy of Quality First teaching within classrooms generously staffed with expert teachers and well-qualified TAs.

Honouring our commitment to meet the needs of each child, we quickly establish any areas in which a pupil might need support, providing individualized help where it is needed.

““Mrs Lavin helps me so much with my spelling. We do a special game with her and I love it””

As pupils move through the Prep, we continue to assess their progress, putting into place one-to-one interventions, small-group sessions or input from outside agencies as required. We are a selective school, but we know that any child might experience a barrier to learning at any time and we stand ready to help them over their hurdles, be they academic, physical or emotional. As with all we do, our provision is inclusive and collaborative, with students and their peers involved in solving their own challenges: we often find that interventions devised for one pupil can benefit the learning of an entire class.

Parents are closely involved at every stage, working with the SENCO to develop individualised plans and targets. Pupils are given support by caring, expert staff who assist with spelling issues, friendship difficulties or any other aspect of their school life.

Senior

The Academic Support Department aim to enable students in the Senior School with a wide range of educational needs to develop the necessary skills and strategies to ensure positive progress throughout school, fostering each student’s independent learning in order to achieve success.

“Those pupils with SEND achieve at the level of their peers in public examinations, indicating excellent progress.”
ISI Report 2019

The department is a team of dedicated staff working closely with students both individually and in the classroom, from Form 1 through to the Upper Sixth, with an emphasis on giving students the tools to succeed independently. There is ongoing liaison and training with academic and pastoral staff to support each student as they progress through the College.

Sixth Form

A Level studies place considerable demands on all students, and the Academic Support Department stands ready to support individuals who need help with learning techniques, study skills or other areas of their courses.

Whilst our Sixth Form is selective, we are proud to cater for the requirements of students with a wide range of educational needs or temporary barriers to learning, helping them to develop the necessary skills and self-help strategies that allow them to enjoy their academic studies and achieve examination success.

““A Levels felt like a real step-up. I did well with my GCSEs but Sixth Form studies felt really daunting. My sessions with Academic Support taught me how to organise my notes and keep reviewing things as I go. I feel confident that I can do well now””

Within the Sixth Form, our team of approachable, dedicated staff work closely with students in one-to-one sessions, during study periods and in the teaching environment, always with the aim of inspiring them to develop their autonomy as learners. With this end in view, there is ongoing liaison and training with the academic and pastoral staff, and outside agencies where appropriate, to support each student as they progress through their A Level studies.

Academic Support

Prep

Senior

Sixth Form

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