SEND Provision

Nottingham Girls’ Academy has a statutory duty under Section 10 of the Equality Act to ensure reasonable adjustments are made to manage pupil behaviour when a pupil has been identified with SEND/SEBD. Where pupils have a special educational need (SEND), display Social Emotional Behavioural Difficulties (SEBD) or display mental health needs, sanctions will be revised and made appropriate to individuals’ understanding.  

In order to meet the needs of pupils who require additional support to attain the expectations of the behaviour policy, we understand that employing an approach of flexible consistency is required.  

Flexible consistency is a way of thinking that enables us to make reasonable adjustments for individual pupils without compromising on standards and expectations. To make appropriate adaptions to the behaviour policy for particular pupils, the pastoral and SEND teams use assessment tools (from the routes 2 inclusion framework) to identify the feelings and emotions that underlie behaviours. The intent is to better understand the cause(s) and the influences driving behaviours for individual pupils so that appropriate adaptations can be made to support all pupils in school. Pupils on SEND Pupil Passports have adjustments made to the standard policy. These will be done on an individual basis and discussed with the pupil and their family. 

This process will involve the Head of Year, SENDCo, SLT link for the year group and the Behaviour Lead. Parents and carers will be invited to be part of this process where appropriate. Revised strategies will be communicated to each pupil and their teachers, via passport profiles on Class Charts and reviewed on a regular basis. The academy is committed to supporting pupils who display mental health needs. A system of referral, assessment and monitoring is in place overseen by key personnel.  

Alternative Curriculum

The Academy’s Alternative Curriculum groups operate a more flexible behaviour system to accommodate the needs of their pupils. Every form of behaviour is a communication and Alternative Curriculum group staff record and evaluate these to help them understand why that behaviour has occurred. The Alternative Curriculum have their own de-escalation strategies, a different thread of positive behaviour rewards and negative behaviour monitoring which is effective. Please see appendix 1 for more information.