Fox Hollies SEND Information and Local Offer

What kinds of Special Educational Needs does the school make provision for?

Fox Hollies is a school for students with severe learning disabilities (including autism) aged 11-19 years. We maintain small class sizes with a high ratio of teachers and teaching assistants who get to know our students really well as individuals and personalise the learning for them.

We have three different learning pathways in school that follow either an informal, non-subject specific curriculum or a semi-formal curriculum which is broadly based on the National Curriculum, heavily differentiated.

We maintain a flexible, creative and reflective approach to curriculum design to ensure that it remains meaningful to the broad range of learner characteristics and needs within our school.

For our students following an informal pathway we offer a ‘different’ entirely, not ‘differentiated’ curriculum.

We employ a range of communication approaches such as objects of reference, non-verbal gestures, PECs, Makaton, symbols and communication aids to support our students’ communication needs.

How does the school identify and assess Special Educational Needs?

All of our students have an Education, Health and Care plan (EHCP). These are reviewed annually with parents and other professionals involved with the child. We can also call annual review meetings earlier within a year, where needs may have significantly changed.  

How does the school know how much progress is being made students?

All students are baselined upon entry to our school (this is usually in year 7) as part of a thorough transition process with the feeder school and family.

Across all learning pathways we assess student progress against targets that are linked to each their EHCP and long-term aims. The Long-term aims are broken down into termly, SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Time-bound) targets that enable us to structure and sequence learning to the long-term aim. These EHCP short-term targets are then linked to the curriculum’s areas of learning.

Teachers will use objectives within the relevant progression framework, alongside each student’s EHCP short-term targets to plan, structure and sequence teaching and learning each ½ term.

They will capture evidence of learning through student work, photos and films gathered via a cloud-based assessment system ‘Evidence for Learning’ (EfL). This forms the student’s individual learning journey log.

What extra-curricular activities are provided by the School?

Unfortunately due to transport issues, we are not able to offer after-school clubs, however we aim to get out and about in the local and wider community regularly with our students and often invite artists or community groups into school as part of special events. We also commit to having artists-in-residence working within school each year.

We work with Birmingham Children’s Quarter Childrens Quarter – cooperating for inclusion to provide special events that our students and their families can access in the school holidays.

Who is the SENCO (Special Educational Needs Coordinator)?

Anyone within our Senior Leadership team has the role as SENCO within our special school and can be contacted via the school office.

What training do staff receive?

Across school we have a strong expertise in SEND specialism and adopt a supportive, team-focussed approach to ensure we are meeting the range of diverse needs across our school. Staff are trained annually in safeguarding, medical needs, behaviour management, and communication strategies such as Makaton and communication aids. Training is continuously reviewed to meet the evolving needs of our students.

Staff are experienced in supporting and value neurodiversity. Special interests are valued and incorporated into learning experiences, communication, sensory and emotional regulation and used to help develop self-identity and awareness.

We regularly review our Curriculum, Behaviour and Communication policies that are bespoke to our SEND students and ensure that all staff are supported to deliver as per the expectations in these policies.

How does the school access additional specialist support?

We collaborate with external professionals, including NHS services (e.g. physio, speech therapy, psychology, and mental health support) and social care providers to deliver a personalised provision.

Our Early Help Co-ordinator/Family Support Worker is also a designated safeguarding lead (DSL) and her work which includes transport, medical needs and attendance is supervised by SLT who are also DSLs.

We also employ a whole-school Literacy and Communication and lead who oversees the work of our Speech and Language Therapy Assistant.

How does the school engage with parents and carers?

We engage with families and carers to gather information about their child so they can be kept informed about how their child is progressing in school. We use Home School Diaries daily to let families and carers know about daily activities and to celebrate achievements. If we have any concerns regarding a student’s wellbeing or health we will contact them via a telephone call. During the year, families and carers are invited into school for a coffee morning, parents’ evening and other celebrations so we can share student work, targets and progress.

How does the school incorporate student voice?

As part of our commitment as a UNICEF Rights Respecting school we prioritise the voice and experience of the student and strive to overcome barriers, where complex SEN can make this hard to capture. 

We focus on building trust and strong relationships by truly listening to what students have to say, whether it’s through their chosen communication method or through careful observation. We take the time to understand their likes, dislikes, and motivations, which helps us create a ‘Personal Support Passport’ for each student. This passport is shared with staff and professionals working with the student to ensure they receive the best support possible.

We teach emotional literacy through methods like emotional check-ins and zones of regulation and through intensive interaction for our students with more complex needs. Where appropriate, students can share their views in EHCP meetings, school council, and other areas of school life.

How does the school deal with complaints?

We encourage concerns to be addressed informally with the class teacher or department lead. For formal complaints, contact the Headteacher and Chair of Governors. Our complaints policy is available on the website. Paper copies are available on request.

What are the support services for parents and carers?

Parents and carers can contact Birmingham SENDIASS (0121 303 5004) for guidance and support, as well as SENAR (0121 303 1888). Check out our ‘Family Support’ page on this website for signposting to other services.

How does the school support transitions?

We support new Year 7 students with home and school visits, transition events, and meetings with new teachers. For post-school transitions, we invite external providers and a Careers Advisor to help with next steps planning.

How can parents find the Birmingham LA Local Offer?

Birmingham’s Local offer can be found on the My Care in Birmingham website or by

clicking the link: www.localofferbirmingham.co.uk