Useful Services
Education Psychology Service
The Stockport Children & Young People’s Directorate Psychology Service delivers a high quality service to Stockport children and young people, in partnership with parents, carers, and professionals. We apply psychology to enhance the learning, development and well-being of all children and young people, with a particular focus on those who are the most vulnerable. Our aim is to act in the best interests of the child at all times. The Psychology Service’s Child and Educational Psychologists are applied psychologists who have a degree in psychology, teaching experience and either a master’s degree in educational psychology and / or a doctorate.
Please see the link above to find out more.
Learning Support Service
The Learning Support Service provides a range of specialist teaching support to mainstream school. Staff have particular skills in supporting children with specific learning difficulties.
The Head of the Learning Support Service is responsible, with the Headteachers, for the work of the Learning Support Assistants.
Please see the link above to find out more.
Primary Behaviour Support Service
The Primary Behaviour Support Service is an experienced team of classroom practitioners. Their input focuses on supporting schools in their management of pupils presenting emotional and behavioural difficulties. They input into the development of whole school strategies and positive pupil management to support the care and control of children with challenging behaviour.
Sensory Support Service
This service provides specialist assessment and teaching to pupils with hearing and visual impairments in both mainstream and special schools. They are also able to offer advice, support and training to staff.
Please see the link above to find out more.
Secondary Behaviour Support Team
This service works with pupils at School Action and School Action Plus stages of special educational needs. They support children experiencing significant difficulties managing their behaviour.
Inclusion Co-ordinators
The Inclusion Co-ordinators support schools in their inclusion of pupils with physical disabilities and severe learning difficulties. They advise on individual education plans, equipment and resources as well as teaching approaches. The Inclusion Co-ordinators also monitor pupils progress and advise on placement and transition.
Please speak to your child's school if you would like to discuss in more detail the work of the Inclusion Co-ordinators.
Virtual Schools Team (VST)
VST promotes the education of children and young people of school age who are looked after by the Local Authority. They work closely with pupils at risk of exclusion and monitor the provision and outcomes for all children in care.
Virtual School Team
The Dialstone Centre
Lisburne Lane
Offerton
Stockport
SK2 7LL
Tel No: 0161 474 4714
Fax: 0161 474 2558
Email: vst@stockport.gov.uk
Special Units
The unit approach provides intensive small group specialist teaching with the opportunity for inclusion into mainstream classes. The balance between specialist support and inclusion will depend on the pupil’s individual needs and progress, as well as the needs of other children in the class.
Resourced Schools
Resourced schools offer children with complex and severe learning difficulties inclusive education within a school with additional, specialist resources. The pupils are fully included in mainstream classes and follow the same curriculum as other pupils although tasks and targets are differentiated to meet their individual needs. A specialist teacher helps to plan the programmes of work, and therapists visit regularly to set targets and monitor and assess progress.
Children with Physical Disabilities
As far as possible children with physical disabilities are educated in their local community, however in some schools, the building makes it impossible for some pupils to access the full curriculum. Designated schools have been adapted to allow children with physical disabilities access to all areas of the curriculum.
Special Schools
There will always be some pupils for whom a specialist school is better able to meet their needs. Each special school is able to provide a specialist learning environment designated to a particular type of special educational need:
- Severe, profound and multiple learning difficulties
- Moderate learning difficulties
- Emotional and behavioural difficulties
The staff in these schools are able to provide a high quality of teaching, as well as share their expertise with colleagues in mainstream settings.
Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF)
The Government has long been committed to enabling all children and young people to reach their full potential. This requires a strong lead in securing integrated children’s services and educational excellence.
The new Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) means we can really concentrate on achieving these objectives.
The Department will build on the successes in education and children’s services that we have seen over the last decade. It will now focus on the significant challenges that remain – raising standards so that more children and young people reach expected levels, lifting more children out of poverty and re-engaging disaffected young people. The new structure will also allow us to respond to new challenges that will affect children and families: demographic and socio-economic change; developing technology; and increasing global competition.
In addition to its direct responsibilities, the department will lead work across Government to improve outcomes for children, including work on children’s health and child poverty.
The Department for Children, Schools and Families produce the following documents in relation to Special Educational Needs:
- Special Educational Needs Code of Practice
- Special Educational Needs (SEN) - A Guide for Parents and Carers
Mediation Service
An independent service is available for parents who are dissatisfied with the proposed provision for their child. The aim of this service is to explore the options available in order to find a practical solution acceptable to all parties and with the minimum disruption to the child’s education. However in the first instance parents and carers will have the opportunity to talk through their concerns with the Special Needs Officers, who can be contacted on 0161 249 4453.
Special Educational Needs and Disability Tribunal Service
Parents whose children have special educational needs can appeal to the Special Educational Needs Disability Tribunal Service against decisions made by Local Authorities about their children’s education.
The address to which appeals have to be made is:
Secretariat
Special Educational Needs and Disability Tribunal service (SENDIST)
Mowden Hall
Staindrop Road
Darlington
DL3 9BG
Connexions:
Through Connexions, every young person between 13-19 year olds has access to a Personal Adviser who can provide support and guidance in a range of areas, including learning and employment choices, housing, financial matters, family and relationships, and health and personal development. Connexions provide extra support to young people with learning difficulties and disabilities up to the age of 25.
Opening Times: Mon, Tues, Thurs, Fri - 9.00am – 5.00pm Weds - 9.00am – 3.30pm
64 Chestergate,
Stockport.
SK1 1NP
Tel. No. 0161 475 7700
Fax. 0161 476 6760
Email. info@connexions-stockport.org.uk
Portage Service:
Please see further information on the Children and Young Peoples Disability Partnerships Portage pages see the link above.
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