In-school support boosts SEN student’s confidence

Specialist SEN Tutor

Kelly

Rochford

5 (14 reviews)

Master's level study and PGCE, plus specialist CPD.

Over 15 years of experience as a examiner, focused on personalised progress and confidence.

What Was The Young Person's Story?

Hertfordshire County Council referred the student to SENsational Tutors. Although he was attending a specialist SEN school, he hadn’t been making the progress his mother felt he was capable of. The young man has autism and sensory processing issues but had initially been misdiagnosed with developmental delay, which was later retracted.

The family had challenged the local authority at a number of tribunals. The school was doing its best to cater for the boy’s academic ability but together with his mother, they agreed to employ a one-to-one tutor to shadow him in school and work alongside his class teachers to progress his attainment.

The student was thirteen and in a mixed Year 9 class when he started working with Kelly. He had an EHCP which had to be reviewed by tribunal and it was this that led to the funding for the tutor to be placed in school.

How Our SEN Tutor Made A Difference:

Kelly has been working with the student for just over a year, supporting him in class to complete his work but also stretch him to see if he is capable of more. She is also helping him with his relationships with his peers. Although funding allows for one-to-one tuition outside school during the holidays, the young man would not consider this at first. He was also reluctant to go outside the classroom for individual tuition and preferred to be with his classmates.

He also has an external speech therapist who visits him twice a week for an intervention.

What Was The Impact:

With Kelly’s support, the student has become more willing to attend school and is now on time every day. His mother finds it easier to get him out the door in the mornings. The school has also noted that he is more willing to engage with the curriculum. In addition, he is growing in confidence with his peers and has started to navigate the teenage social-scene and pick up on nuances – previously, he hadn’t been interested in these aspects of school life.

His mother is thrilled at the progress he has made and believes her son’s confidence has grown exponentially. She is astonished at what has been achieved in such a short time. The student now often asks Kelly to work with him on non-tuition days and enjoys engaging in banter with her.

Academically, his reading and spelling has improved and he now writes full pages, using paragraphs and appropriate vocabulary. In maths, he can perform written calculations and work with fractions, and perform entry level two problem solving skills.

The student plans to stay at his current school until Year 11 after which he may attend an independent sixth-form.