Inclusion and SEND
We recognise and respect the social, economic and cultural diversity within our community and in society, and strive to remove barriers and disadvantages to ensure that everyone feels included and valued. Every child is unique and we strive to enable full participation and offer access to a range of opportunities through a broad, balanced and creative curriculum.
Successful inclusion should result in every student feeling safe, confident and happy in the Academy. Successful inclusion should see every student achieving the highest standards of academic and personal excellence to ensure they are able to be their best self and shape their success for the future.
We will promote every student’s belief in themselves as a learner and we will create an environment where students are respectful for where they learn, who they learn with and who they are as unique aspirational young people.
Inclusive provision at the Maritime Academy is seen as the responsibility of the whole school community, permeating all aspects of Academy life and applicable to all our students.
Aims and Implementation
Potentially vulnerable groups
There are a number of identified groups of students and families for whom this aspect of the school is particularly pertinent and we actively seek to remove barriers to learning and participation which can potentially hinder or exclude individual students or groups of students:
- Students with Special Educational Needs or Disabilities (SEND).
- Students who are eligible for Pupil Premium (PP).
- Students whose home language is not English (EAL).
- Minority ethnic and faith groups, travellers, asylum seekers and refugees.
- Students under the care of Social Services and at risk of significant harm.
- Looked-after children (LAC) who may be in public care, or living with foster families.
- Young carers.
- Sexual orientation.
- Students whose family are in crisis or under great stress.
- Students who are at risk of disaffection and exclusion from school.
Special Educational Needs and Disabilities
Mrs M Hall is the Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Co-ordinator at the Maritime Academy.
SEND ‘Special Educational Needs or Disability’ describes the needs of children who have a difficulty or disability that makes learning harder for them than most children of the same age.
SEND affects a child’s ability to learn. It can also affect their:
- Behaviour or ability to socialise, for example, they struggle to make friends.
- Reading and writing, for example because they have dyslexia.
- Ability to understand things.
- Concentration levels, for example, because they have ADHD.
- Physical ability.
At the Maritime Academy, we aim to support every student so they can reach their full potential. We believe that every child is entitled to a broad, balanced curriculum that enables them to make progress and become their best. We strive to make inclusion an effective process where identifying, understanding and breaking down barriers to learning is paramount in ensuring every student’s needs are met at a level which is appropriate to them.
More information can be found in our SEND Policy and Information Report:
Medway’s Local Offer
The Local Offer is an onYour preferences have prevented this content from being loaded. If you have recently changed your preferences, please try reloading the pageline hub that lets young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) and their parents and carers know what services are out there for them, and how they can access them.
The Medway Local Offer can be found here.
Other support for Students and Families
- Medway Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Information and Advice Support service (SENDIAS) provides a range of free and impartial help to parents/carers, children and young people.
- Place2Be offer practical tips to support children’s wellbeing and behaviour on their Parenting Smart webpage.
- Living with ADHD provides advice for Teenagers and parents
- The Mental health Foundation has a wealth of advice and resources to support that is informed by research and practical based studies.
- Self – help guide for mild to moderate Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) can be found here
- The National Autistic Society provides advice, guidance and support for autistic young people and their families.
- The Challenging Behaviour Foundation holds a broad range of information and guidance about challenging behaviour and connected issues, including information sheets.
- The British Dyslexia Association provides a range of information for families including how to support Young people at home.
- Youngminds provides a wealth of information including managing anxiety.