The Individual Teaching and Support Service aims to provide for primary and secondary aged students a supportive, safe, positive, leaming experience which raises self-esteem and develops social skills whilst promoting independence, self-motivation and respect for others.

The Individual Teaching and Support Service aims to support students enabling them to remain in, or return to, a permanent educational setting, including special school or equip them for the transition to further education or the world of work.

Students referred to the Individual Teaching and Support Service are generally considered to be at Stage 3 or Stage 3+ of the guidelines provided by the Local Education Authority based on the Code of Practice for the identification and assessment of special educational needs.

Students are only expected to be referred to the Service if permanently excluded from school or after schools have exhausted the support available within school, where Stages I and 2 have been completed and external support is needed to enable a student to make progress.

Unless permanently excluded from school, and to facilitate a speedy return to mainstream students are kept on the roll of their mainstream school.

If on Stage 3/3+ or 5, pupils should have been seen by an EP within the last 6 months and there should be a Devereux score available.

If not on Stages 3 and above, the pupil will be referred, if appropriate, to the EP after initial planning meeting by Head of ITSS.

Parents of permanently excluded pupils will have been offered a meeting with the Education Officer to discuss options.

Other pupils needing in school support, must be referred by an EP, EWO or school, using the ITSS referral form.

Pupil Characteristics

• Disaffection

• Often unable to tolerate large groups
• May not have succeeded at other special provision
• May be waiting for special provision
• Abilities - from SLD to above average

• Short-medium term

• Disaffected:

• Have not succeeded in other specialised provision

Following the acceptance of a referral, an educational planning meeting is held. Parents, student and all other interested agencies are represented and a coordinated educational plan devised. The educational plan should provide short, medium and long-term objectives.

For students remaining on the roll of a school, the responsibility for organising the education planning meeting is that of the school.

For students excluded from school or without a school place, the responsibility is that of:

• the Education Officer (Pupils)
  
• or, in the case of students at Stage 4+ and 5 of the Special Education Needs Assessment Procedures, the Education Officer (Special).

Teaching takes place at the Service's main base at the Edgeley Centre and at other satellite bases around the Borough, including Youth Centres and the Dialstone Centre.

Curriculum

The prime aim of the Individual Teaching and Support Service is to enable the student to remain in or return to mainstream education. The curriculum is, therefore, designed to promote each student's successful integration into a permanent educational setting, be it mains or special school or, in the case of older. students, the successful transition to post-16 provision or working life.

The work provided for each student is carefully selected, well planned, differentiated and challenging.

Project 11 students are provided with educational programmes which may include:

Additionally, Project 11 students attend

Expectations are high and students at Key Stage 4 are encouraged to study and sit nationally recognised accreditation, including

All students participate in a PSE programme, which includes health and sex education and careers advice.

All students have a Record of Achievement.

Students have access to a gymnasium.

All students are formally assessed at the end of each Key Stage.

Staffing

The Service is led by a Headteacher with 6 Team Leaders responsible for teams of part-time staff in the following areas.

KS I and 2; KS3; KS4; Project11; Looked After Children; School Behaviour Support Team.

In addition, the teacher of secondary aged pupils at the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS) is part of the Service.

Individual education plans are reviewed every 6/8 weeks and reintegration to school is arranged as soon as a student is considered likely to be successful.

Where the students who have been absent from school for a period of time due to exclusion or otherwise will be supported on their return The package of support will be dependent on the needs of the individual and the requirements of the accepting school.

Reintegration programmes may:

• include a part-time, phased re-introduction to class;
• last a period of weeks;
• include in school support - teaching or support assistant.

All reintegration programmes will be regularly reviewed with student parent, school and ITSS staff until the integration is considered to have been successful.