Student Support
The iZone seeks to remove the barriers to learning. It is an inclusive network of professionals working together to improve the life chances of our students.
The iZone is the pastoral hub of the Academy. It contains the behaviour, attendance, mentoring, safeguarding, EMAS and SEND support services.
It is a service that empowers students to ‘be the best’ through additional support, advice and guidance. The iZone removes barriers to learning so that our students can grow academically and thrive as individuals. The iZone is an essential dimension of academic excellence and is committed to cultivating a culturally inclusive learning environment in which everybody’s background, level of ability, culture and religion are respected, accepted and valued. It promotes an enriching and nurturing climate that seeks to influence and change student mindsets to become happy and successful learners who make positive life choices.
Support and Guidance
The support and guidance received from the iZone ranges from mentoring, counselling, health, language support, academic catch-up interventions and behaviour support.
The iZone helps and supports students to improve their behaviour, social skills and attendance so that they can achieve their full academic potential.
What we offer:
- A safe place for young people
- Homework support
- Specialist professionals available on weekdays at all times
- A multi-agency approach
- A confidential non-judgmental service for our students
- A holistic approach to breaking down barriers to learning
- A universally accessible service for all members of the Academy.
It’s a chance for young people to find out more about issues that may be worrying them. If young people do have concerns about various issues, it can affect their home life, their school work and their friendships. We believe the best way to deal with it is to tackle it head-on. If you separate the fact from the myth about a subject, you can provide them with the reassurance they need.
Safeguarding
We are committed to safeguarding every student. We acknowledge that safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility and ensure all of our staff are trained to be vigilant and aware of the signs and indicators of abuse and understand and follow safe working practices.
EMAS (Ethnic Minority Achievement Service)
The EMAS department is about overcoming barriers to learning due to different backgrounds no matter why they arise. The service works to overcome the many barriers to learning and ultimately to fulfilling a student’s full potential.
Beginners
Beginners who it is felt would benefit from extra English are given a structured English programme as outlined on the following sheet. It is targeted and designed to give the students the English language needed to accelerate their learning in mainstream lessons.
Other Support
The bilingual classroom assistants have been invaluable and will continue to be so. EMAS works with other staff so that they are available to translate when communicating with parents and students within school, during Parents Evenings and on home visits.
Where there is a need and a bilingual classroom assistant can speak the first language they may be directed to work with that group of students for some considerable time and in many areas of the curriculum. That said, bilingual classroom assistants are also trained to help all students including those with a first language other than their own.
Bilingual classroom assistants also help with Parents Evenings, phoning beforehand and available on the night. IC is available at all Parents Evenings to answer any questions, help with appointments and generally assist.
One of the main duties of the department is to welcome and support beginners in English to the school and give them the tools to integrate, access and succeed. The bilingual classroom assistants are available to translate at the interview if needs be.
EMAS support is not just about nor has it ever just been about EAL.
The department is about overcoming barriers to learning due to different backgrounds no matter why they arise. It may be that historically, certain ethnic groups are over represented in low social economic groups or that their cultural or religious backgrounds have not exposed them to situations often referred to in mainstream education. The success of monolingual ethnic minority students is considered just as important, the service works to overcome the many barriers to learning and ultimately to fulfilling the students full potential.
The department plans to continue to target those who are not reaching their full potential within the mainstream classroom. To this end EMAS has always been active it classes where English has not been seen as a barrier but instead has worked to raise the achievement of students who otherwise may not reach their full potential. The needs of advanced second language learners can be overlooked but are just as important and are explicitly mentioned by Ofsted.
EMAS will continue to work with students who have acquired English to check spelling and grammar of BTEC work (without changing the meaning) or to help students in lessons to fully understand the content.
SEND
Every student is valued and treated as an individual, taking into account their personal learning needs.
Every student is valued and treated as an individual, taking into account their personal learning needs. Like many schools we have some students who have ‘Special Educational Needs and Disability’ (SEND). This may mean that they require some extra help and support to enable them to access the curriculum and to be a fully integrated member of the Academy community.
All SEND students are accommodated in line with the Equality Act 2010 and provision is available for all four areas of need outlined in the 2014 SEND code of practice. All support is centred within the iZone where there are a number of professionals who all work together to ensure the students’ needs are met.
Mrs Drew is the special educational needs and disabilities coordinator and a senior member of staff.
SENDCo Mrs Drew 01782 882374/882300 diane.drew@coopacademies.co.uk
Mentoring
The Mentoring service is a two-way process between a mentor and a student. We offer a range of different mentoring services, working in conjunction with other agencies and professionals, to ensure all students’ needs are met.
Year Team
In addition to their form tutor, every student has a Head of Year and a Year Manager who will support and guide them throughout their five years. Learn more by following the links.