Welcome to our Outreach page, helping you in mainstream schools to support your children with SEND

What is Outreach?

The Collett School has a long history of working with children with special educational needs. Over the past years, we have innovated and worked with best practices from around the globe to facilitate opportunities that support children with complex needs, to learn.

We know that many mainstream schools also have children with complex needs including autism, communication difficulties, social emotional and mental health, alongside other disorders and syndromes. Our Outreach provision can support your school with strategies, resources, advice and support to secure improved progress for a child/young person/adult with special educational needs and disabilities.

At The Collett School, our vision is to support children to 'thrive in life' by working with children with complex needs in their transition to adulthood. In doing so, our support to the adults around the young person is strong and effective in order to give the young person with SEND the best possible opportunities in life, in order to thrive!

Who is Outreach for?

Part of The Collett School's Outreach provision is directed at supporting The Local Offer across DSPL area 7. This means, we support local authority schools in: St Albans, Harpenden and villages.  The Collett School is in the DSPL area 8 and we regularly work closely with our neighbouring schools.

This service is suitable for children working below age related expectations or who have a range of difficulties in accessing the curriculum. It is a free to access service for local authority maintained schools

Please contact Karen Thorp (Outreach Lead Teacher and Manager) for further information, guidance and help: outreach@collett.herts.sch.uk

Outreach for Primary Schools

The outreach support we provide will be tailored to the pupils' and schools' individual needs.
This can involve:

• Observations of a pupil in class
• Support with adapting the curriculum to meet the individual pupils needs
• Advice and behaviour strategies
• Sharing or creating resources appropriate to individual pupils

General support:

• SENco support
• Working alongside teachers to help with differentiation.
• Advice on assessment procedures
• Advice on the learning environment
• Email or telephone support
• Visits to the Collett School to spend time in a classroom & look at resources.

Training:

• Whole school staff meetings on requested topics
• Training for designated staff
• Training at the Collett School on a range of topics

Outreach for Secondary Schools

The outreach support we provide will be tailored to the pupils' and schools' individual needs.
This can involve:

• Observations of a pupil in class
• Support with adapting the curriculum to meet the individual pupils needs
• Advice and behaviour strategies
• Sharing or creating resources appropriate to individual pupils
• Help to identify priority next steps for learning.

General support:

• SENco support
• Working alongside teachers to help with differentiation.
• Advice on assessment procedures
• Advice on the learning environment
• Support with transitions of all kinds, KS2 - KS3, lunchtime, moving between lessons
• Email or telephone support
• Meeting with both parents and SENco to discuss needs both at home and at school
• Range of pastoral support - building relationships and providing a pupil voice
• Visits to the Collett School to spend time in a classroom & look at resources.
• Liaison with multi agency support workers

Training:

• Whole school staff meetings on requested topics
• Training sessions or presentations delivered to TAs.
• Training for designated staff
• Training at the Collett School on a range of topics

 

 

 

 

 

Karen Thorp (Outreach Manager)

Karen has extensive experience of special educational needs. She has worked at The Collett School for 16 years as a class teacher in both primary and secondary and for the last three years as SENco. Her teaching and leadership are 'Outstanding'. Karen has achieved the "Advanced SENco Award".

On top of all that, Karen is highly organised, efficient and supportive. She has a wealth of knowledge and practical skills to support mainstream schools in developing appropriate and relevant resources and activities that improve teaching and learning.

Please email Karen Thorp at outreach@collett.hert.sch.uk for an initial consultation.

"Karen is incredibly approachable and helpful and went above and beyond to help us put additional support in place"

Request Outreach Support

To request support from the Outreach Team please complete the form below, obtaining a parent's signature before emailing or sending to: outreach@collett.herts.sch.uk