The SEN Information Report is updated annually. It outlines current provision within The Oaks Secondary School.
Admission is via the Local Authority. Please contact the Placement and Provision Team on 03000 265878 for more information.
Pupils at The Oaks have identified needs which are significant and often complex in the areas of Cognition and Learning. The pupils may have moderate to severe learning difficulties or profound and multiple learning difficulties as described in the SEN Code of Practice.
Some pupils may have additional Communication and Interaction difficulties such as an autistic spectrum condition and/or speech and language difficulties.
Some pupils may also have associated needs in the areas of Social, Emotional and Mental Health Difficulties. In addition, pupils may have Sensory or Physical Difficulties.
The school provides data on the levels and types of need to the Local Authority. This is collected through the school census. The following information was correct in October 2025.
| Need Type | Year 7 | Year 8 | Year 9 | KS3 | Year 10 | Year 11 | KS4 | Year 12 | Year 13 | Year 14 | KS5 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MLD | 8 | 3 | 3 | 14 | 4 | 10 | 14 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 30 |
| MLDcb | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| SLD | 19 | 17 | 13 | 49 | 15 | 18 | 33 | 6 | 8 | 11 | 25 | 107 |
| SLDcb | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ASC | 37 | 25 | 14 | 76 | 23 | 35 | 58 | 3 | 1 | 6 | 10 | 144 |
| SEMH | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| ASCDis | 6 | 8 | 14 | 28 | 11 | 5 | 16 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 6 | 50 |
| ASCcb | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| PMLD | 2 | 3 | 1 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 13 |
| Total | 72 | 60 | 45 | 177 | 55 | 70 | 125 | 15 | 12 | 21 | 48 | 350 |
Some pupils in all audit bands receive additional funding or support due to their challenging behaviour.
All pupils attending The Oaks Secondary School have an Education Health and Care Plan (EHCP). We are a specialist provision with a relatively high staff pupil ratio, fully accessible building and trained staff. More information is available within the SEN policy on our web site and in the document Information for Parents about SEN at The Oaks which describes our First Quality Teaching.
We evaluate our provision through the use of progress data, parent and pupil feedback, governor and link inspector monitoring visits and via our School Self Evaluation system into which all staff have input.
Our school is a place where everyone is treated with dignity, with respect and is of equal worth.
We have a shared vision for The Oaks which has been achieved through collaboration and is owned by all members of our learning community.
Further details about all areas of school are available on our website, www.theoaksschool.co.uk.
All staff have a responsibility to meet the needs of pupils at The Oaks Secondary School. The school contact details are available on the website. You are welcome to contact a member of the leadership team or your child’s form or subject teacher. Click on ‘Contact’ then ‘Key Staff’.
Staffing levels are enhanced so that pupils can be taught in classes appropriate to their individual needs and abilities. Teachers, Higher Level Teaching Assistants (HLTAs), Learning Support Assistants (LSAs), Supervisory Assistants (SAs) and Health Care & Education Assistants (HCEAs) are deployed in a variety of ways to ensure every pupil has the ability to access education.
Additional support for pupils’ social and emotional needs is available through our Behaviour Support unit, from our Listening Matters team, staff trained in Mindfulness and by all staff encouraging pupils to share their thoughts and feelings. Intervention programmes are in place across school for numeracy, literacy, social communication and emotional resilience, to name a few.
The school receives advice and support from a range of health professionals, working in partnership, in order to meet the needs of our pupils. We have worked with the Local Authority and our Health and Social Care colleagues to implement the SEN Code of Practice. We will continue to work closely with parents/carers in the best interests of their child.
All pupils at The Oaks must have an Education Health and Care Plan (EHCP) prior to admission. This document identifies pupils’ special educational needs, suggests approaches to learning and prioritises targets for the future.
The school has an SEN policy which can be found on the website in the policies section. Any additional or developing needs are identified by school staff and referred to the school SENCo or relevant external professional if they cannot be addressed within existing provision.
Interventions are offered within school in curricular areas for pupils who are gifted and talented, falling behind individual expectations or who would benefit from social or emotional support.
My plans (IEPs/PEPs) are reviewed and updated throughout the school year.
7.69% of pupils at The Oaks are Looked After. These pupils are from 5 different local authorities.
At The Oaks we have a member of the middle leadership team who is responsible for looked after children. Mr Farrow works with Mrs Farrow (safeguarding/SENCo/curriculum) to ensure that we meet statutory requirements and guidance for good practice.
Mr Farrow makes and maintains links with the Virtual Schools, attends LAC meetings, sets and reviews targets and oversees individual budgets. Mr Farrow also works closely with teachers so that PEP targets link with EHCP outcomes.
All staff have job descriptions which, along with the person specification for their role in school, detail the required qualifications for each post.
All staff have a core training programme related to their work as a teacher or member of the support team. Individual development needs are assessed and reviewed through performance management procedures and individual training needs identified.
Continuous Professional Development in SEN is supported by targeted in-service training and attendance on external courses. We recognise and value the knowledge and skills held by our own staff and strive to promote the use of peer collaboration as a means of staff development.
The long-term well-being of the pupils is of paramount concern and training in Medical Needs, Safeguarding, Prevent, First Aid, Behaviour Management, Alternative Communication and Midas are kept up to date.
We have an induction programme for new staff to ensure they are aware of policy, procedures and guidelines.
The Oaks Secondary School is a purpose-built building and is fully accessible for wheelchair users, being on one level. In other communal areas, such as hygiene rooms, interactive rooms and the hydrotherapy pool, there are built-in hoists. Mobile hoists are also available.
The school has an accessibility audit each year and writes a 3-year plan to ensure all needs are met. This plan is available to view on the website in policies.
A wide range of equipment and facilities are provided for the children in response to their different needs to support them physically and enable them to access learning and all aspects of the curriculum. This can include bespoke equipment to meet the needs of individual pupils, for example Eye Gaze technology and Braille equipment.
The school receives funding via pupil premium for disadvantaged students. All subject staff are involved in contributing to a whole school action plan. For details of equipment and facilities targeting these groups please see the website policies and pupil premium information.
During transition we work with parents and primary schools to identify any additional resource needs and strive to have the correct equipment or facilities in place prior to the pupil starting The Oaks.
All parents, carers and families are welcome to visit the school prior to their child attending to see what is available.
At The Oaks Secondary School parents and carers are included in the education of their children and young adults in the following ways:
All children and young people in our school are treated with dignity and respect. There is personalisation of the curriculum for each pupil/student in order that they can access and experience success throughout their school life.
The Student Council involves students in contributing to all aspects of school life, suggesting new ideas and innovations and making decisions about The Oaks as part of the wider community.
All pupils are supported to complete an ‘all about me’ document for their review meeting, to reflect, to contribute to target setting and to describe their aspirations for the future.
Pupil questionnaires are completed annually, results are shared and a school response is generated to address any points which the pupils have raised.
Pupils are also invited to comment on and contribute to whole school, community and worldwide issues during RRS lessons. Most recently a number of pupils spoke to assessors and the school then received the Gold RRS award and the Parent Partnership award.
Staff engage pupils in the process of evaluating, marking and improving their own work wherever possible.
The policy and procedures for all complaints is available from the school office and the website. The policy is updated each year in line with Durham County guidance. The policy includes the role of the head teacher and governing body members in managing complaints.
Parents or carers with any concerns are encouraged to share these with any member of staff with whom they feel comfortable. Staff are expected to respond as promptly as they can and liaise with a senior leader.
There is a wide range of staff working together to support pupils and their families. Some are employed directly by the school, others have different lines of management.
Classroom staff are employed directly by the school. This includes teachers, HLTAs, LSAs, SAs and lunchtime supervisors. Admin, catering and maintenance staff are also school employees.
Other professionals work for a range of agencies – most have office bases elsewhere and work in school on particular days or as necessary.
School Nurse, Speech and Language Therapists, Occupational Therapists, CAMHS and LDCAMHS teams and Physiotherapists are employees of the NHS. All these professionals work within school, training staff and advising staff, and working with children and young people.
The SEND Inclusion Service staff – advisory teachers – are employed by the Local Authority, not the school, and are within the Children Specialist Services team. They work with individual pupils and provide advice on individual needs.
Transport to school is organised by the Local Authority, not the school. Transport staff, drivers and escorts are employed by the transport companies.
There are social and family workers for children/young people with disabilities. These staff are Local Authority employees and are based within Children and Young People’s Services.
Some contact numbers for the support services described above are available from the school office. If you have a query relating to these areas it is best to contact the professionals directly. This will ensure that your messages, queries or concerns are dealt with in the most efficient way.
You can also go to the Families Information Service (Local Offer). A link to this is displayed on our website.
We work with external agencies in a number of different ways. Some agencies come into school in an advisory capacity and will offer advice on individual pupils or staff training. Oaks staff then implement any programmes or strategies in school.
The Oaks staff receive reports from external agencies which contribute to the EHCP process. Staff from The Oaks also furnish external agencies with reports regarding individual children, for example to social services for child protection purposes.
Staff also complete standard forms to contribute to formal assessments, for example Conner’s scale for ADHD and Neurodiversity Pathways reports.
Some agencies work more regularly alongside our staff in school, for example physio assistants in hydrotherapy, CAMHS nurses meeting regularly with behaviour support and pastoral staff to identify pupils on a ‘pyramid of need’, and the Sensory Support service undertaking mobility training with visually impaired students.
All transitions are planned and supported whether this is pupils moving to us from primary education, change of form class, progressing to The Oaks sixth form or moving on to further education, health or social care provision.
In school parents/carers will have the opportunity to meet new staff, take part in organised visits and gain further information via our annual options evening and careers fayre.
Pupils are supported in planning for their transition from primary to secondary school. Transition programmes are set up for pupils depending on their needs. Staff from The Oaks liaise with those from Evergreen and other feeder primary schools from across South West Durham and beyond.
We work with parent support advisors, specialist teachers and primary school SENCos so that we get to know the needs of our new pupils. Staff from other schools are encouraged to accompany pupils on transition visits along with parents and carers.
Students are fully supported during their transition to post-school providers with organised visits, help with application forms, transition taster days etc. More information can be found on the local offer document and in the transition section of the website.
http://www.countydurhamfamilies.info
There is further detail on our website about our provision. There is also a link to the Local Offer. Look in the parents section for the more detailed document regarding SEN at The Oaks which may be particularly useful for families joining us from mainstream primary provision.
Our SEN governor is Mrs Mary Anne Heads and she can be contacted via school. If you have any queries or requests for policies or information relating to this report please contact the Deputy Head Teacher / SENCo – Mrs Rebecca Farrow on 01388 827380.
Our Headteacher is Mr Martyn Tweddle and can be contacted at the school if you have any comments, compliments or complaints.
The Oaks Secondary School,
Rock Road, Spennymoor, Co Durham, DL16 7DB
Tel: 01388 827380