About the Learning Support Department

'At some point in their school career the Government estimates that one child in every five will need some form of help'

The aim of the Governors and Staff with responsibility for Special Educational Needs is to help children with learning difficulties to have a successful and rewarding time at Northgate High School.

Our main thrust is to support children in classes where they find the work particularly challenging. But we do more than this. We hope that whether the problem is reading, spelling, handwriting, numeracy or something quite different, we will be able to offer help at the right time in the right place.

We now have an extensive library of ‘easy-read’ teenage books set out in a pleasant and comfortable reading area. Tapes of some of the books are available. We add to this library year by year.

The school has been modified to provide wheelchair access to all ground floor classrooms in the school buildings. All facilities are available and support is readily available from 8.30 am to 3.30 pm continuously. When a child with any form of learning difficulty comes to Northgate, our aim is for them to get the help they need WITHOUT being isolated from their friends. We hope that your child’s happiness will prove our success.

Helping your child
•	An extensive programme of in class support.
•	Fully diagnostic tests - to pinpoint where help is most useful.
•	Extra swimming session - for those who cannot take full advantage of PE.
•	Computer Assisted Learning- for both literacy and numeracy.
•	Small Group Teaching.
•	Early morning and lunchtime reading sessions, to give much needed reading practice.
•	An open door to all, who need to talk, or to rest quietly out of lesson times.
•	Short term withdrawal - to work with individuals to combat specific learning difficulties and literacy problems.
•	A large, regularly updated library of easy-read teenage books.
•	Helping those who find it difficult to speak for themselves.
•	Homework Club.
•	Lunchtime Social Club.

---