Inclusion (SEND & ASC Base)

At Budmouth Academy, we are committed to supporting all students, including those with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND).

• Information & Guidance: Our SEND Policy and Local Offer explain how we identify and support students with SEND, how we work with parents, and how we involve other professionals. Families are also signposted to local activities and workshops through our website.
• Curriculum: All students follow a broad and balanced curriculum. Subject and Pastoral Leaders work together to make sure lessons are adapted and accessible, with regular reviews to track progress and shape support.
• Transition: We have a strong induction programme to help students move from primary to secondary school, with extra support available for those who may find the change more challenging. We also share SEND information with local schools, sixth forms, and colleges to support smooth transitions.
• Accessibility: Our Accessibility Plan outlines how we make learning and the school environment as inclusive as possible. We believe every student should be able to take part fully in school life.
• Emotional & Social Support: Support begins with Form Tutors and the School Team, and includes our Anti-Bullying programme. The Student Support Centre, Pastoral Leaders, and our Emotional Literacy Support Assistant (ELSA) ensure students’ voices are heard and acted upon.
• Looked After Children: For students in care, SEND support is linked with Personal Education Plans (PEPs), with joint meetings held when needed.
• Education Health Care Plans (EHCP): Students with an EHCP receive tailored support, with progress reviewed regularly in consultation with families and professionals. For admission for children with an Education, Health and Care Plan, please click here. 
• Concerns & Complaints: Details are set out in our SEND Policy, but we aim to resolve concerns quickly through regular communication with families.

Our Inclusion Team is made up of dedicated staff who work closely with students, families, teachers and external agencies to make sure every young person feels supported, included and able to achieve their best:

• Inclusion & Safeguarding Lead: Sally Emms, Vice Principal semms@budmouth-aspirations.org
• SENDCo: Faith Harrell fharell@budmouth-aspirations.org
• Learning Support Centre: Managed by Sara Goring sgoring@budmouth-aspirations.org 
• Autistic spectrum condition (ASC) Base: Managed by Toni Kirlew tkirlew@budmouth-aspirations.org

Implementation of the our SEND provision is delivered through three key areas:

Learning Support Centre

Our support team works with students from Year 7 through Year 14, offering guidance in core subjects and providing tailored assistance for a wide range of special educational needs, including literacy and numeracy difficulties, ADD, ADHD, Tourette’s Syndrome, dyspraxia, visual and hearing impairments, dyslexia (SpLD), physical disabilities, and Asperger’s Syndrome (for those not based in the specialist unit). Students may be withdrawn for focused, intensive teaching programmes, and we also collaborate closely with outside agencies to ensure every young person receives the support they need to thrive academically and personally.

Student Support Centre

The Centre is built around the six principles of nurture, providing a safe and supportive environment for students:

1. Children’s learning is understood developmentally – every child’s progress is different, and support is tailored to their stage of development, not just their age.
2. The classroom offers a safe base – the environment should feel secure, predictable, and welcoming.
3. The importance of nurture for the development of well-being – positive relationships and care are essential for healthy emotional and social growth.
4. Language is a vital means of communication – children need opportunities to develop and use language to express feelings, thoughts, and needs.
5. All behaviour is communication – behaviour is seen as a form of expression, often reflecting underlying needs or difficulties.
6. The importance of transition in children’s lives – changes, whether big or small, are recognised and supported carefully to help children feel safe and confident.

Our experienced staff specialise in pastoral care and nurture-based interventions, and include an ELSA trained to offer bereavement support. We work with students facing a wide range of social, emotional, and mental health challenges, such as stress, anxiety, low or high self-esteem, relationship difficulties, lack of confidence, depression, attachment issues, anger, aggression, ADHD, truancy, organisation, school phobia, and risk of exclusion. Support is offered on a one-to-one basis within the Centre, and we work closely with outside agencies to ensure every student receives the right help to meet their individual needs.

Autistic Spectrum Condition (ASC) Base

The ASC (Autism Spectrum Condition) Base is a Dorset Local Authority–funded provision for up to 12 students from across the county who have ASC and additional complex needs with comorbid diagnoses. It is the only mainstream base of its kind in Dorset, offering specialist support while promoting inclusion in mainstream lessons. Students benefit from a tailored programme that may include Social Skills lessons, one-to-one sessions, and close collaboration with outside agencies to ensure individual needs are met.

Admission to the ASC Base is managed by the Local Authority through a specialist panel process, rather than the school’s usual admissions route. The Local Authority Admissions Panel, convened by a Principal Education Officer at County Hall, meets three times a year to consider applications. Potential candidates are referred to the panel by the Educational Psychology Service, and parents may request for their child to be considered by contacting their Educational Psychologist or SEND Caseworker. Please note that admissions are not managed by Budmouth staff and the school’s standard admissions procedures do not apply.

To be considered for a place in the ASC Base, students must meet specific criteria. They must have an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) and be a resident of Dorset. There should also be clear evidence of a pattern of behaviour indicating that the student cannot access the curriculum without significant in-class support, and that their behaviour may negatively affect the learning of their peers. In addition, students should not be meeting Age Related Expectations for academic progress, and there must be a vacant space available in the Base.

Autistic students who are offered a place in the ASC Base will either have additional conditions alongside their diagnosis, or will have shown patterns of behaviour that make inclusion in a mainstream environment extremely challenging without the specialist support and expertise the Base provides.

Budmouth has a strong tradition of successfully supporting and including autistic students within our school community. Alongside the twelve students in the ASC Base, many other autistic students across the Academy receive tailored support in a variety of ways to help them thrive in both their learning and wider school life.