Skip To Main Content

Special Educational Needs (SEN)

At Samakee, we place great importance on identifying special educational needs (SEN) early so that we can help children as quickly as possible. Once it has been decided that your child has SEN, staff working with your child take into account the Samakee SEN Policy. The policy describes how we help children with special educational needs at Samakee through a step-by-step or graduated approach.

Our graduated approach recognises that children and young people learn in different ways and can have different kinds or levels of SEN. So increasingly, step-by-step, specialist expertise is brought in to help our school with the difficulties that a child may have.

If your child does not seem to be making enough progress or needs a lot more extra help, the school may contact parents so that an assessment can be carried out for your child by a Developmental Paediatrician at Merak Clinic. This is only required for a very small number of children and is only necessary if the school cannot provide all the help that your child needs. It is usually only required for children who have the most significant and long-term special educational needs which need a very detailed assessment.

The approach may include:
an individually-designed learning programme
extra help from a learning support assistant who may be assigned to your child. This occurs if it is decided by the multidisciplinary team that your child is unable to access the curriculum independently. The decision is reached and agreed on by all people working with the child.
being taught individually or in a small group for regular short periods
drawing up a personal plan in liaison with Merak and or our Inclusion Leader, including setting targets for improvement, regular review of progress before setting new targets.
Merak HomeSchool meetings with parents, carers, Merak therapists and teachers who work with your child.

ECAs

A group of young people, some wearing blue uniforms, are engaged in climbing activities on a wall with various colored holds in an indoor climbing facility.
St. Andrews Samakee : Relevant & Motivating

We ensure our clubs remain relevant and motivating by reviewing and adjusting them termly based on student interest.

A group of young girls in pink ballet attire are practicing their dance moves in a well-lit studio with large windows overlooking the outdoors.
St. Andrews Samakee : Learning Extended

ECAs are designed to enrich learning through cross-curricular opportunities in our unique spaces.

A group of young people in white martial arts uniforms are practicing techniques under the guidance of an instructor in a brightly lit indoor training facility.
St. Andrews Samakee : Explore Every Passion

Our extensive program after-school clubs offered daily. From robotics and biomedical engineering to music and sports.

Extra Curricular Activities

Students’ learning is enriched through a wide and varied range of cross-curricular learning opportunities on the Samakee farm and in the ‘Makerspaces’ and ‘Design Lab’. The school offers a rich, varied and extensive extra-curricular programme with 25 after-school clubs. These include board games, arts, music, biomedical engineering, robotics and sports, as well as day and residential trips and musical productions. These activities allow students to explore further their personal interests and skills and enrich their education beyond the statutory curriculum.

- ISQM Accreditation Report, May 2023

A group of young children are engaged in various art and craft activities at a table in a colorful and vibrant classroom setting, surrounded by educational materials and artwork displayed on the walls.

An extensive extra-curricular programme supports our broad curriculum.

Here at St. Andrews Samakee, we satisfy our children’s super-charged urge to enquire, understand new things, explore and extend their knowledge by giving them the skills they need to become life-long, active learners.

Each day is a rich learning experience, and the wide range of activities ensures that school life is varied and interesting.
 

 

Although the school day ends at 2:30 am, opportunities for children to enrich their learning continue after school from 2:40 pm. Samakee has a variety of after ECAs available, and every attempt is made to make these clubs relevant and motivating for students. ECAs are reviewed and adjusted on a termly basis and are in line with student interest and availability. Clubs are led by our own staff as well as external providers.

ECAs take place from 2:40pm to 3:30pm (Mondays to Thursdays) and are very popular.

These photos give a taste of some recent opportunities for learning.