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SEND

SEND at Impact Alternative Learning

Our SEND Offer

At Impact Alternative Learning, we provide a personalised and flexible approach for learners aged 5–19 with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND), including those with Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs).

We recognise that many of our learners have experienced barriers in previous educational settings. For some, those barriers may relate to communication, cognition and learning, social, emotional and mental health needs, sensory needs, attendance difficulties, trauma, or a combination of factors. Our role is to remove barriers, build trust, and create the conditions in which each learner can make progress.

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We do this through:

  • small-group and individualised support;

  • strong relationships and consistent routines;

  • practical, accessible learning experiences;

  • close partnership working with families and professionals;

  • a curriculum that develops both academic progress and life readiness.

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How We See SEND at Impact

At Impact, SEND is not viewed as a label. It is understood as part of the whole learner.

We believe that effective SEND provision means:

  • identifying need early;

  • understanding the learner’s strengths as well as their barriers;

  • adapting teaching, support, routines and environments;

  • listening to the child or young person and those who know them best;

  • reviewing support regularly to ensure it is working.

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Our aim is for every learner to feel:

  • safe,

  • understood,

  • included,

  • and capable of success.

What Support Looks Like

Support at Impact is shaped around the individual. Depending on need, this may include:

Useful Information

Families may also wish to access their local authority’s SEND and Local Offer information for wider services, assessments, and support available in their area. below are page links to local offer and SEND information for Tameside.

Adaptive teaching

Lessons are planned so that learners can access learning at the right level, with support, scaffolding, repetition, modelling and practical approaches where needed.

Smaller group sizes

Many learners benefit from reduced class sizes, quieter spaces, and increased adult support. This helps improve engagement, confidence and regulation.

1:1 and targeted intervention

Some learners may need short-term or longer-term intervention to support:

  • literacy and numeracy,

  • communication,

  • emotional regulation,

  • behaviour for learning,

  • independence and social development.

Pastoral and SEMH support

For learners whose needs affect their ability to feel safe, regulated or ready to learn, support is built into the school day through trusted relationships, clear routines, and calm, consistent adult responses.

Practical and vocational learning

We know that many learners thrive when learning is active, purposeful and linked to real life. Our curriculum includes vocational, physical, creative and community-based opportunities that help learners experience success in different ways.

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The Impact SEND Commitment

Our commitment is simple:

We will not reduce expectations because a learner has additional needs.
We will increase support, adapt provision, and keep working until we find the approach that helps them succeed.

At Impact Alternative Learning, SEND provision is about more than access.
It is about belonging, progress and opportunity.

Our Approach to Inclusion

Inclusion at Impact does not mean expecting every learner to access learning in the same way. It means creating an environment in which every learner can participate meaningfully.

We promote inclusion by:

  • making reasonable adjustments;

  • using pupil profiles, EHCP outcomes and professional advice to inform provision;

  • adapting the timetable where appropriate;

  • recognising that behaviour can communicate unmet need;

  • ensuring learners are treated with dignity, consistency and respect.

We want our learners to know that support is not something to be embarrassed by. It is part of helping them move forward.

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Working with Families and Professionals

We believe the best outcomes happen when school, family and external professionals work together.

Impact works in partnership with:

  • parents and carers;

  • local authority SEND teams;

  • social workers;

  • speech and language therapists;

  • CAMHS and mental health professionals;

  • educational psychologists;

  • other specialists involved in a learner’s support.

We value the knowledge families bring and aim to keep communication clear, honest and focused on progress.

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EHCPs and Reviews

For learners with an EHCP, provision is planned with reference to identified needs and outcomes. Support is reviewed regularly to ensure that strategies remain appropriate and effective.

We contribute to:

  • annual reviews;

  • professional reports;

  • progress discussions;

  • placement planning and transition support.

Our focus is always on helping the learner make progress from their starting point, both academically and personally.

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Preparing Learners for Their Next Steps

SEND support at Impact is not only about helping learners cope in the present. It is about preparing them for the future.

We want learners to leave Impact with:

  • improved confidence;

  • stronger communication and self-advocacy skills;

  • greater independence;

  • meaningful qualifications or accredited learning;

  • readiness for their next stage, whether that is school, college, training or adulthood.

For younger learners, this means building strong foundations.
For older learners, it means helping them move towards realistic, positive and sustainable destinations.

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