Support and Study Skills (SSSD)

The Support and Study Skills Department comprises a team of specialist staff qualified in teaching pupils with specific learning profiles.

Information on a pupil’s needs in advance of entry will ensure that recommendations are taken into account from the beginning of the academic year. For this reason liaison with schools prior to entry is essential and parents should send a copy of any educational assessment (Educational Psychologist’s Report or Medical) to the Department before the pupil arrives.

It is important to note reasonable adjustments for pupils requiring special educational support may include: 1:1 study skills, group study skills, use of dictation software, extra time, rest breaks, prompts, computerized reading software, laptops in exams and strategic seating in the exam hall.  

Bradfield College does not accommodate requests for separate invigilation, human scribes or teaching assistants to support the curriculum in lessons.  

Bradfield College has an ongoing screening process in place. Any anomalies apparent during this process will be investigated and addressed further by the Support and Study Skills Department. Close liaison between the Department, Director of Teaching and Learning, House staff, and subject departments ensures comprehensive collaboration on a pupil’s progress.

The information on a pupil’s known specific need is made available in summary form to all teaching staff, documenting a learning profile and implications for teaching and learning.

Those identified by an educational psychologist as having a specific learning difficulty are added to the special educational needs register. In order to formally access the resource of the College’s Support and Study Skills Department, a pupil must have an educational psychologist report indicating a specific learning difficulty.

At the Department’s discretion, the appropriate mode of support will then be assigned on analysis of the report and other relevant information (both that presented on entry by parents and previous school, and that uncovered during the pupil’s time at the college).

Learning Support Provision

Pupils may be offered individual support lessons. The Learning Support Provision at Bradfield College is one individual lesson per week beginning in Year 10. Individual lessons are planned around a pupil’s timetable; every effort is made to ensure that commitments to particular activities, such as sports or musical ensembles, do not clash with SSSD lessons.

These pupils are involved in the process of setting targets with their SSSD teachers at the outset of the provision as part of an Individual Teaching Plan (ITP). All pupils are expected to participate in the full curriculum at Bradfield College. The allocation of SSSD tutors is determined by the department using principles of timetabling in line with those used in other curricular areas. SSSD Tutors attend Parents’ Evening and provide written feedback on pupils’ progress.