Inclusion

Inclusion is a high priority at UCA and we work hard to offer students the support they need to be successful and to be happy and sociable members of the Academy and the community.

Students with learning difficulties have access to support in their classes and often in smaller groups. In our Support Base on arrival to UCA, all Year 7 students are screened to ensure where intervention is needed, particularly with reading, we can act quickly and implement one of our many literacy improvement strategies.

Students are invited to attend a “breakfast club” each morning during break time, where they can top up their energy level with something healthy to eat and drink while working and having fun, utilising the many learning games and ICT facilities that are made available to them.

A very important aspect of our inclusion programme is the integration of our students for whom English is a second language, many of whom arrive with very little or no English speak skills.  The programme for these students includes small group work in our Support Base and targeted support during main stream lessons.

We aim to ensure all our students “aim higher” and very closely monitor the progress of our Gifted and Talented students providing them with opportunities to attend internal and external workshops linked to University, the “world of work” and lifelong career progression.

A very important aspect of our inclusion programme is our link with our parent/carers, with whom we share information on a regular basis and on some occasions for some students on a daily basis.  Student information evenings are held regularly throughout the year and we encourage all parents/carers to attend to ensure we have an agreed focus on raising the attainment and personal development of all students.

UCA has gone from strength to strength in the past few years as we continue to extend our inclusion policy, to work with our primary schools, local community, Police and local emergency and housing services to ensure we contribute to raising the profile of our students, their families and the local community.