At Dartford Technology College, as in other schools there are students for whom the usual timetable of lessons and activities may not be entirely appropriate or may need adapting. This may be for many different reasons, e.g. emotional, medical or physical difficulties such as hearing or visual impairment or temporary lack of mobility resulting in a student being on crutches or confined to a wheelchair. Other problems might occur from a child having missed a lot of school through illness, or from the need to learn more slowly than most. It maybe that short term intervention is required following bereavement or another personal crisis. New admissions from other schools may need short term support to catch up on certain areas of the curriculum and new arrivals from other countries may find themselves needing extra language support.
All Year 7, 8 and 9 students are tested for reading and spelling, as well as Cognitive Ability Tests in Year 7 & 9. From these results, as well as information from the students themselves, parents, their teachers and their primary schools, students who experience difficulties are placed on the appropriate programme to meet their individual needs. as soon as possible.
There are also exceptionally gifted students who will also need particular consideration in order to develop and extension work in many different subjects can be provided.
Close monitoring of progress is undertaken with the responsibilities for learning placed mainly with the student, Parents are involved in many different ways to ensure that they are kept up to date with the interventions in place and how to support their daughter. As progress is made, the additional help may be withdrawn when it is no longer necessary.
"High educational standards and well-being go hand in hand. Pupils can't learn and thrive if they don't feel safe, or if health problems are allowed to create barriers, doing well in education is the most effective route out of poverty and disaffection. Early intervention is the most effective way to deal with difficulties before they escalate." Every Child Matters
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