The outreach service has been established at Woolgrove since the early 1980s. It is a highly regarded free service available to all local authority mainstream primary and secondary schools which is organised as part of the Local Authority’s provision.
Woolgrove is the lead special school for providing outreach services to North Herts (DSPL Area 1 – Baldock, Hitchin, Letchworth, Royston and surrounding villages). Woolgrove School is currently working in partnership with Greenside School to deliver outreach for Stevenage and surrounding villages (DSPL Area 2). Since November 2023, Woolgrove has taken over the outreach service for Welwyn and Hatfield (DSPL Area 5) from Southfield School. For more information on DSPL 5 please click here.
Main Aim: The outreach service works with SENCos, teachers and teaching assistants from mainstream schools. The main aim of the outreach service is to support mainstream colleagues to meet the needs of pupils working below age-related expectations or pupils that have additional needs or a diagnosis that results in difficulties accessing the curriculum.
The main types of support that we offer are:
Referrals:
- Referral for an individual pupil (Pupil Focus Support): We provide support and advice to mainstream colleagues to identify and develop strategies and resources for children with learning difficulties who are struggling to access the curriculum. Our support may include observations of the pupils, providing resources and training, modelling strategies and supporting with planning and differentiation.
- Referrals for School Focus Support: We can provide advice for groups of pupils in the same class or year group with similar needs or provide advice on a whole-school-focused area of SEND.
Please see the Referral section for more information and a link to the referral form.
- Inreach: As part of a referral, SENCos, teachers or teaching assistants may have the opportunity to visit our school, which we refer to as ‘Inreach’. This may be suggested during the course of a referral or this can be requested by your school. If you feel that you or a colleague would benefit from a visit to our school to gain advice from our staff or the opportunity to observe what we do in class or in a session such as sensory circuits, rebound therapy etc, then please do not hesitate to get in touch to arrange a visit. For DSPL1 schools, email outreach@woolgrove.herts.sch.uk for DSPL5 schools email outreachdspl5@woolgrove.herts.sch.uk
- Training: Now that our new building has been completed, Outreach can return to carrying out training sessions at our school. Below is a list of possible sessions that we are considering running over the next academic year. Flyers for these sessions will be sent out in advance and all courses are free to attend.
- Communicate In Print 2 and In Print 3
- Supporting pupils with SEND for Teaching Assistants
- Literacy Strategies to support pupils with SEND
- How to create a Sensory Diet & How to set up a Sensory Circuits session.
- Strategies to support pupils with speech and Language Difficulties in the classroom.
- Advice Sessions: Outreach provide online ‘Advice Sessions’. Dates for these will be sent out to schools and are available for teachers and teaching assistants to attend. This is an opportunity for staff to gain advice relating to individual pupils with SEND without the need for a referral (this is carried out on an unnamed basis).
- Woolgrove outreach continue to run termly Senco Breakfasts for DSPL1 schools
If there is something you would like to discuss, please contact Sharon Knight at outreach@woolgrove.herts.sch.uk and Sharon will arrange a time to give you a call. For DSPL5 schools, please email outreachdspl5@woogrove.herts.sch.uk
We look forward to working with you.
Sharon, Zoe, Frances and Diane
Outreach Courses
