A personalised, student-centred approach to learning
We want you to be able to participate fully in lessons and benefit from the excellent teaching standards at Leighton Park. All our students benefit from a strong foundation in Approaches to Learning (ATL) in Years 7-9.
This programme develops your study skills, covering topics like metacognition, how the brain works, retrieval practice, referencing and even using artificial intelligence using our Digital Alphabet framework. The programme culminates in a celebration evening where you present your Fryer Project Qualification to your family.
The Difference Between Surviving and Thriving
Some students may require a little extra support to realise their potential. We want to give students the time and space to develop authentically as themselves, with their own unique abilities and challenges without the instinct to self-limit. The Individual Learning Centre provides a safe and welcoming environment that offers a graduated response to students’ strengths and needs. We offer a choice of interventions to support students in their journey through school.
- Wave 1 – all our student benefit from adaptive teaching to ensure their needs are met in the classroom.
- Wave 2 – students benefit from small group sessions (up to four students) with specialist teachers 3-5 hours a fortnight
- Wave 3 – students receive 1 hour of 1:1 individual support a week.
Our experienced team of specialist teachers create tailored sessions, designed around the individual and placing the students’ wellbeing at the heart of our work – empowering students with the skills and strategies they need to achieve their full potential.
| Wave 1 - Adaptive Teaching, Access Arrangements and Curriculum Support |
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All our student benefit from adaptive teaching to ensure their needs are met in the classroom. We work with our teachers to support them in ensuring that classrooms and teaching are adaptive and inclusive for all pupils. Students can benefit from individual Learning Support Plans, which are shared with all stakeholders in the student’s education, including teachers, support staff, boarding staff and parents. We will also put in place appropriate access arrangements for examinations and support with the assessment for these as necessary. There are no additional charges for Access Arrangements. These are implemented in alignment with relevant regulations. These are strictly adhered to, and not all desired access arrangements can be implemented or be approved. For more information, please contact the Admissions Team or the SENDCo The aim of Curriculum Support is to provide additional time and space for students who need it. The role of the teacher here is not to teach them new material but to provide the support they need to access and use this time and space to meet their own individual needs. |
| Wave 2: Small Group Support |
Our small group sessions provide support for those students who might benefit from some focussed intervention with the ILC but who might not need the intensive support of a 1:1 session. These sessions will be in groups of a maximum of 4 students and will be focussed on those students’ shared areas of need.
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| Wave 3 - One to One Sessions |
These are typically scheduled for one hour per week with the student coming out of a selected timetabled lesson. These sessions are especially valuable for students who might benefit from building a strong relationship with their ILC teacher as a “go to person” in school. These are bespoke sessions tailored to individual students’ unique needs, but will follow a similar structure to the small group sessions and include the following;
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Leighton Park is a selective independent school, which nurtures and supports children to develop into their full potential. Leighton Park students achieve the best academic progress in Berkshire and our admissions assessment process aims to ensure that students can access the curriculum at the pace at which it is taught here.
Whilst our students benefit from small class sizes, we do not have Teaching Assistants or 1:1 support in class. If your child is used to having more support in class, please speak with the Admissions Team.
Learning Support Tuition Fees
If you choose to have support through the ILC, you will usually receive one additional 55-minute lesson per week at a cost of £2,364 per academic year.
Learn more about our school fees
Meet Our Students
Hear how the ILC has helped our students succeed.
Frequently Asked Questions
| 1. My child does not have a diagnosed need; can they still join the Small Group Support? |
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| Yes! These sessions are open to anyone who feels that they might benefit from them. |
| 2. Could my child join the Small Group Sessions mid-year? |
| Absolutely, it is not uncommon for needs to emerge during the course of the school year. Particularly after major transitions. |
| 3. Can my child return to a second language in Year 8, having had Small Group Support in Year 7? |
| Whilst this may be possible, the risk of being at a disadvantage- in terms of content covered – compared to their peers needs careful consideration. |
| 4. Why do we need to commit for a year? |
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It is natural for the picture of a student’s need(s), amid the support required, to evolve and change during the course of a school year – from the challenges of transition to the demands of examinations, we will be in place to help your children manage with consistent and sustained support as they grow and develop their strategies through the course of the year. Equally, returning to a class/subject part way through the year can place a student in a difficult position of “constant catch-up”. |
| 5. What is the difference between Curriculum Support offered in Years 9, 10 and 11 and Small Group Support? |
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Small Group support is limited to four students per group and is available to all year groups. Curriculum Support group sizes may be the size of normal classes. Small Group sessions will be delivered by the specialist staff of the ILC whilst Curriculum Support will be staffed by teachers from across the school. |
| 6. What is covered in Curriculum Support? |
| The aim of Curriculum Support is to provide additional time and space for students who need it. The role of the teacher here is not to teach them new material but to provide the support they need to access and use this time and space to meet their own individual needs. This may include time to complete prep and coursework in a supported environment, and extra independent study and revision time to consolidate what has been studied in class. |
| 7. What is covered in Small Group Support? |
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These groups will look at the following areas of need: Cognition & Learning; Communication & Interaction; Social, Emotional & Mental Health and Physical & sensory Needs. Through these lenses we can develop strategies to support executive functioning, organisation and time management, cognitive load, breaking down tasks and information into smaller chunks and applying these to the students’ classwork, prep and coursework challenges. |
| 8. How many sessions will my child get from Small Group Support? |
| Three one-hour-long sessions per fortnight in Years 7, 8, 9, Lower and Upper Sixth. Five one-hour-long sessions per fortnight in Years 10 and 11. |
| 9. Who delivers the Small Group Tuition? |
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Sessions will be delivered by the qualified, experienced and specialised teachers from our Individual Learning Centre. |
Where Next
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How To Apply
Want to join our vibrant learning community? Find out how to apply
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Open Days & Visits
Book a place on one of our school open days or taster days and discover what makes Leighton Park so special.
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Our Fees
Learn more about our school fees, which cover many of the things that other schools charge extra for.
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Scholarships & Bursaries
Find out about Leighton Park scholarships, and how our means-tested bursaries can offer financial support for your education.