SEND

All students at HBS have excellent academic potential and ability; and we are equally ambitious for all of our students, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). We are proud of the work we do in helping to reduce any barriers for students in accessing our full curriculum, gaining superb academic outcomes and experiencing our rich enrichment and extra-curricular provision.  Through high quality and caring teaching, personalised response, and, where necessary, structured support, our students with SEND invariably realise their academic potential.

Our Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator (SENCO) is Mrs. N. Griffin and can be contacted at [email protected]. She works with all teaching staff, pastoral leads, support staff, parents, pupils and, where necessary, outside agencies, to ensure that every student with SEND can flourish.

Full details of how we serve the needs of those pupils identified with SEND are set out below in the school’s Special Educational Needs and Disability Policy, Special Education Needs and Disability Report, School Accessibility Plan and Exam Access Arrangements Policy. The School’s other policies which deal with aspects of pastoral care and education are also followed and integrated into our approach to SEND at all times.

Education Health Care Plans (EHCPs)

If your child has an Education Health Care Plan, and can thrive in our academically selective environment, then appropriate provision can be put in place to ensure they are fully supported. All admissions to schools through EHCP application must be through the SEND team in your local authority.

Pupil Premium

In our Admissions Policy, Pupil Premium girls are given priority after the first round of 11+ testing, irrespective of where they live. This means that if a Pupil Premium candidate is ranked in the top 300 in the first round test, then she will be offered a place at the school, in accordance with our Admissions Policy. The only additional stipulation is that the parents have to provide written proof of Pupil Premium eligibility. We strongly recommend that parents who feel that they may be entitled to Free School Meals apply for this when their child is still in primary school, as their eligibility has to be approved before they apply for a place at HBS, in order to take advantage of the priority given to Pupil Premium candidates in the entrance test.

Current parents of the school are also recommended to apply for Free School Meal (FSM) funding if they feel they may be eligible. Their child will then be entitled to the same benefits. You can find out more about FSM funding here.

If you are an existing parent/carer who is not eligible for Pupil Premium funding but feel that your family’s financial circumstances are creating a barrier to your child thriving at school, please do contact the school and your query will be handled sensitively and in confidence.

More information about Pupil Premium funding and how it is used can be found here.

Equalities

As noted in the Equality Policy, the School is committed to ensuring equality of education and opportunity for all students, staff, parents and carers receiving services from the School, irrespective of race, gender, disability, faith or religion, socio-economic background or any other equality grouping.

The school aims to meet its obligations under the Public Sector Equality Duty (PSED) by having due regard to the need to:

• Eliminate discrimination and other conduct that is prohibited by the Equality Act 2010
• Advance equality of opportunity between people who share a protected characteristic and people who do not share it
• Foster good relations across all characteristics – between people who share a protected characteristic and people who do not share it

Our school aims to promote respect for difference and diversity in accordance with our values as set out in our Aims, Values and Ethos .

You can find full details about how the School to meeting its aims and objectives and supporting work on equality issues here.

Pastoral Care

At HBS, we recognise that academic success is inextricably linked to emotional well-being and personal development. Our Pastoral Care is at the heart of our supportive community, providing a comprehensive structure dedicated to looking after every student’s physical, emotional, and social health. It is our firm belief that when a student feels secure, understood, and happy, they are best placed to be adventurous in their learning, develop resilience, and ultimately flourish both inside and outside the classroom.

Mrs. Claire Leek oversees all Pastoral Care and serves as the school’s Designated Safeguarding Lead. Working closely with the Pastoral Team, she ensures that every student receives outstanding, personalised support, fostering a strong sense of being known and valued throughout their time here. We actively educate students on essential life skills, including self-care, quality sleep, nutrition, responsible use of social media, physical exercise, and achieving a healthy work-life balance, all within an ethos that champions kindness, respect, and inclusion.

For full details of our pastoral care, please click here.