Amethyst Access Together - Amethyst Academies Trust

Amethyst Access Together: SEND Outreach Service

“Empowering every learner through inclusive excellence.”

Introduction

Amethyst Academies Trust is proud to launch its dedicated Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) Access Service, designed to drive sustainable improvement across our family of schools.

Our service focuses on empowering school leadership, upskilling key staff, and embedding inclusive practices to ensure every learner thrives.

Our Approach

Our Access Service is built on three key pillars:

Leadership Development

Annual whole-school inclusion audits against a robust framework
Strategic guidance on SEND policy, behaviour management, and transition planning
A new Inclusion Sub-Committee—chaired by Trustee Anju Dhir—that embeds SEND priorities in our Trust-wide development plan

Key Worker Growth

A tiered training pathway, from trauma-informed practice for all staff to specialist coaching for SENCos and teaching assistants
Monthly SEND Clinics, in-class modelled lessons, and visits to outstanding specialist settings
Mentorship and accredited qualifications to build deep expertise

Strategic Leadership and Growth

Strengthened governance through an Inclusion Sub-Committee, clear terms of reference, and regular self-evaluation cycles
Executive lead oversight from Abi Martin and Ross Ashcroft, ensuring SEND targets feature in the Trust Improvement Plan
Ongoing data-driven impact reporting shared with governors to maintain accountability and continuous improvement

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Impact and Evaluation

Amethyst Access Together is committed to demonstrating tangible impact. We rigorously track and evaluate the effectiveness of our service through comprehensive Data Dashboards, which continuously monitor key metrics such as attendance, exclusions, progress, and the overall wellbeing of SEND pupils. Our commitment to transparency and accountability is further supported by the production of Annual Impact Reports for governors and stakeholders, ensuring clear communication of our achievements. Additionally, peer review cycles are regularly conducted to facilitate the sharing of best practice across our schools and to uphold robust accountability standards

Meet the Leadership Team

Kate Rogers

Penn Hall Team Coordinator

With a background in mainstream and special education, Kate specialises in physical and sensory needs, bringing both professional and personal insights into supporting pupils with SEND.

Jo Hickson

Tettenhall Wood Team Coordinator

Jo offers over 20 years’ experience in both primary and special schools, with expertise in autism and SEMH. She leads key initiatives including the Duke of Edinburgh Award within her specialist setting.

Professional Development Offer

At Amethyst Academies Trust, we believe in nurturing the continuous growth of our staff. Our extensive Professional Development Offer provides a diverse and comprehensive programme of training courses, specifically designed to empower school leadership and dedicated staff. Crucially, this entire programme is offered free of charge to all schools within our Trust, underscoring our unwavering commitment to fostering truly inclusive and supportive learning environments where every individual can thrive.

TWS Training Website

General Teaching

TEAM-TEACH

Levels: 1, 2, & Advanced

We believe that all behaviour is communication being driven by experiences and emotions. We deliver a toolkit approach that is 95% understanding behaviours and encouraging de-escalation. The 5% assesses the need for physical intervention in conjunction with a needs analysis.

Trauma-Informed Practice (TiP)

Trauma-informed practice (TiP) is a framework that acknowledges the impact of trauma on individuals and systems, aiming to create environments where trauma is recognised, understood, and addressed, preventing re-traumatisation. It focuses on creating safe and supportive spaces where individuals can feel safe, build trust, and have a sense of empowerment.

Intensive Interaction

Intensive Interaction is a practical approach used to help individuals, especially those with learning disabilities, develop their communication and social skills. It focuses on creating positive and responsive interactions to foster engagement and encourage communication. The approach is often used with people who have severe or profound and multiple learning difficulties, autism, or other social communication challenges.

Makaton

Workshops: Level 1, Level 2, Level 3, Level 4

Makaton is a language program that uses signs, symbols, and speech to help people with communication difficulties communicate more effectively. It’s designed to support spoken language and can be used alongside speech for individuals who have difficulty expressing themselves, paying attention, listening, or understanding.

Attention Autism

Duration: 1 Day

Attention Autism is a structured intervention approach created by Gina Davies, a Speech and Language Therapist, designed to support the development of communication and social interaction skills in autistic children. It focuses on engaging children with highly motivating activities to build attention, joint attention, and shared enjoyment, leading to spontaneous communication and vocabulary development.

Bespoke Training Courses for Staff

Duration: Minimum 1 Hour, Maximum 3 Hours

Delegates: No Max (CPD Courses)

These courses are tailored to your specific needs. For example, topics can include Stress, Wellbeing, and Time Management in the Workplace.

Send Focus Training

Positive Behaviour Support (PBS)

Positive Behavioural Support (PBS) is a respectful and effective approach designed to assist individuals with learning disabilities who may display behaviours that challenge. Rather than being a single method or therapy, PBS is a comprehensive framework that focuses on understanding the reasons behind such behaviours. This approach involves evaluating the wider context in which the behaviour occurs—including social, environmental, and personal factors—and using that understanding to create tailored strategies for support. The primary aim of PBS is to enhance the individual’s overall quality of life, as well as that of those around them. By doing so, it helps to reduce the chances of challenging behaviours arising in the first place.

Manual Handling with SEN pupils delivered by Centaur accredited staff

Duration: 1 Day Course

This package of support offers both theory and practical training in the moving and handling of SEN pupils. It covers the following elements:

Legal requirements
Spinal Awareness
Musculo Skeletal Injuries
Base to Face
AAPEE
Assessing clients handling needs, including handling small children and hoisting (Bespoke to the needs of the setting)
Risk Assessments

Student First Aid

Duration: 3 hours across an academic year (minimum session time ½ hour)

Audience: Age 11-16. Can be certificated (Max 12 learners) or a CPD course (no max number but practical element).

This course helps students to:

Assess an emergency situation safely
Provide first aid to an unresponsive casualty
Provide first aid to a casualty who is choking
Provide first aid to a casualty with common injuries

It also covers RSE requirement of the national curriculum.

Mini Medics First Aid

Duration: 3 hours across an academic year

Audience: Age 7-11 (can be adapted to suit different abilities).

Delegates: CPD course, so no minimum number of participants.

Topics include:

What is First Aid?
First Aid kits
Recovery position
Resuscitation (CPR)
Wounds and bleeding
Choking
Asthma

Mini Medics for Mental Health

Duration: 3 hours across an academic year

Audience: Age 9-13 (can be adapted to suit different abilities).

Delegates: CPD course, so no minimum number of participants.

Topics include:

Understanding mental health
Emotions and feelings
Mental health problems
Talking about mental health
Looking after our mental health

Includes workbooks, power point lessons, interactive and fun learning, and can be used as part of PSHE requirements for the curriculum.

Parents Training

Early Bird Programme

Duration: 12-Week Course

The Early Bird programme focuses on empowering parents and carers to learn about autism and to explore ways that they can support their autistic child. Parents have the option of inviting a supporting professional to attend the sessions alongside them.

The sessions focus on:

Understanding autism
Communication
Understanding autistic experiences
Supporting daily living
Health and wellbeing
Connections

Teen Life Programme

Duration: 8-Week Course

Audience: For parents/carers of autistic young people aged 10 to 16 years.

Teen Life is a six-session programme designed to bring parents together to share information, experiences and ideas in a structured way. It emphasises the importance of autistic perspectives, with a variety of videos and quotes used throughout the sessions. Parents can choose to attend the programme with a supporting professional. Our programme empowers parents to understand more about autism.

The sessions focus on:

Understanding autism and autistic identity
Stress and anxiety
Understanding behaviour
Health and wellbeing
Puberty
Education
Transition to adulthood

Monthly Parent & Carer Forums

These forums provide a regular opportunity for parents and carers to connect, share experiences, and receive support.

Termly Co-Production Events

These events foster collaboration between the Trust, schools, and families, actively involving parents and carers in the development and review of services.

Health and Safety

Paediatric First Aid Level 3

Duration: 2-day course (12 hours) [cite: 48]

This comprehensive course covers: Role of the Paediatric First Aider, Seizure, Diabetic emergencies, Primary survey, Choking, Asthma, Resuscitation (CPR including the safe use of an AED), Minor injuries, Meningitis, Wounds, bleeding and shock, Recovery position, Febrile convulsions, Allergic reactions including anaphylaxis, Fractures, Extreme cold and heat, Head, neck and back injuries, Foreign bodies, Electrical incidents. [cite: 48]

Emergency Paediatric First Aid at Work

Duration: 1 Day (6 hours) [cite: 49]

Topics include: Role of the Paediatric First Aider, Seizure, Primary survey, Choking, Resuscitation (CPR including the safe use of an AED), Minor injuries, Wounds, bleeding and shock, Recovery position. [cite: 49]

First Aid at Work

Duration: 3-day Course (18 hours) [cite: 50]

Covers: Legalities, responsibilities and reporting, Control of bleeding, Poisoning, Asthma, Dealing with an unresponsive casualty, Shock (including Anaphylaxis), Bandaging, Diabetes, Fractures and spinal injuries, Heart attacks, Choking, Stroke, Resuscitation and AED awareness, Head injuries, Eye injuries, Burns, Assessment of the situation, Sprains and strains, Chest injuries, Epilepsy. [cite: 50]

Emergency First Aid at Work

Duration: 1 Day (6 hours) [cite: 51]

Includes: Responsibilities and reporting, Resuscitation and AED awareness, Burns, Assessment of the situation, Anatomy, Choking, Dealing with an unresponsive casualty, Minor injuries, Epilepsy, Basic hygiene in First Aid, Bleeding control, Shock. [cite: 51]

Bleed Control Kit Training

Duration: 1 hour 30 minutes (if added to course) / 2-3 hours (if stand-alone) [cite: 52]

Maximum Participants: 12 [cite: 52]

This course equips trainees with the necessary skills to treat Catastrophic Bleeding. It is used to meet the requirements of industries that may be at high risk of catastrophic injuries. A prerequisite to attend is to hold an in-date first aid qualification. [cite: 52]

BLS/CPR

Duration: 4 hours [cite: 53]

Ideal for: LTS, Cleaners and Caretakers [cite: 53]

Participants will be able to: provide first aid to an unresponsive casualty who is breathing normally; provide first aid to an unresponsive casualty who is not breathing normally; know how to safely use an automated external defibrillator; be able to safely use an automated external defibrillator. [cite: 53]

Asthma, Epilepsy and Anaphylaxis

Duration: 1 hour (CPD for all staff) [cite: 54]

Delegates: No maximum [cite: 54]

Yearly course designed to provide staff with a basic understanding of these conditions, their causes or triggers, and how to treat and get help for them. Practical element available for staff to use the life-saving equipment. [cite: 54]

Mental Health Supervisor Training (Level 3)

Duration: 2 days [cite: 55]

Maximum Participants: 16 [cite: 55]

Topics include: What is First Aid for Mental Health?, Identifying mental health conditions, Providing advice and starting a conversation, Drugs and alcohol, First Aid for Mental Health action plan, First Aid for Mental Health in the workplace, A large range of Mental Health conditions covered in detail. [cite: 55]

Mental Health Level 2

Duration: 1 day course [cite: 56]

Maximum Participants: 16 delegates [cite: 56]

Covers: What is First Aid for Mental Health?, Identifying mental health conditions, Providing advice and starting a conversation, Drugs and alcohol, First Aid for Mental Health action plan, First Aid for Mental Health in the workplace. [cite: 56]

Mental Health Awareness

Duration: 4 hours

Maximum Participants: 16 delegates

This ½-Day course is aimed at providing learners with the knowledge to identify suspected mental health conditions and the skills to start a conversation and be able to signpost the person towards professional help.