The Fortis Trust Outreach Service provides high-quality support and advice to enable students with SEND to succeed in the mainstream setting within Nurseries, Primary and Secondary schools.
Our outreach work is varied and tailored according to the needs of individual schools and academies. In order to provide the best possible specialist support, the Outreach Service is provided by outstanding practitioners who have a track record of delivering change within schools to deliver improvement in SEND provision. The service is commissioned by Medway and the training and support delivered is free to Medway Schools and Academies.
Our Service includes:
SENCO support:
- Joint focused learning walks, followed by verbal & written feedback.
- Support to identify SEN needs for individual/groups of pupils.
- Target setting.
- Support with EHCP Target Setting, provision mapping, high needs funding.
- Attendance at annual reviews, ISRs, PCAR, Early Help, PEP meetings, Professional Meetings.
- A termly SENCO meeting held at either Bradfields or at one of the Medway Schools, (currently virtual meetings) facilitated by Lorraine Lewin.
- Support with developing School-Based Plans.
- Support to develop Individual Positive Support Plans.
- Advice/recommendations to ensure that the setting is inclusive for SEND/SEMH needs.
- Signposting external agencies including Disability Nurse Team, Early Help, paediatricians, NEFLT (CAMHS) etc.
- SENCO tool kit.
Individual Pupil support:
- Individual work with students particularly upper KS2 and Secondary the work includes: support to understand the diagnosis of conditions e.g. ADHD, Autism and developing appropriate strategies to manage anxiety and behaviours. The strategies are shared with key staff to ensure that there is a consistent and collaborative approach.
- Support for school refusers, working with individual students, key staff & Parents/Carers.
Whole School Support:
- Audits are conducted to ensure that the quality of Teaching & Learning is effective in enabling ALL pupils to be successful, make progress and achieve.
- These can be either whole school, specific Key Stages, Year groups or cohorts.
Two members of the Outreach Team are trained NAS Teen Life Facilitators and are able to deliver a 6-week programme for parents/carers who have a child aged 10-16 with a diagnosis of Autism.
Staff/Pupil support:
- Individual and joint observations to support staff to implement strategies, resources and routines to enable pupils to access Teaching & Learning.
- Coaching & mentoring for key staff, including modelling how to support individual pupils to engage in learning using appropriate & effective strategies and resources.
- Coaching & mentoring of staff to support pupils who display challenging behaviours. Including planning meetings and how to implement effective and consistent behaviour management techniques.
- Planning sessions with Key staff, Teachers etc. to ensure that Teaching & Learning is effectively differentiated to support pupils’ needs.
- Resource making.
- Transition planning –moving to the next year group within the same setting and key transition points including Nursery to Reception & Year 6-Year 7.
- Opportunities to observe best practice at Bradfields.
- Bespoke Training for whole school/groups of staff e.g. Teaching Staff, Senior Leaders, TAs, Midday meal supervisors. The length of the training sessions is also dependent on the needs of the individual schools, existing staff knowledge & the needs of the pupils within their settings. Training is usually twilight sessions (90mins-2 hours), however, they can also be ½ or whole day training, for example, Autism, ADHD etc.
- Parent workshops, coffee mornings, individual meetings with parents to support understanding of conditions/behaviours and how to manage these at home.
Training that we deliver:
We may be able to deliver training that schools may request that is not listed below:
- Understanding and Using Antecedent-Behaviour-Consequence (ABC) Forms
- Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD)
- Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD)
- Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
- Autistic Spectrum Condition (ASC)
- Attachment Disorder & Early Trauma (3 hours delivered over 2 twilight sessions)
- Attention and Listening
- Barriers to learning/Inclusive Classrooms
- Behaviour Management
- Clever Fingers
- Colourful Semantics/ Russian Handwriting
- Comic Strip Conversations/Social Stories
- De-escalation
- Differentiation
- Downs Syndrome
- Drawing and Talking Therapy
- Dyscalculia
- Dysgraphia
- Dyslexia
- Dyspraxia
- Foetal Alcohol Syndrome Disorder (FASD)
- Global Development Delay (GDD)
- Hypermobility
- Identiplay (Practical session)
- Incredible 5 Point Scale
- Intensive Interaction
- Lego Therapy
- Leuven Well-being and Involvement Scales
- Midday Meal Supervisor Training
- Pathological Demand Avoidance (PDA) or Demand Avoidant Profile
- Sensory Circuits (Practical Session)
- Sensory Processing Disorder
- Signing Workshop
- Transition and Anxiety
To contact the team to discuss costings and your needs, please email:
lorraine.lewin@fortistrust.co.uk
Fortis Trust Outreach Referral Form
Fortis Trust Outreach Service
To the left we have provided extensive information on what our Bronze, Silver and Gold packages feature. Please note, these can be customised as per the need for the school/academy.
Packages can be made bespoke for the school/academy, including Specialist, independent and alternative provisions.
Enquiries
For enquires and costings, please get in contact with Lorraine Lewin to find out more: lorraine.lewin@fortistrust.co.uk or 01634 683990
Bronze Service Packages
Silver Service Packages
Gold Service Packages
Outreach Service Packages Checklist
Testimonials
We have received many testimonials from a selection of schools/academies we support in Medway and Kent, which you can read below.
Balfour Junior
The Fortis Outreach Team have been supporting our school and pupils for over 5 years. Their knowledge and understanding has been invaluable. We are a mainstream school with a growing number of pupils with additional needs and whilst all our members of staff are willing to learn, take on board suggestions and make adjustments to our practice we would not be able to do this without the expertise and time offered to staff, pupils and myself as Senco from FOS. This is a service we have come to rely on because it works.
Phillipa Dennis Assistant Headteacher/SENDCo
Brompton-Westbrook Primary School
The Outreach Team have supported us with a number of children over the years which has meant we’ve been able to build a strong relationship with staff. I feel this has really helped when making a referral into their service as they already know what we have in place and the resources we can access. When in school the Outreach Team have supported class teachers, worked directly with children and provided whole school training. Their wealth of knowledge has been beneficial when we’ve needed additional strategies and advice for specific children. They are efficient at sharing reports and quick to respond to emails.
Amy Prentice Assistant Headteacher/SENCO Specialist Leader of Education
Burnt Oak
Firstly, I would like to say thank you for the support you have given my school over this academic year. As a SENCO new into post, you have been able to help myself and my colleagues when working with particularly difficult children.The early intervention and use of a holistic approach has really helped children attain well who otherwise could be potentially problematic. I can think of 3-4 different children who are now enjoying accessing the curriculum due to the support given by the staff. They are always professional and give honest and supportive advice.Finally, having someone available to support the staff has been invaluable in developing the strategies our staff have and our ability to be more inclusive, so thank you.
Mr David Brooks-Smith SENCO
Cliffe Woods Primary School
We have been fortunate to be able to use the support of the Fortis Trust Outreach team for the past few years. The knowledge and experience that they have been able to share with us has enabled us to support children in our mainstream school with a wide variety of additional needs. There have been children in the school who could possibly have required a specialist placement without the support of the outreach team.
The team will organise visits whenever we have a child with a specific need, and feedback with appropriate and relevant strategies. The team have also supported in annual reviews and in school reviews.
The team have also prepared and delivered bespoke training to teaching staff, which has been invaluable in supporting their day-to-day work in class and ensuring that children with specific needs have the support that they deserve.
The SENDCo forum meetings have been useful, especially for SENDCos who are new to role. These meetings also allow informal discussion and problem solving sessions that support SENDCos to support their staff and students.
The SEND team at our school cannot praise the work and support of the Fortis Trust outreach enough, and hope to continue our positive links with them.
Karen Connolly Head of School
Greenacre Academy
It is a comforting relief that we can rely on your service for support when we have exhausted all our options. Your perspective and advice given allow us to provide further support for our young people.
Debbie Winspear Deputy SENCO, DLACT
Greenvale Primary School
Greenvale has a high proportion of SEND pupils. The Outreach Team have supported staff with conversations with parents/carers, some of which have been extremely difficult and challenging at times.
Training from the Outreach Team has helped our staff feel confident and knowledgeable about different complex needs. Much of the training can be seen throughout the school.
The Outreach Team are always there in person or at the end of the phone to discuss and help with any issue. This is not only a reassurance at times of difficulty but also highlights how important they are to our school.
A brilliant service, with knowledgeable, understanding and patient staff who are valued and appreciated by everyone at Greenvale.
Mrs Allnutt Headteacher
Horsted Junior
Fortis’ work is invaluable to our school. Since being a newly appointed SENCo the team have supported me with everything. They are my first port of call and nothing is too big an ask. From delivering training to the whole school, supporting children with their SEN needs, being a part of In School Reviews to attending mediations. They are always friendly and the children love the team. I don’t know where we’d be without them.
Mrs Katy Baker SENCo
Leigh Academy Rainham
It is invaluable having Lorraine and her team at the end of the phone or an email. Their specialist knowledge when supporting complex SEND students has been incredibly helpful both for inclusive mainstream provision and also for help with accessing specialist provisions or services.
Emma Butler SENDCO
St Margaret's CofE Junior School
I have only been an Inclusion Lead within Medway for the past three terms. However, once I had got my head around things, I contacted Fortis Outreach with regards to supporting individuals within my school setting. Their support was timely and a huge support to me as Inclusion Lead and class teachers’.
Their termly CPD sessions (held virtually) are always insightful and produce me many ideas to action within my school for the future.
Matt Burchett Inclusion Lead/ SENDCo
St Margaret's at Troy Town C of E Primary School
At St. Margaret’s at Troy Town Primary school we always find the support of the Fortis Trust Outreach team invaluable. Their knowledge and skills really help us in mainstream schools support our pupils.
Rachel Galea-Baker SENDCo
St Peter's Infant School
We are a small Infant school with a very limited budget for training and buy back services so to us the support we have had has been invaluable as without this free service we feel that we would not be able to support our SEND pupils as well and be able to offer our staff such a wide package of training.
I would highly recommend the support… and feel that the impact of not having this… service would contribute towards greater possibility of exclusion for some of the most challenging pupils.
Mandy Newton Inclusion Manager