At The Robert Fitzroy Academy, the whole child is the whole point. Therefore, we embrace the fact that every child is different and their educational needs are different. We are committed to ensuring all children have access to an engaging and motivating curriculum in a healthy, happy and safe learning environment with the primary aim of supporting every child to achieve their full potential.

What support do we offer at RFA?
Children with a Special Educational Need or Disability (SEND) are highly valued in our academy and all our staff share a determination to provide pupils with high quality first teaching and are trained to be responsive to any additional need or barrier to learning that may present at any time during a child’s school career. Our pupils are regularly monitored and progress is analysed through half termly pupil progress meetings to ensure personalised provision. This information supports us to ameliorate any identified gaps in teaching. RFA will use its best endeavours to ensure the necessary provision is made for any pupil with SEND. In doing so we will fulfil the statutory duties and the best practice guidelines set out in the Department for Education Draft Code of Practice for SEND.

Who do I contact?

Our Special Educational Needs Coordinator (SENDCO) works with staff, pupils, parents and outside agencies to ensure that the needs of individual pupils are in met in accordance with the Special Educational Needs Code of Practice. Our SENDCO is called Rhiannon Fenemore. You can contact her by email at [email protected]

Locality SEND Support

Our school has become part of an exciting new initiative by Croydon Council to improve support for children with special needs or disabilities who live in Croydon.

Along with several other schools in our area, we’ve been given funding to provide earlier and better targeted help and support to SEND youngsters. This will enable our special needs staff to work closely with our partner schools to quickly get the necessary support and help for students who are beginning to demonstrate that they have additional needs which can’t be met through our own school SEND resources.

This early help which may be in the form of advice, school to school support, referral to specialist services, or additional resource can be put in place rapidly without unnecessary delay. This is because our group of schools hold the funding between us so we can direct this to the most suitable children in an efficient targeted way.

The initiative is called “Locality SEND Support” and will run throughout this academic year. We will of course monitor the outcomes closely. Not all Croydon schools are yet in the project, but it will be rolled out across all mainstream schools in Croydon by next September 2022. Presently the scheme is only for Croydon residents and will not impact on students who already have an Education & Health Care Plan or those in Enhanced Learning Provisions.

If you want to learn more about this scheme please contact our SENDCO and we will be happy to send you further details.

Croydon Drop In

The Mental Health Support Team aims to support young people and their parent/carers with their emotional wellbeing, including areas such as anxiety, low mood, friendships, relationships and conduct concerns. Support takes place within the school setting, where individuals and groups can receive support through either an Educational Wellbeing Practitioner or Counsellor.