- Home
- Parents & Carers
- Learning Support
Learning Support
Inclusion at the Bulmershe School
At The Bulmershe School, inclusion begins with knowing every student as an individual - understanding their strengths, listening to their voice and working in partnership with them and their families to remove barriers, achieve their ambitions and feel they truly belong.
We believe every young person deserves to feel valued, understood and supported to achieve their potential. We work closely with students, families and professionals to understand individual needs, celebrate strengths and ensure every learner has the opportunity to succeed.
Our approach to inclusion
Inclusion is at the heart of our school. We have high aspirations and expectations for every learner, including students with SEND. Through high-quality adaptive teaching, strong ordinarily available provision and a whole-school commitment to inclusive practice, we ensure that every student can access a rich and ambitious curriculum.
Co-production is central to our approach. We believe the best support is developed with young people and their families, not simply for them. Through meaningful student voice and collaborative planning, students and families are active partners in understanding needs, identifying strengths, shaping support, setting goals and making decisions about the future.
Using the graduated approach of assess, plan, do and review, we ensure that support is personalised, evidence-informed and responsive. We regularly evaluate the impact of our provision so that support leads to meaningful progress, greater confidence and increasing independence.
At The Bulmershe School, inclusion means knowing every learner, hearing every voice, working in partnership and empowering every student to thrive.
Every learner known. Every voice heard. Every potential unlocked.
Our aim is to ensure that every student who accesses Learning Support is known as an individual, heard and understood and empowered to reach their full ability.
We don’t simply support learners to access education; we empower them to believe in themselves, recognise their strengths and unlock their potential.
Our Learning Support Department provides personalised, specialist support that helps students overcome barriers, build confidence and become increasingly independent - while staying connected to our wider school community.
Three pathways. One shared purpose.
OASIS
Mainsteam Learning Support
Helping every learner access, engage and thrive.
OASIS is at the heart of our mainstream Learning Support offer, providing targeted intervention, guidanmce and personalised support for students with SEND.
BEACON
Specialist Resource Base for Cognition & Learning
Specialist support with a strong focus on confidence and independence.
BEACON provides specialist provision for students with cognition and learning needs who have an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP), while keeping them connected to school life.
LIGHTHOUSE
Specialist Support for EBSA
A safe, supportive space to rebuild confidence and reconnect with learning.
Lighthouse supports students experiencing Emotionally Based School Avoidance (EBSA) or who are finding mainstream learning difficult to access, helping them develop readiness for learning and take positive steps towards successful engagement.
Every learner. Every Journey. Every Opportunity
OASIS. BEACON. LIGHTHOUSE.
Our dedicated Learning Support Team is at the heart of this commitment, providing compassionate, personalised support that helps students build confidence, develop independence and achieve their very best.
Meet the team who are here to support, encourage and champion every student on their journey.
At The Bulmershe School, we believe that the best outcomes for our students happen when home and school work together. Strong partnerships with families help every young person feel supported, understood and ready to thrive.
We know that families may have questions, concerns, updates to share or simply want to talk things through. Talk to Us Tuesdays provides a friendly, informal opportunity to do just that.
Every Tuesday, 9:30am – 4:30pm, parents and carers are welcome to drop in and speak with a member of our Learning Support Team.
You might want to:
- Ask for advice or guidance
- Discuss your child’s support
- Share an update or concern
- Celebrate your child’s progress
- Explore how home and school can work together
No appointment is needed. Simply sign in at Reception, and a member of our Learning Support Team will come and meet you.
We look forward to welcoming you to Talk to Us Tuesdays — because every conversation matters.
Our Learning Support Team is here to listen, answer questions and provide guidance. Whether you’re seeking advice, sharing an update, discussing your child’s progress or celebrating an achievement, we welcome the opportunity to work with you.
You can contact us by email, telephone or in person. We aim to acknowledge all enquiries within one working day and, where further investigation or collaboration is needed, provide a full response within five working days.
How to Contact Us Directly
Email oasisoffice@bulmershe.wokingham.sch.uk
Telephone contact the school office on 01189 353353
By keeping communication open and working together, we can help every student feel supported, confident and ready to thrive.
We work closely with the local authorities in Wokingham and Reading to support effective collaboration and ensure that the needs of children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) are met.
Our allocated SEND case practitioners for each borough are:
Wokingham Borough Council
Amy Walker
Email: Amy.walker@wokingham.gov.uk
Reading Borough Council
Rachel Entwistle
Email: rachel.entwistle@reading.gov.uk
Exam Access Arrangements
Access Arrangements for SEND Students
Access arrangements allow students with specific needs, such as special educational needs and disabilities to access an exam.
Please note students cannot self-refer themselves for access arrangements - this must come from a teacher. Therefore, if your child feels that they need an assessment for access arrangements, they must first discuss this with their class teachers and one of their teachers must make a referral to learning support in order to start this process.
Once a referral has been received, we will collect evidence from all of their teachers and assess whether the evidence suggest that the student needs any arrangements. We will then assess and confirm the outcome via email to parents, teachers and the student. Please note that if a student has a diagnosis of Autism, it does not automatically mean that they qualify for extra time. Similarly, if a student has a diagnosis of Dyslexia, they do not automatically qualify to use a Word Processing device. Every arrangement must form the student's normal way of working in lessons, in assessments, in practice papers and in mock exams in order for the student to then use the arrangements in their external exams. If a student does not use their arrangements, they will lose them. We will review each student's use of their arrangements after the appropriate mock series.
Students across all year groups are able to obtain Access Arrangements, however, it is only when in Year 9 that the school can formally apply for these through JCQ, the Joint Council for Qualifications. Please note that any student who has qualified to use a device (e.g. Chromebook/laptop) as their normal way of working is welcome to bring in their own device and teachers will know that this is the case. If your child needs any help in setting this up, notably connecting to the WiFi, please ask them to come to Oasis at a convenient time and we can sort out any teething issues.
A date for your diary
The last date for issuing any access arrangements to Years 11 and 13 will be in December. This enables us to get all of our paperwork ready for the mock series and then for formal application to JCQ. The School will not accept any reports or assessment requests post this date nor amendments to current arrangements. The School will only accept external psychological and specialist teacher reports if there is a working relationship with the School and SENDCo is satisfied that the author is suitably qualified, with evidence of qualifications, and that sufficient liaison with the School takes place before the assessment.
If you already have Access Arrangements in place, please rest assured this won’t affect you - your arrangements will continue as planned.
As per JCQ regulations, the final decision regarding access arrangements remains with the School. Please see the below guidance issued from JCQ regarding access arrangements for parents.
Useful SEND Resources
Open to all autistic individuals or those with associated conditions. No diagnosis required. Connect with other autistic or neurodiverse adults or parents and carers at regular drop-in sessions. Fun activities for children and teenagers, social groups for adults and outings for the whole family. Practical help and advice navigating diagnosis, education, benefits, or day to day life; via phone, email, or face-to-face meetings.
ASSIST (Autism Spectrum Service for Information Support and Training).
ASSIST offer targeted help for Wokingham Borough families with a child or young person (up to 18) with a diagnosis of autism, or on the pathway for an autism assessment. Contact the team for information, advice, guidance and signposting in relation to autism. Anyone who has an interest in autism or feels that the strategies shared might be useful is welcome to attend an ASSIST autism focused workshop
Charity, set up to help other parents/carers navigate the world of SEND empowering families whose children/young people are neurodivergent and/or have special needs and/or disabilities including early life trauma.
Activities and groups where children with learning disabilities and/or autism have the opportunity to feel included, empowered and amazing!
- Activities where siblings can feel supported and have the chance to have fun.
- Helping adults with learning disabilities and/or autism learn new skills, become more independent and build self-esteem in a supportive environment.
- A community made of PINC staff and volunteers – all with first-hand experience as Carers offering support, advice, empathy and respite to fellow carers.
the independent parent carer forum for the Borough. It was set up to ensure that the families and carers of children and young people with Special Educational Needs and disabilities between 0-25 years of age in the Wokingham Borough, can have a voice and participate fully in the development of services.
The SEND Local Offer webpages tell you about local support for children and young people aged 0 to 25, with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) and their families. Sign up to the SEND Local Offer newsletter for half-termly updates.
A partnership of three commissioned local charities: Age UK Berkshire, Berkshire Youth and Promise Inclusion. Offering information, advice, and support to people throughout Wokingham who are caring for a child or adult family member, partner or friend.
Introducing Buddy - our school dog
Hello, everyone!
For those of you who don’t know me yet, my name is Buddy and I’m your school dog!
You’ll see me around school quite a lot, especially in OASIS or SIGNAL, which are my favourite places to hang out.
I’m here to say hello, make you smile and help you feel calm and relaxed when you need it. School can sometimes feel busy, stressful or overwhelming and having a quiet moment with me can hopefully help make things feel a little easier.
I’m always happy to see you, listen to you and keep you company. I don’t judge, I’m a very good listener, and I’m always ready to offer a waggy tail and a little bit of comfort.
So, if you see me around school, come and say hello! Just remember to check with my human first.
I’ll see you around!
Love,
Buddy