SEND Outreach Service - Cognition and Learning Team

Cognition and learning difficulties may encompass several areas of need or may only impact on specific areas such as reading, writing, spelling or maths. Support for cognition and learning may be required when a child or young person learns at a slower pace than their peers, even with appropriate adaptation and modification to the curriculum.

The Cognition and Learning Service consists of a team of specialist, highly experienced teachers all of whom were previously SENCO’s and hold specialist qualifications. Within the Cognition and Learning team there are three teachers who specialise in supporting children with Specific Learning Difficulties and one teacher supporting children with wider generalised needs, including moderate learning difficulties (MLD). The team also have access to outreach support from specialist schools. For further information in relation to Specific Learning Difficulties (SpLD) the please see the Specific Learning Difficulties team page.

The Cognition and Learning Team are committed to working in partnership with schools, parents and other professionals to raise standards of achievement for pupils with Cognition and Learning needs. Support to schools may include any of the following:

Individual assessments in order to further identify the strengths and needs of the child or young person
Support to help develop clear and challenging targets to promote progress for individual pupils
Specific strategies or resources to support individual pupils or groups of pupils
Advice and/or training for teaching and support staff to help inform and plan appropriate teaching strategies and possible interventions
Suggestions to ensure that the child or young person has access to a full curriculum
Suggestions to help parents to support at home.

Access to the team is through a referral process by schools (see drop down menu for further information)

Meet the team

Clare Cox Cognition and Learning Teacher

What is Cognition and Learning and how do difficulties present?

Cognition refers to the thinking skills and thought processes that a child or young person has acquired through their thoughts, experiences and senses. Learning involves acquiring knowledge through experience, study and being taught. Pupils with learning needs may learn at a slower pace than their peers despite appropriate modification and adaptation of the curriculum. Learning needs can be general or specific and related to one or more areas of the curriculum.

The SEND code of practice states that:

‘Support for learning difficulties may be required when children and young people learn at a slower pace than their peers, even with appropriate differentiation. Learning difficulties cover a wide range of needs, including moderate learning difficulties (MLD), severe learning difficulties (SLD),where children are likely to need support in all areas of the curriculum and associated difficulties with mobility and communication, through to profound and multiple learning difficulties (PMLD), where children are likely to have severe and complex learning difficulties as well as a physical disability or sensory impairment.’

“Specific learning difficulties (SpLD) affect one or more specific aspects of learning. This encompasses a range of conditions such as dyslexia, dyscalculia and dyspraxia.’

SEND Code of Practice: 0 to 25 Years

Cognition and learning needs may encompass most of the curriculum, such as for pupils with moderate or severe learning difficulties. However, cognition and learning needs may only impact on specific areas such as reading, writing, spelling and mental calculations. For further information on Specific Learning Difficulties please see the specific learning difficulties team page by clicking here.

If a child or young person has a generalised learning need you may notice some of the following things:

•    Some difficulty in acquiring early development skills such as those related to language, literacy and numeracy.
•    Levels of attainment in some areas may be lower than age-related expectation.
•    Learning may progress at a slower pace than their peers, even with appropriate modification.
•    Poor self-esteem or difficulties regulating social and emotional responses.
•    Difficulties maintaining concentration.
•    Heightened levels of frustration.
•    Processing difficulties such as sequencing, inference and organisation.
•    Difficulty understanding instructions.
•    Weak vocabulary skills.
•    Difficulties with memory and recall skills.
•    Weak motor skills.
•    Difficulty in making connections between aspects of lessons and learning.
•    Other types of executive functioning difficulties.

Criteria for referral

How to access the team

As part of Newcastle Graduated Response to meeting special educational needs in mainstream schools, schools can refer to the SEND Advice and Support Allocation Panel (SEND ASAP) for advice and support in relation to children and young people of school age, free of charge, via the Newcastle SEN Advice and Support Allocation Panel (SEN ASAP).

Terms of reference can be found at https://www.newcastlesupportdirectory.org.uk/sites/default/files/documents/sen_asap_tor.docx

Cognition and learning Padlet (containing information and resources for young people, practitioners and families)