Targeted Education Support Service (TESS)

We are specialist, qualified and experienced teachers and educational practitioners who work with schools to support children and young people (aged 4-16) when learning progress, social, emotional or mental health are causing concern. We work with every school in the borough.

What we do

• Provide specialist advice to support progress - through consultation, observation, modelling good practice and, where appropriate, assessment. We also offer a bespoke one to one teaching service to schools that includes modelling and coaching
• Deliver training - on evidence-based interventions for literacy, mathematics, social skills and emotional development. Training also covers teachers’ awareness of SEND strategies, SEND Code of Practice, school and department of education policies and research updates around inclusion.

Getting help

• Referrals to us are via the school
• If your child is having difficulties at school or not making progress please speak to the Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator at your child's school.
• TESS referral form for schools
• TESS privacy notice

Resources

We have produced a number of checklists and resources that draw upon wider research and knowledge to help schools and other settings support pupils with SEND.

• SEND definitions booklet
• Graduated Approach Presentation
• Delayed entry to primary school.

Cognition and Learning

• Dyspraxia at a glance (external link)
• Children's Occupational Therapy WWL Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (external link)

Dyslexia

• Creating Dyslexia Friendly Classroom Booklet
• Dyslexia Friendly Classrooms ABC 9 Point Checklist (external link)
• Dyslexia Leaflets Scotland (external link)
• Wigan Dyslexia policy
• British Dyslexia Association (external link)
• The reading framework - teaching the foundations of literacy (external link)

Interventions

• Interventions with Impact Monitoring Sheet
• Tracking interventions

Literacy

• Alternatives to written recording (external link)
• Phonics Pure Sounds (external link)
• Sounds Write.

Maths

• MR Purple Book Training
• MR Red Book Training
• MR White Book Training
• MR Three Fold
• Rekenrek Training

Working Memory

• Working Memory Leaflet
• Ready Set Remember: Short-Term Auditory Memory Activities (external link)

Communication and Interaction

Autism

• Autism Friendly Classrooms (external link)
• Positive relationships between home and school (external link)
• Improving autism practice in college (external link)
• The Autism Resource Suite (external link)
• A guide for teachers (external link)
• National Autistic Society (external link)
• Surviving School On The Autistic Spectrum (external link)
• Ambitious about Autism (external link)

Sensory

• Pupil Sensory Profile Checklist
• Sensory audit for schools and classrooms
• Sensory Break Ideas for Kids (external link)

Speech, Language and Communication Needs (SLCN)

• SLCN Targeted Interventions Overview
• SLCN Training Needs Analysis
• TESS SLCN
• Children's SALT Referrals and Appointments (external link)
• Speech and Language UK: Changing young lives (external link)
• Membership - Voice 21 (external link)
• SLCF - The Communication Trust (external link)
• Speech and Language UK: Changing young lives (external link)
• Children's Speech and Language Therapy (external link)

Physical and Sensory

• Tips for teaching deaf children with a mild hearing loss (external link)
• Hearing Impairment (external link)
• Physical Disability (external link)
• Vision Impairment (external link)
• Making accessible resources for print disabled learners (external link)
• Physio WWL Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (external link)
• Primary Guidance (external link)   
• Secondary Guidelines (external link) 
• Early Years Guidelines (external link)
• Dyspraxia at a glance (external link)
• Specialist Sensory Education Team (SSET)

Social Emotional Mental Health- SEMH

• Social Emotional and Mental Health (external link)

ADHD

• Understanding and supporting my child's ADHD (external link)
• Refocusing on ADHD in Education (external link)
• ADHD Foundation (external link)

Behaviour Support

• ABC Record
• ABC Sheet Explanations
• Behaviour in schools guidance (external link)
• Brainstem Calmer Activities (external link)
• Simple behaviour checklist to help teachers maintain discipline in school (external link)
• Improving Behaviour in Schools (external link)
• Improving Social and Emotional Learning in Primary Schools (external link)
• An A to Z of a Nurturing Environment (external link)

EBSA

• EBSA Best Practice Guidance Tool

Emotional Health and Wellbeing

• TESS Secondary SEMH Support Leaflet
• NCB framework for promoting well-being and responding to mental health in schools (external link)
• 5 Steps to Mental Health and Wellbeing (external link)

Transition

• Transition top tips

Useful Links

• WWL Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
• SEND Local Offer