Inclusion, Academic Support & Provision

At The Crypt we believe that an excellent school is an inclusive school. We want our students to be safe, achieve, be tolerant, enjoy life and grow up to be successful adults who will make a positive contribution to the society in which they live.

We have high aspirations for all pupils and our commitment to equal opportunities is an important part of our assurance to be a fully inclusive co-educational school.

Our school values respect and we welcome all learners whilst treating them as individuals. Where children in our community have additional needs, steps will be taken to prevent these from becoming a barrier to learning. By this positive action, we believe all our children, regardless of age, gender, ethnicity, special needs, attainment and background, will receive an equal opportunity to make progress and fulfil their potential.

• Equal Opportunities Policy can be found on the Policies page

Special Educational Needs Department

Crypt School has a small but effective SEND department that can provide support to high-achieving pupils with SEND to enable them to develop and reach their full academic potential. Although entry to the school is strictly through the entrance examination, we welcome initial enquiries from parents whose sons/daughters have identified SEND requirements and how these might be met. Contact with the SENDCO can be made by email or by telephone to the School’s Main Office.

Telephone: 01452 530291
E-mail: send@crypt.gloucs.sch.uk
SENDCO: nprout@crypt.gloucs.sch.uk
SEN Policy: can be found on the policies page
SEN Local Offer: can be found in the downloads section of this page below.

GLOUCESTER FAMILIES DIRECTORY

Pupil Premium

Pupil Premium was introduced in 2012 and it is used to describe dedicated funding for disadvantaged students. Pupil Premium funding has been allocated to schools so that they can address the achievement gap between students who are eligible for Pupil Premium and their peers. At The Crypt, this gap is significantly smaller than at other schools and overall, our Pupil Premium students make excellent progress. However, as a school we must invest in this group of students to give them every opportunity we can to enable them to flourish in every aspect of school life.

Students qualify as being eligible for Pupil Premium at The Crypt if they are in Years 7 to 13 and satisfy at least one of the following criteria:

• They have received Free School Meals at any point in the last 6 years;
• They are in the care of the Local Authority;
• They are a child adopted from the care of the Local Authority;
• They are children of current service personnel or ex-service personnel who have served within the last four years (also known as Service Premium).

As a school we are held to account for the provision and progress of Pupil Premium students. We try to understand the needs of each individual student who is named as Pupil Premium so that we can put specific support (if needed) in place for them. The support will vary from each student and can range from specific academic and pastoral support to financial support which will allow each student to excel during their time at The Crypt. A full breakdown of our Pupil Premium provision is outlined within our Pupil Premium Strategy below.

If you have any further queries concerning the Pupil Premium please contact Mrs Sandra Stonyte via the School Office.

Gemma Hargraves (Deputy Head - Safeguarding, Inclusion and Wellbeing) is Designated Teacher for Looked After Children

If you believe you may have become eligible, please click the link below for more details as to how to access support.

GLOUCESTERSHIRE HEALTHY LIVING & LEARNING PUPIL PREMIUM INFORMATION

Throughout the year, each pupil’s progress is monitored and where necessary additional support is provided, both inside and outside the classroom.

This support can take a variety of forms and might include academic and/or pastoral support. This ensures that all our pupils make outstanding progress, and helps them prepare for the next stage in their lives.

The first line of academic support is the classroom teacher. Teachers will ensure that all students in their classroom are making good progress. Where we identify the need for additional support, this might take the form of a lunchtime or after school support sessions, mentoring sessions, revision clinics and study skills sessions.

We also have an extensive subject enrichment programme, which serves to deepen pupil’s knowledge, enhance their skills and stimulate their minds. It can also expose students to various career options that they may not have considered.  

English as an additional language (EAL)

For pupils for whom English is not their first language they will receive additional small group support if required. We monitor the progress of these students and ensure that they develop the necessary language skills and confidence to integrate fully into the classroom. Any student that is struggling with their English skills will also receive this level of support.

We aim to balance the academic support with the need for our pupils to have a break and enjoy school; to relax with their friends and build meaningful and lasting positive relationships.

For more information please refer to our EAL Policy

Academic Support

All students have access to a wide range of support beginning with their teacher, tutors and Heads of Year with most subjects offer Support Groups at lunchtimes and after school to provide extra time and tutoring where needed.

All students have access to a wide range of support beginning with their teacher, tutors and Heads of Year with most subjects offering Support Groups at lunchtimes and after school to provide extra time and tutoring where needed, particularly with examination groups.  We offer additional reading and literacy support as needed.  Please look at these pages to find out more.

Revision and Exams

At The Crypt School, we understand that the exam period can be very stressful for some students. To help we provide support guides and revision timetables for GCSE and A-Level students along with information and guidance about the exams process.

Y11 Information Evening

English

Maths

Science

Ensuring all our pupils are challenged is at the heart of our teaching and learning ethos. We teach to the top and scaffold the learning of those who need the extra support to achieve our high expectations.

Through the year we have thematic weeks where students and staff get out of their comfort zone and attempt new and challenging ways of learning.

In June 2014, the School’s provision for the More Able, Gifted and Talented was acknowledged by the successful achievement of the NACE (National Association for Able Children in Education) Challenge Award. Since then we have been re-accredited with the NACE Challenge Award on two occasions: 2019 and most recently in May 2023. This rigorous assessment process includes a self-audit, lesson observations and interviews with both staff and students. The final report validates our excellent provision for More Able students at The Crypt School.

The Crypt School continues to be a member of NACE to ensure we keep up with the most recent research on working with more able children.

We recognise that all our pupils are high performing, and they should continue to strive to improve further. Therefore all our subjects offer enrichment opportunities on our Virtual School and our super curricula booklet provides links and reading suggestions so 6th form students can broaden their knowledge of the subjects they study at A-level.

Crypt Virtual School: Independent Online Learning Resources

Sometimes parents can find it difficult to know how they can support their more able children. Below is a link to an information booklet offering ideas. 

For more information about how we support our most able pupils to achieve highly in 6th form, please visit Beyond Sixth Form

Exceptionally Able

Exceptionally Able students are identified at The Crypt and have Individual Challenge Plans and receive additional support and mentoring.  Through this mechanism, students are encouraged to reflect on how they can broaden their knowledge and skills in their school subjects, but also in their wider personal development.

Our students' destinations: Beyond Sixth Form

Meet some Old Cryptians: Old Cryptians