Introduction
A child has special educational needs if they have a learning difficulty or disability which calls for special educational provision made for them.
A child has a learning difficulty or disability if they:
- Have significantly greater difficulty in learning than the majority of others of the same age; or
- Have a disability which prevents or hinders them from making use of educational facilities of a kind generally provided for others of the same age in mainstream school
Children are not considered to have a special educational need if they speak English as an additional language.
Support for SEND (Special Educational Needs and Disabilities) is offered when, for example, a child is performing at a level that is much lower than their age group, has made little or no progress over time or has a disability which stops them making full use of the education provision on offer and, as a result, the child needs additional help.
At St Luke’s C.E. Primary School we use a child centred, staged approach to support children with SEND.
We use an ‘Assess, Plan, Do, Review’ cycle to assist us give high quality and appropriate support. We aim to have you, your child and school staff working together to help your child reach their highest possible level of achievement at school.
Reasonable adjustments will be made so that children with SEND can take part in school life as fully as possible.
Our Aims
Our ethos is inclusive and we work hard with families and outside agencies to ensure the best possible educational outcomes for all of our children irrespective of their level of need.
Our aims are:
- To identify children with SEND as early as possible and to ensure their needs are met
- To provide an environment where barriers to learning and participation are reduced to a minimum
- To provide all children with a broad, balanced and exciting curriculum that is differentiated to the needs and abilities of the individual
- To ensure all pupils take a full and active part in school life
- To provide a strong partnership between children, parents/carers and outside agencies to ensure a child’s needs can be met
How does SEND provision work?
The majority of a child’s needs will be met in the classroom by the class teacher delivering high quality lessons (Quality First Teaching).
SEND support is in ‘addition to and different from’ what is usually provided in the classroom and is co-ordinated by the SENDCo. A SEND Support Plan will be written for your child and shared with you. Your child’s progress will be monitored, and when appropriate, advice might be taken from outside agencies.
What is the SENDCo (Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Co-ordinator)?
The SENDCo is a teacher in school who has received special training to enable them to assess, arrange and monitor the extra support that your child needs.
Who do I talk to about my child’s needs?
If you are concerned about the progress your child is making, please speak to your child’s class teacher.
If your child is already receiving SEND support, please speak to either the class teacher or the SENDCo.
What is an Education Health Care Plan (EHCP)?
Sometimes a child’s needs are so significant that an EHCP is required. An EHCP is a legal document that is written by the Local Authority setting out your child’s additional educational and care needs. This will outline the type of support or intervention that your child will receive so that their needs are being met.
What are the different areas of SEND?
Children’s SEND are generally thought of in the following main areas:
- Cognition and learning - this includes children who have moderate or specific learning difficulties such as dyslexia and dyspraxia
- Communication and interaction - this includes children with speech and language delay and those with difficulties with social communication
- Social, emotional and mental health - this may include children who may be withdrawn or isolated, disruptive, hyperactive or who lack concentration
- Physical or sensory issues - this includes children with impairments including hearing or visual difficulties, or other physical difficulties
Special Educational Needs are categorised in this way in order to enable school to plan provision accordingly.
How will school and home work together?
Parents/carers, school staff and your child will work together on a plan to support your child. We will meet each term to look at the progress that has been made and to decide on the next steps. In between these meetings, please contact your child’s class teacher or the SENDCo if you have any concerns.
We will also involve you when writing or updating your child’s One Page Profile which is a simple summary of what is important to your child and how they want to be supported.
We will seek parent/carer views about SEND provision within school on an annual basis.
How will my child be involved?
Your child will review their own progress and say what they feel is working well and what they need to work on next. They can say how they learn best and what they will do to help themselves.
We will seek the children’s views about SEND provision within school on an annual basis.
Which outside agencies/professionals are involved with our school?
This will depend on the needs of your child. School might request the advice from agencies such as:
- Speech and Language Therapists (SALT)
- School nurse
- Educational Psychologists (EP)
- Behaviour Support Service (BSS)
What happens if my child moves from one setting or school to another?
Information about a child’s SEND is shared between schools and nurseries. Our SENDCo will speak to staff in other schools and your child’s records will be passed on. Some children may need additional visits to their new school. Visits are organised to Secondary schools as appropriate.
