SEND
All about Special Educational Needs (SEN)
Some children find it much harder to learn than other children of the same age. They may need extra help in school. These children may have special educational needs. About 1 in 5 children will need extra help at school at some time in their education. Some children have extra help all the time they are at school, while other children need help for a short time.
Special Educational Needs and provision can be considered as falling under four broad areas, as identified in the SEN Code of Practice.
- Communication and Interaction
- Cognition and Learning
- Social, Mental and Emotional Health
- Sensory and/or Physical
These difficulties cause barriers to the child’s learning. The school will assess your child to identify their strengths, needs and the extra help they require.
The Government has produced guidance to enable staff in early education settings and schools to provide the best possible help for children with Special Educational Needs and disabilities. This guidance is known as The Special Educational Needs Code of Practice for 0-25.
When a teacher thinks a child may have Special Educational Needs, they will look at how they can adapt their teaching and the work they ask the child to do. This is called differentiation.
If teachers think a child needs something additional to other children in class or something different, they will talk to the school’s Special Educational Needs Coordinator (SENCo), Mrs Phillips. [Please note that Mrs Phillips is currently on Maternity Leave; Mrs Stimpson is acting SENCo in her absence].
The SENCo will provide the teacher with further advice and suggestions. The SENCo may also decide that the child needs additional support.
What is offered to your child?
The school offers/may offer the following according to your child’s Special Educational Needs:
- Quality First Teaching;
- A Curriculum matched to the needs of each child;
- Individual 1-1 support with a personalised Provision Map for very specific needs;
- Individuals and groups supported in class;
- Working in small target groups, know as Intervention groups, where children with similar academic needs receive some additional support;
- Targeted interventions, including Speech and Language therapy, to deliver a programme for the individual child’s needs in school often led by Teaching Assistants, over a specified length of time;
- Adapted teaching styles and materials;
- Use of appropriate ICT equipment and programs;
- Access to appropriate resources for learning;
- Support from a Teaching Assistant in order to ensure health and safety where appropriate;
- TA support at designated times for extra specified support and mentoring, for example, nurture;
- Social skills programmes;
- Fun Fit programme delivered each morning to develop fine and gross motor skills for identified children;
- ELSA – Emotional well-being facilitation;
- Close liaison between teaching staff and outside agencies, such as Speech and Language, Occupational Therapists, Physiotherapist, SAP, SFSS and Educational Psychologist.
How can the Local Authority help?
Each Local Authority has a duty to produce a Local Offer, which provides details of all the services and provision that are available to families of children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). Nottinghamshire County Council has produced this video with local parents and children to promote the use of the SEND Local Offer, which is a comprehensive guide to services and support all in one place. More information about Nottinghamshire’s Local Offer can also be found in the leaflet below:
Outcomes for pupils
The extra help the school offers will enable the child to:
- Reach their full potential;
- Achieve their personal best;
- Make progress;
- Feel valued and included;
- Enjoy school.
Our SEND Policy
At St. Philip Neri with St. Bede we aim to:
- Make sure that the arrangements made for pupils with Special Educational Needs are in line with the requirements of the Special Educational Needs and Disability Act and Equality Act 2010;
- Support our SEND pupils to make progress in all aspects of their education, from whatever their starting point, in order to achieve the best possible outcomes and prepare them for their future life;
- Make sure that pupils with Special Educational Needs are able to take part in all the activities of the school including those that take place out of hours;
- Make sure that our pupils are involved in decisions made about themselves and their education;
- Make sure we involve or parents in reviews and keep them informed about their children’s progress and opportunities available to them;
The school SEN policy is reviewed every three years and revised in discussion with parents/carers, pupils, staff and governors.
Working in partnerships with parents
We believe that a close working relationship with parents is vital in order to ensure
- Early and accurate identification and assessment of SEND leading to the correct intervention and provision
- Continuing social and academic progress of children with SEND
- Personal and academic targets are set and met effectively
Parents are kept up to date with their child’s progress through annual reports, parent’s evenings/afternoons and provision reviews.
In cases where more frequent regular contact with parents is necessary, this will be arranged based on the individual pupil’s needs. The SENCO may also signpost parents of pupils with SEND to external services where specific advice, guidance and support may be required.
If an assessment or referral indicates that a pupil has additional learning needs the parents and the pupil will always be consulted with regards to future provision. Parents are invited to attend meetings with external agencies regarding their child, and are kept up to date and consulted on any points of action drawn up in regards to the provision for their child. The school’s SEND Governor, Miss Tunney, may be contacted at any time in relation to SEND matters via the school office.
For further information contact:
Mrs L. Stimpson – SENCo: louisa.stimpson@st-philipneri.notts.sch.uk
Mr D. Steele – Headteacher: headteacher@st-philipneri.notts.sch.uk
At:
St Philip Neri with St Bede Catholic Voluntary Academy
Rosemary Street,
Mansfield,
Nottinghamshire.
NG19 8AA
Phone: 01623 489010