Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND)

'Learning and Achieving Together'

                                                                 

Ofsted 2017

'You have a strong, caring team, which is committed to making the school one where all pupils are valued equally.'

 

We recognise that all children are individuals with their own specific needs, gifts and talents. As a school we look towards offering challenge for all or learners in a timely manner. We offer further opportunities for enrichment through our partnerships with others. We believe in equality of educational opportunity and aim to provide an inclusive curriculum and environment that meets the needs of all our children by:

• Ensuring pupils’ Special Educational Needs and disabilities are identified promptly.

• Making appropriate provision to help overcome any barriers to learning and ensure children have full access to a broad and balanced curriculum and school activities.

• Communicating and working with parents/carers to gain a better understanding of their child, involving them in all stages of their child’s education.

• Encouraging and supporting children to be involved in their education.

. Working with outside agencies when more specialist help is needed.

• Regularly monitoring the progress of all children

• Supporting pupils to make a successful transition to and from other educational establishments.

 

Additional Support

As a school we work hard to target support that is tailored to a child’s needs. This may be in the form of in class support or through additional support or targeted intervention. This support could be extra group or individual support led by a member of the team. Regular discussions take place which draw on the teacher’s knowledge and experience of every child, their previous progress and attainment and the views of parents/carers. This ensures that barriers to learning are accurately identified and tailored provision put in place. Children are consulted as part of the process and are key to decisions about what support is needed and what they think will work best. Some children may have social, emotional or mental health needs which may form barriers to their learning, confidence or well-being. A range of individual and group support is used to support children experiencing difficulties in these areas. ‘Sunshine Club’ is a supportive, welcoming group which runs at break and lunch daily to offer children shared activities and the opportunity to talk through any worries, develop social skills and make new friends. Other provision which may be used includes Protective Behaviours, Social Stories, ‘Drawing and Talking,’ ‘Positive People,’ Achievement Books, social skills and friendship groups. As a school, we also incorporate mindfulness into our school day to support mental health across our community.

 

Mrs Claire Short, our Inclusion Co-ordinator (InCo) is happy to offer advice and support or answer any questions you may have related to SEND. Please do not hesitate to contact her on (01442) 251805.

Additional materials to support parents with Home Learning are available within the News and Dates tab under the heading Coronavirus Support and Information.

                    Developing Special Provision Locally (DSPL)

DSPL is a Hertfordshire-wide partnership approach where parents, carers, staff in early years settings and schools, further education colleges, local authority officers and representatives from other agencies, work together as part of an Area Group, to ensure that there are a range of provision and support services available in their local community that :

• Meets the needs of children and young people with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), aged 0-25, as close to home as possible.
• Improves outcomes for wellbeing and attainment
• Widens choice for children and parers/carers
• removes barriers to learning
• uses resources effectively

 

To find out a little more about DSPL in our area (DSPL8), please click on the link below.