Special Educational Needs & Disability (SEND)

‘For it was You who created my inward parts; You knit me together in my mother’s womb. I will praise You because I have been remarkably and wonderfully made. Your works are wonderful, and I know this very well.’ (Psalm 139:13-14)

SENCO: Siobhan Togher

s.togher@st-catherine.herts.sch

Definition of SEND

A child or young person has SEND if they have a learning difficulty or disability which calls for special educational provision to be made for him or her. A child of compulsory school age or a young person has a learning difficulty or disability if he or she:

has a significantly greater difficulty in learning than the majority of others of the same age, or has a disability which prevents or hinders him or her from making use of facilities of a kind generally provided for others of the same age in mainstream schools or mainstream post-16 institutions.

Special educational needs and disability code of practice: 0 to 25 years July 2014

The four areas of SEND

• Communication and interaction
• Cognition and learning
• Social, emotional and mental health difficulties
• Sensory and/or physical needs

How do we know if children need extra help?

The school identifies individual children’s needs in a number of different ways:

• Concerns are raised by parents/class teachers/school staff/child.
• Concerns are raised by external agencies e.g. GP, school nurse, speech and language therapist etc. 
• Limited progress is being made in accordance with age related expectations.
• There is a change in the pupil’s behaviour or progress.
• Information provided by previous settings e.g. Pre-school/nursery/prior school.

What should I do if I think my child may have special educational needs?

If you as parents/carers have a concern about your child, the first person you should speak to about it, is the class teacher. You can make an appointment to discuss your concerns. If appropriate, the concern will then be shared with the Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator (SENCO), Mrs Taylor. You may then be asked to attend further meetings to discuss and agree the next steps for your child.

How will school staff support my child?

• Teachers will provide high quality teaching for all children on a daily basis. This will include differentiation and making adaptations to the curriculum as it is the class teacher’s responsibility to provide for children with SEND.
• The class teacher will follow the procedures for assessing, planning, making provision to meet the needs of SEND and reviewing the impact of that provision.
• Additional support or targeted intervention may be required.
• Support may be given in a small group or individual support by a Teaching Assistant.
• Different teaching resources may be used or adaptations made to match the pupil’s needs.
• Additional support may take place in the classroom or in another area/room.
• Learning Support Assistants may provide targeted support following advice from external agencies.
• The SENCO will provide advice, monitor progress and maintain links with external agencies.
• The SENCO and Head meet to discuss provision needed for additional support.
• The School Governor for SEN oversees and monitors the quality of provision.

What is Delivering Special Provision Locally (DSPL)?

DSPL is a Hertfordshire-wide partnership approach where parents, 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, reviewing and developing the range of provision and support services available to 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 parents/carers
• Removes barriers to learning
• Uses resources more effectively

For more information, please visit: http://dsplarea9.org.uk/