Key People

Our schools are inclusive schools, which means that we cater for all ranges of abilities and needs. These could be special educational needs (SEN) or pupils with English as an additional language (EAL) or pupils who are Highly Able, Gifted and Talented.

Special Educational Needs and/or Disabilities

If you have concerns about your child's learning, arrange a meeting with their teacher or the special educational needs co-ordinator (SENCo). We, as with all publicly funded nurseries and schools, must take into account the 'Special Educational Needs Code of Practice'. This gives practical guidance on how to identify and assess children with SEN.

Click to view our SEND Information Report and SEND Policy

Early Years’ Action – before starting in the reception class

If your child needs special help with their learning, your child's teachers or SENCo will discuss this with you, assess their needs and decide what help to give. You should be asked about the help your child is given and its results. This information will be crucial when having a home visit before your child starts reception class.

Worries about your child's development

Your child learns through being with other people and exploring the world around them.  However, some children have more difficulties than most children of their age with:

• Communication
• Understanding and learning
• Sensory and physical development
• Behaviour or relating to other people

Children with this type of learning difficulty or disability are said to have 'special educational needs'.  So special educational needs could mean that a child has difficulties with:

• All of the work in school
• Reading, writing, number work or understanding information
• Expressing themselves or understanding what others are saying
• Making friends or relating to adults
• Behaving properly in school
• Organising themselves
• Some kind of sensory or physical needs which may affect them in school.

Help for children with special educational needs will usually be in the child's ordinary, mainstream early education setting or school, sometimes with the help of outside specialists. Of course children make progress at different rates and have different ways in which they learn best. Teachers will take account of this by looking carefully at how they organise their lessons, the classroom, the books and materials they give to each child and the way they teach. They will consider a number of options and choose the most appropriate ways to help each child learn from a range of activities. This is often described as 'differentiating the curriculum'.

Early Help Form

An Early Help form is completed when a referral for external support services is for example for a visit from the Educational Psychologist, Behaviour Support Services (BSS) referral, Children’s Mental Health Service (CAMHs) referral and so on. We will work with parents to complete this form, which requires parental authorisation before it is submitted. 

Contacting us with worries or concerns about special needs

If you have any worries or concerns about special needs or slow progress please speak with your child’s class teacher in the first instance?. The class teacher can explain what assistance is already in place and refer you to an Assistant Headteacher or SENCo.

Highly Able, Gifted and Talented

Gifted and talented learners are defined as those who have one or more abilities developed to a level significantly ahead of their year group (or with the potential to develop those abilities). Children can be identified as having gifted or talented status at any point of their journey through the national curriculum. ‘Gifted’ describes learners who have the ability to excel academically in one or more subjects such as English, drama or technology. ‘Talented’ describes learners who have the ability to excel in practical skills such as sport, leadership, or artistic performance, or through an applied skill. Gifted or talented children are often much more than simply higher than average. As a high-performing school, we are keen to help children reach their full potential by providing enriching and significant challenge and support. We have appointed a member of staff to over see our gifted and talented provision. We have appointed two members of staff to over see our gifted and talented provision.

English as an Additional Language

Whilst we receive a very few children who are learning English at the early stages, the principles for teaching remain the same for all pupils. Additional support may be needed from the class teacher or assistant within lessons and teachers are mindful of the need to use language carefully and use visual clues to support learning.