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How we support SEN

A special educational need can be a number of different things. For example, your child may be having problems with reading, maths or behaviour, and school can help by putting in extra support and by working in partnership with yourself. It may also be due to a disability which makes it harder for a child to use the same educational facilities that the school provides for the majority of children. For some children this may be a temporary difficulty, while others may have a long term need for special help.

Types of special educational needs can include:

  • General Learning Difficulties – children whose learning progresses at a slower pace
  • Speech and Language Difficulties
  • Behavioural Difficulties
  • Dyslexia (difficulties with reading, writing and spelling)
  • Dyspraxia (problems with motor skills, organisation)
  • Dyscalculia (difficulties with number work)
  • Autism
  • ADD/ADHD (Attention Deficit Disorder / Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder)
  • Tourettes Syndrome
  • Cerebral Palsy
  • Other Physical/Medical Needs

Children learn and develop in different ways. Teachers recognise this and use different teaching styles, resources and plan different levels of work in the classroom to cater for the various ways children learn. This is called Quality First Teaching and is something schools must provide for all children. However, many children, at some time in their school life, need extra help.

Because of this, schools must:

  • Talk to parents/carers if they think their child has a special educational need and let them know what special help the school is giving
  • Appoint a member of staff as the Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator (SENCO)
  • Have a written Special Educational Needs policy – a copy should be made available for parents
  • Take account of the Special Educational Needs (SEN) Code of Practice. This is advice given to schools by the government which outlines what schools should do to support pupils with SEN and gives recommendations for good practice

Examples of the type of support which may be provided may be as follows, but will depend on the nature of the child’s needs:

  • Differentiation of work in class (and homework)
  • Some additional small group support with a teacher or support staff
  • Additional resources e.g. word banks, number squares, use of commercial schemes
  • Teaching activities to be adapted to the preferred learning style of the child, e.g. a multisensory, practical approach or use of visual cues
  • Use of ICT to support learning
  • Individual behaviour systems/charts
  • Adaptation of the Curriculum or classroom
  • Interventions to support specific difficulties (i.e. dyslexia, dyspraxia)
  • Use of Makaton to support communication skills at all levels

Both teaching and support staff are involved in regular training to support the work they do with children with SEND. This includes having sound knowledge of, for example, dealing with communication difficulties, children on the autistic spectrum and dyslexia.

Support staff have further specialised training for both these and other areas of need within our school.

Specific training to deliver interventions has included:

  • Indicative Provision Guidance (identifying level of need)
  • Introduction to Speech, Language & Communication (SALT)
  • Working with children’s Speech & Language difficulties
  • SALT – Classroom Strategies
  • Supporting children ADHD
  • Supporting children with ASD
  • Getting to grips with Grammar
  • Supporting reading
  • Lexia
  • Dyslexia
  • Dyslexia Friendly Classrooms
  • ICT: Communicate in Print (using symbols)
  • Team Teach
  • De-escalation strategies
  • Listening Matters