What does SEND mean?

SEND is the abbreviation used for ‘Special Educational Needs and Disabilities’.

Children are all different and make progress at different rates. They have different ways in which they learn best. Our teachers take account of this in the way they organise their lessons and teach. Children making slower progress or having particular difficulties in one area may be given extra help or different lessons to help them succeed.

It is important not to assume, just because your child is making slower progress than you expected or the teachers are providing different support, help or activities in class, that your child has special educational needs.

A child or young person has SEN if they have a learning difficulty or disability which calls for special educational provision to be made for them. A child of compulsory school age or a young person has a learning difficulty or disability if they:
(a) Have a significantly greater difficulty in learning than the majority of others of the same age; or
(b) Have a disability which prevents or hinders them from making use of educational facilities of a kind generally provided for others of the same age in mainstream schools or mainstream post-16 institutions.

These are the main groups of barriers to learning a child may experience:
• Learning difficulties – in acquiring basic skills in school
• Communication problems – in expressing themselves or understanding what others are saying
• Autistic Spectrum Disorder
• Specific learning difficulty – with reading, writing, number work or understanding information
• A physical, medical or health condition – which may slow down a child’s progress and/or involves treatment that affects his or her education.
• Sensory or physical needs - such as hearing or visual impairment, which might affect them in school
• Emotional, social and behavioural difficulties – making friends or relating to adults or behaving appropriately in school

In order to help children who have SEND we adopt a graduated response that includes a range of strategies. We recognise that there is a continuum of special educational needs; some may be minor and short term, whilst in some exceptional cases SEND are complex and lifelong. Most will be supported successfully in school but where necessary we will bring increasing specialist expertise to support with the difficulties that a child may be experiencing.

For further information please read the school SEND policy.

Please contact Mrs Whitmore our SEND Co-ordinator if you require further information 01274 679320