Inclusion and Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) 

Welcome to our Inclusion and SEND page!

At Chyngton we work hard to make sure that our school can support all of our children to make good progress from their individual starting points.

At Chyngton, everyone is a part of our Inclusion Team because we firmly believe that everyone is a teacher of SEND. Everyone, from our wonderful office team, to our dedicated support staff, teachers and leadership team, is committed to ensuring all of our children are able to thrive, and will strive to work with you to support that.

SEN Information Report 

Introduction 

The aim of this information report is to explain how we implement our SEND policy. In other words, we want to show you how special educational needs support works in our school.

If you want to know more about our arrangements for SEND, read our SEND policy.

Our SEN information report can be viewed as a whole document at the end of this page. 

Note: If there are any terms we’ve used in this information report that you’re unsure of, you can look them up in the Glossary at the end of the report.

1. What types of SEN does the school provide for? 

We are an inclusive school. This means we provide for children with all types of Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND). We focus on making every lesson accessible for everyone, and providing a range of support for children who need additional provision. Pupils attend Chyngton from a wide geographical area, from East Dean and Eastbourne, to Newhaven and Peacehaven.  

Our school provides for pupils with the following needs: 

Area of need	For Example
Communication and interaction	Autism spectrum disorder (ASD)
	Speech and language difficulties
Cognition and learning	Specific learning difficulties, including dyslexia, dyspraxia, dyscalculia
	Moderate learning difficulties
	Developmental Delay
Social, emotional and mental health	Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
	Attachment Disorder
Sensory and/or physical	Hearing impairments
	Visual impairment
	Multi-sensory impairment
	Physical impairment

2. Which staff will support my child, and what training have they had? 

Our Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator, or SENCO

Our Inclusion Team is led by Ms Gemma Southerden who is also the named SENCO. Ms Southerden has 11 years experience in this role and has worked as a SENCO and qualified teacher in a range of primary schools over 22 years.

She achieved the National Award in Special Educational Needs Co-ordination in 2013.

She also is accredited in ‘Theory and Practice of Nurture Groups’ (Nurture UK).

Ms Southerden is also the Designated Mental Health Lead and has completed the training.

Ms Southerden works 3 days per week.

Assistant to the Inclusion Lead

Miss Florence Robertson is also a qualified SENCO and is Assistant to the Inclusion Lead. She achieved the National Award in Special Educational Needs Co-ordination in 2023.

Miss Robertson is allocated 2 days per week for this role.

Class Teachers

Every teacher at Chyngton is a teacher of SEND. We train our staff in a range of SEND needs and strategies, and are supported by the SENCOs to meet the needs of pupils who have SEND. 

Teaching Assistants (TAs)

We have a team of full and part time TA’s across the school.

1 TA is trained to deliver speech and language interventions.

1 TA is a specialist dyslexia TA.

Our TAs also have training to deliver interventions such as sensory circuits, Jumpahead, Physio programmes etc.

Other Support Staff

Ms Angela Raven is our Child Welfare and Parent Liaison Advisor. She is a qualified ELSA, and is also trained in a range of mental health needs, including self harm.  

External Agencies and Experts

Sometimes we need extra help to offer our pupils the support they need. Whenever necessary we will work with external support services to meet the needs of our pupils with SEN and to support their families. These include:

• Speech and language therapists
• Educational psychologists
• Occupational therapists
• GPs or paediatricians
• School nurses
• Mental Health Support Team
• Child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS)
• Education welfare officer
• Social services and other local authority (LA)-provided support services
• CLASS (East Sussex Service – Communication, Learning and Autism Support Service)
• TASS (East Sussex Service – Team around the School and Setting)
• Virtual School for Looked After Children

 3. What should I do if I think my child has SEN?

Tell us about your concerns. 

If you think your child might have SEN, the first person you should tell is your child’s teacher.

You can contact them through Edulink, or by calling the school office on 01323 893281.

You can also contact the SENCO directly: sen@chyngtonschool.org

We will arrange a meeting or call to discuss them with you. 

We will meet with you to discuss your concerns and try to get a better understanding of what your child’s strengths and difficulties are.

Together we will decide what outcomes to seek for your child and agree on next steps.

We will make a note of what’s been discussed and add this to your child’s record. You will also be given a copy of this.

We will decide whether your child needs SEN support. 

If we decide that your child needs SEN support, we will discuss this with you and your child will be added to the school’s SEND register. 

 4. How will the school know if my child needs SEN support? 

We aim to identify children’s SEN as early as possible, so that the child achieves the best possible outcomes.

All our class teachers are aware of SEN and are on the lookout for any pupils who aren’t making the expected level of progress in their schoolwork or socially. This might include not making progress in writing, phonics, difficulty with speech sounds etc.

If the teacher notices that a pupil is falling behind, they try to find out if the pupil has any gaps in their learning or skills development. If they can find a gap, they will adapt the provision in the classroom to try to fill it. Pupils who don’t have SEN usually make progress quickly once the gap in their learning has been filled.

If the pupil is still struggling to make the expected progress, the teacher will talk to the SENCO, and will contact you to discuss the possibility that your child has SEN.

The class teacher will gather information with the support of the SENCO who may observe the pupil in the classroom or in the playground to see what their strengths and difficulties are. They will also look at any issues with, or changes in, their progress, attainment or behaviour.

The class teacher, or a SENCO, will ask for your opinion and speak to your child to get their input as well. They may also, where appropriate, ask for the opinion of external experts such as a speech and language therapist, an educational psychologist, or a paediatrician.

Based on all of this information, the SENCO will decide whether your child needs SEN support, and will inform you about this, and what will happen next.  

If your child does need SEN support, their name will be added to the school’s SEND register, and the class teacher will work with you to create an Additional Needs Plan (ANP) for them.

Speech and Language Needs

All children in reception are assessed using Speech and Language when they start the school. This can lead to children taking part in interventions. We monitor progress regularly and may need to add a child to the SEN register if they continue to need intervention.

5. How will the school measure my child's progress? 

We will follow the ‘graduated approach’ to meeting your child’s SEN needs.

The graduated approach is a 4-part cycle of assess, plan, do, review. 

Assess

If your child is not making the expected level of progress, we will make an assessment to find out what strengths and difficulties your child has. We will ask for input from you and your child, as well as getting help from external professionals where necessary.

Plan

In discussion with you and your child, we will decide what outcomes we are hoping to achieve. We will make a plan of the support we will offer your child to help them meet those outcomes. We will make a record of this and share it with you and all relevant school staff. This plan is called an Additional Needs Plan.

Do

We will put our plan into practice. The class teacher, with the support of the SENCO, will be responsible for working with your child on a daily basis, and making sure the support we put in place is having the impact we intended.

Review

We will assess how well the support we put in place helped the child to meet the outcomes we set. We will use our improved understanding of your child’s needs to improve the support we offer.

 If your child has made good progress, and no longer needs SEN support, they will be removed from the SEN register and we will monitor them carefully.

If your child has made good progress, but will need ongoing support that is additional to and different from their peers, they will stay on the SEN register and they will have a Student Support Plan (part 1 of an Additional Needs Plan)

If your child has made some progress, or not enough progress, we will repeat the Assess, Plan, Do, Review cycle to try to adapt the provision to better meet their needs. We may involve other external professionals if 3 or more cycles do not lead to enough progress.

Interventions: Whenever we run an intervention with your child, we will assess them before the intervention begins. This is known as a ‘baseline assessment’. We do this so we can see how much impact the intervention has on your child’s progress.

6. How will I be involved in decisions made about my child's education? 

For all children:

We will provide annual reports on your child's progress.

We will provide 2 parent consultation opportunities, with an option for another.

If your child is on the SEN register your child’s class teacher will also work with you 3 times a year, to:

• Set clear outcomes for your child’s progress
• Review progress towards those outcomes
• Discuss the support we will put in place to help your child make that progress
• Identify what we will do, what we will ask you to do, and what we will ask your child to do

Some of these meetings may take place at parent consultation evenings, where you will be offered a longer slot.

Sometimes, it is necessary to meet at a different time. The SENCO may also attend some of these meetings to provide extra support.

If you prefer to talk over the phone, or contribute your views in writing, please just let us know.

We know that you’re the expert when it comes to your child’s needs and aspirations. We want to make sure you have a full understanding of how we’re trying to meet your child’s needs, so that you can provide insight into what you think would work best for your child.

We also want to hear from you as much as possible so that we can best understand how the SEN support we are providing is impacting your child outside of school. 

If your child’s needs or aspirations change at any time, please let us know right away so we can keep our provision as relevant as possible.

After any discussion we will make a record of any outcomes, actions and support that have been agreed. This record will be shared with all relevant staff, and you can be given a copy. 

If you have concerns that arise between these meetings, please contact your child’s class teacher using Edulink, or by contacting the main school office (01323 893281).

7. How will my child be involved in decisions made about their education? 

The level of involvement will depend on your child’s age and level of competence. We recognise that no 2 children are the same, so we will decide on a case-by-case basis, with your input.

We may seek your child’s views by asking them to:

• Attend meetings to discuss their progress and outcomes
• Prepare a presentation, written statement, video, drawing, etc.
• Discuss their views with a member of staff who can act as a representative during the meeting
• Complete a survey or questionnaire

8. How will the school adapt its teaching for my child? 

Your child’s teacher is responsible and accountable for the progress and development of all the pupils in their class.

High-quality teaching is our first step in responding to your child’s needs. We will make sure that your child has access to a broad and balanced curriculum in every year they are at our school.

We will differentiate (or adapt) how we teach to suit the way the pupil works best. There is no '1 size fits all’ approach to adapting the curriculum, we work on a case-by case basis to make sure the adaptations we make are meaningful to your child.

These adaptations include:

• Differentiating our curriculum to make sure all pupils are able to access it, for example, by grouping, 1-to-1 work, adapting the teaching style or content of the lesson, etc.
• Differentiating our teaching, for example, giving longer processing times, pre-teaching of key vocabulary, reading instructions aloud, etc.
• Adapting our resources and staffing
• Using recommended aids, such as laptops, coloured overlays, visual timetables, larger font, fidget equipment etc
• Teaching assistants may support children in small groups, offer movement breaks, pastoral support or break down the learning into more manageable chunks.
• Using computer programs and technology to improve access to curriculum content, offer opportunities to practice skills, or develop alternative ways of recording learning.

We may also provide the following support:

Area of need	Universally available provision (for all)	Targeted provision (additional to and different from)	Enhanced provision (highly personalised)
Communication and interaction	Visual timetables Social stories Practical apparatus Communication in Print Communication Friendly Classrooms	Speech Link Intervention Language Link Intervention	Nurture Class Referral to CLASS, Speech and Language Therapist
Cognition and learning	Writing slope Coloured Overlays Multisensory learning Adaptations to learning activities	Curriculum adjustments Small group interventions for phonics, pre-teaching vocabulary, reading, writing, maths	Referrals to Educational Psychology Service, CLASS. Highly personalised curriculum Additional adult support
Social, emotional and mental health	Quiet workstation Zones of Regulation check ins Soft start Regulation area (calm zone) OPAL playtimes Seating plan Trauma informed and Therapeutic Behaviour Policy	Nurture groups ELSA Support from SEMH Mentor Meet and greet Nurture lunch Social Skills groups Own workstation	Nurture Class Referrals to CAMHS, TASS, Early Help Keywork Counselling, MHST High level of support from SEMH Mentor or Inclusion Team Key person Additional supervision Risk assessments
Sensory and/or physical	Movement breaks Seating plan Adjustments to PE Sensory equipment available in class	Fidget equipment Move’n’sit cushions Sensory circuits Jumpahead Sensory Profile Sensory breaks	Physio OT referral Use of Sensory Den (school’s sensory room) Sensory Needs Service

 These interventions are part of our contribution to East Sussex County Council’s local offer.

 Please also see our accessibility plan Chyngton Primary School - School Policies . This plan considers how we can increase the extent to which disabled pupils can participate fully in school like and the curriculum.

 9. How will the school evaluate whether the support in place is helping my child? 

We will evaluate the effectiveness of provision for your child by:

• Reviewing their progress towards their goals each term. We will make sure that you are involved in this.
• Reviewing the impact of interventions at agreed intervals.
• Analysing assessment information, as well as data about behaviour, attendance etc
• Holding an annual review (if they have an education, health and care (EHC) plan)

We also regularly review the quality of teaching and learning and the progress made by all children. We complete regular self evaluations of our SEN provision to ensure is is supporting all children to make progress,  and use this to plan for further development on the School Improvement Plan.

We hold the East Sussex Quality Mark for Inclusion which is re-evaluated every 2 years. 

10. How will the school resources be secured for my child? 

At Chyngton, we are committed to providing high-quality education and support for all our pupils, including those with special educational needs (SEN). To achieve this, we utilise a combination of funding streams specifically allocated to support SEN provision.

Notional SEN Budget 

Our notional SEN budget forms a part of our core funding and is designed to support the needs of pupils with SEN. This funding is calculated based on the national funding formula (NFF), which takes into account various factors, including the needs and characteristics of our students. The notional budget is used to cover costs such as:

• SEN-specific resources and materials
• Additional support staff, including teaching assistants
• Training for staff to enhance their ability to support SEN pupils

We are expected to use this budget to fund up to £6,000 of additional support costs for each pupil with high needs.

Top-Up Funding 

In instances where the cost of providing necessary support exceeds £6,000, we apply for additional financial support through top-up funding from the Local Authority (LA). This is usually through an application for an EHCP. This additional funding ensures that pupils with the highest levels of need receive the appropriate support tailored to their requirements.

This includes ongoing communication and collaboration to ensure that the funding aligns with each pupil's education, health, and care (EHC) plan.

Commitment to SEN Provision 

Chyngton is dedicated to personalising support for each SEN pupil, ensuring that our educational provision is inclusive and effective. We continuously review and adapt our funding strategies to ensure that every pupil receives the support they need to thrive.

11. How will the school make sure my child is included in activities alongside pupils who don't have SEN? 

All of our extra-curricular activities and school visits are available to all our pupils, including our before and after-school clubs.

All pupils are encouraged to go on our school trips, including our residential trip in year 6.

All pupils are encouraged to take part in sports day, school plays, enrichment activities, visitors to the school etc.

No pupil is ever excluded from taking part in these activities because of their SEN or disability and we will make whatever reasonable adjustments are needed to make sure they can be included. We work with parents and pupils to listen to their views, feelings and wishes to ensure pupils with SEN engage fully in the life of the school and in any wider community activity.

12. How does the school make sure the admissions process is fair for pupils with SEN or a disability? 

We are a maintained Primary School and admit pupils from age 4 to 11.  

 We are an inclusive school. This means we provide for children with all types of Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND).

 If you would like your child to attend Chyngton School and they have a SEND and an EHCP, please contact your Assessment and Planning Officer at East Sussex County Council.

https://www.eastsussex.gov.uk/educationandlearning/schools/admissions/ 

If you would like your child to attend Chyngton School and they have a SEND but no EHCP, you can simply apply as normal and your application will be considered in the same way as applications from children without SEND. Please see our admissions criteria for further information about how we process applications.

13. How does the school support pupils with disabilities? 

We are committed to ensuring that all children at Chyngton are well supported to reach their full potential and thrive. Our approach to supporting children with disabilities is outlined further in our accessibility plan which is published on our website Chyngton Primary School - School Policies.

We teach children about physical and hidden disabilities and the importance of equity. Our classes are named after a range of inspirational people, and we have considered how minority groups are represented. We also consider how people with visible and hidden disabilities are represented in the range of books we are using with classes.

We have an accessible site, with a lift to the first floor. We use our best endeavours to make sure that our curriculum is adapted wherever possible to meet the diverse needs of all pupils. Every child with a disability will have an Additional Needs Plan or Student Support Plan, outlining the specific strategies or support they may need to thrive and engage in school life.

14. How will the school support my child's mental health, and emotional and social development? 

We support children’s wellbeing, mental health and emotional and social development through our whole school inclusive ethos and approach. Our PHSE curriculum ‘Let’s Talk’, teaches children about their emotions, social skills, resilience amongst other things. We use the ‘Zones of Regulation’ to teach children about how to regulate their emotions – that every emotion is normal and healthy, and how to respond in expected ways.

All staff have participated in Mental Health training, provided by the Mental Health Support Team, as well as attachment training and Therapeutic Thinking approaches.

We have targeted support for children with emotional and mental health difficulties and have a systematic approach to the early identification of emotional development so that differentiated provision can be put in place. 

Nurture Class

Chyngton School is fully committed in developing the whole child. In response to the challenges that some of our children face, which can result in emotional, social and behavioural vulnerability, we have established a nurture class, to support them. “Nurture groups explicitly recognise that severely adverse early experiences affect every aspect of development and that they underlie much educational failure in mainstream schools. Such experiences leave social, emotional and intellectual deficits which nurture groups have demonstrated can be made good, that educational progress, in the widest sense, can be fostered.” (M Boxall)

Pastoral support, including ELSA

Some of our children benefit from additional nurture and emotional wellbeing programmes which encourage collaborative learning and encourage children to achieve their personal best. Our Emotional Literacy Support Assistant is Miss Angela Raven. She has completed the ELSA training.

Youth Counselling Project

The Youth Counselling Project, a charity based in Seaford, work with the school to provide a counsellor for one day per week, meaning that 5 children can access counselling at any one time.

Educational Mental Health Practitioner (EMHP)

The school is part of a Mental Health Support Team, run jointly by health and education. Chyngton are a host school to an EMHP who provides low intensity CBT (Cognitive Behavioural Therapy)  for children with difficulties with anxiety, low mood, self harm, eating or sleep difficulties.

 Guidance for referrals to these services is available from the school.

The school has a Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) and four Deputy Safeguarding Leads. 

Follow the link to our policies section Chyngton Primary School - School Policies for Chyngton’s Behaviour policy, Child Protection and Safeguarding policy and Supporting Pupils with Medical Conditions policy. 

We have whole school guidance for Mental Health and Emotional Wellbeing which supports staff to identify MHEW needs, and how to respond to them outlining the strategies and support available for all our children.  Staff log concerns which are raised at our Inclusion panel who identify the most appropriate pathway for support.  

Our Mental Health Lead is Gemma Southerden, who has completed the DfE Mental Health Leads course. 

Chyngton also holds the Healthy Schools Award. 

15. What support will be available for my child as they transition between classes or settings? 

Joining Early Years at Chyngton 

We work closely with the local nursery schools to ensure a smooth transition to school. One of the Early Years teachers will visit your child at nursery or at home before they start school to get to know your child. There are opportunities for children to attend sessions in the summer term before they start reception. Where a child comes into school with a high level of need, we have additional transition meetings always involving parents, nursery staff, foundation staff, a SENCO and the Early Years’ Service where necessary. 

Moving classes  

In the summer term, Student Support Plans/Additional Needs Plans are written in collaboration with parents, children and teachers to ensure all important information can be passed on to the new teachers.

Teachers meet to share information and discuss strengths and weaknesses and strategies which have been successful. All children spend a significant amount of transition time with their new teacher and in the new classroom to get to know each other well. Personalised planning takes place.  

Moving to Secondary School 

We work closely with all the secondary schools in the area including Seaford Head in liaising and sharing important information.  

There are transition arrangements made for all the children.  Children with SEN who will attend Seaford Head take part in a programme of additional support beginning in March/April.  

A specialist SEN transition team work across Seaford to prepare identified children to move onto secondary school from year 4-6. This may include providing support and advice to class teachers, providing English or maths interventions, or providing an SEMH intervention.

For children going to different secondary schools Chyngton work closely with the schools to ensure a successful transition, sharing plans and meeting to discuss any additional arrangements.   

Parent/carers are invited to share any concerns about transition during the review meetings with the Inclusion Leader who will be happy to discuss secondary schooling with them.  

 If a child has an EHC plan, this will be reviewed and amended in sufficient time prior to moving between key phases of education. (9.179). The SENCO from the next setting will be invited to attend this review. 

16. What support is in place for looked-after and previously looked-after children with SEN? 

Our Designated LAC Teachers are Miss Florence Robertson and Ms Gemma Southerden. They are also SENCOs.

They work with staff to make sure that all teachers understand how a looked-after or previously looked-after pupil’s circumstances and their SEN might interact, and what the implications are for teaching and learning.

Children who are looked-after or previously looked-after will be supported much in the same way as any other child who has SEN. However, looked-after pupils will also have a Personal Education Plan (PEP). We will make sure that the PEP and any SEN support plans or EHC plans are consistent and complement one another. 

17. What should I do if I have a complaint about my child's SEN support? 

If your child has a SEND and you are not happy with the support they are receiving, or any other element of their experience as a child with SEND in our school, please email SEN@chyngtonschool.org outlining the nature of your concern.

A member of the Inclusion Team will then look into the concern and contact you to discuss the concern and try to resolve it.

If you remain unhappy with the outcome, you can make a formal complaint by following the complaints policy which can be found at Chyngton Primary School - School Policies

If you are not satisfied with the school’s response, you can escalate the complaint. In some circumstances, this right also applies to the pupil themselves.

To see a full explanation of suitable avenues for complaint, see pages 246 and 247 of the SEND Code of Practice. 

If you feel that our school has discriminated against your child because of their SEN, you have the right to make a discrimination claim to the first-tier SEND tribunal. To find out how to make such a claim, you should visit: https://www.gov.uk/complain-about-school/disability-discrimination

You can make a claim about alleged discrimination regarding:

• Admission
• Exclusion
• Provision of education and associated services
• Making reasonable adjustments, including the provision of auxiliary aids and services

Before going to a SEND tribunal, you can go through processes called disagreement resolution or mediation, where you try to resolve your disagreement before it reaches the tribunal.

• SENDIASS advice service - Amaze Sussex

18. What support is available for me and my family? 

If you have questions about SEN, or are struggling to cope, please get in touch to let us know. We want to support you, your child and your family.

To see what support is available to you locally, have a look at the East Sussex local offer (see below). 

The East Sussex Local Offer on the internet

The East Sussex Local Offer consists of an information site which outlines how different SEND processes work and what support is available for children and young people with SEND, and their families. It also includes a SEND-specific directory listing local and online services, which you can use on East Sussex 1Space. Visit the East Sussex Local Offer website at: https://localoffer.eastsussex.gov.uk/

Parent Information Contact: Gemma Southerden and Ms Angela Raven

Contact through the school office on 01323 893281 or via email at SEN@chyngtonschool.org 

Amaze Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Information Advice and Support Services (SENDIASS)

If you are a child or young person with a special educational need or a disability (SEND), or the parent of a child or young person with SEND, you can contact the Amaze SENDIASS advice line for information and advice. Visit the SENDIASS website at: https://amazesussex.org.uk/parent-carers/services-and-support/sendiass-advice-line

SEND information, advice and support service

Impartial advice and help for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities and their parents and carers.

 0345 60 80 192 informationforfamilies@eastsussex.gov.uk

 www.eastsussex.gov.uk/sendadvice

Community Integrated Therapies and Equipment (CITES)

CITES are a 100-strong team of qualified occupational therapists, physiotherapists, speech and language therapists, assistants and administrators who provide non-acute therapy to children and young people living in East Sussex. Visit CITES at: https://www.eastsussexchildren.nhs.uk/about/childrens-integrated-therapy-services

East Sussex Wheelchair Service

East Sussex Wheelchair Service provides assessments for adults and children with mobility and postural problems. They supply manual and electric powered wheelchairs, buggies, pressure relieving cushions and accessories such as backrests, foot rests and arm rests for wheelchairs. Visit the East Sussex Wheelchair Service at: https://millbrookhealthcare.co.uk/pages/east-sussex-wcs

Communication, Learning, Autism Support Service +

CLASS+ works across East Sussex to support families/carers of Autistic children and young people. Their aim is to provide guidance and training that enables families/carers to build their understanding of the strengths and challenges faced by Autistic children and young people and to develop greater confidence in how to support them. Find out more information about CLASS+ at: https://1space.eastsussex.gov.uk/Services/4848 

i-go

i-go is the East Sussex Children and Young People’s Additional Needs Register and free leisure discount card. The card is available for those aged 0-25 with additional needs living or studying in East Sussex. This could include physical, learning, social, emotional, and mental health needs. Visit i-go at: https://igo.eastsussex.gov.uk/ 

National charities that offer information and support to families of children with SEN are:

• IPSEA
• SEND family support
• NSPCC
• Family Action
• Special Needs Jungle

19. Glossary 

• Access arrangements – special arrangements to allow pupils with SEN to access assessments or exams
• Annual review – an annual meeting to review the provision in a pupil’s EHC plan
• Area of need – the 4 areas of need describe different types of needs a pupil with SEN can have. The 4 areas are communication and interaction; cognition and learning; physical and/or sensory; and social, emotional and mental health needs
• CAMHS – child and adolescent mental health services
• Differentiation – when teachers adapt how they teach in response to a pupil’s needs
• EHC needs assessment – the needs assessment is the first step on the way to securing an EHC plan. The local authority will do an assessment to decide whether a child needs an EHC plan
• EHC plan – an education, health and care (EHC) plan is a legally-binding document that sets out a child’s needs and the provision that will be put in place to meet their needs
• First-tier tribunal / SEND tribunal – a court where you can appeal against the local authority’s decisions about EHC needs assessments or plans and against discrimination by a school or local authority due to SEN
• Graduated approach – an approach to providing SEN support in which the school provides support in successive cycles of assessing the pupil’s needs, planning the provision, implementing the plan, and reviewing the impact of the action on the pupil
• Intervention – a short-term, targeted approach to teaching a pupil with a specific outcome in mind 
• Local offer – information provided by the local authority that explains what services and support are on offer for pupils with SEN in the local area
• Outcome – target for improvement for pupils with SEN. These targets don't necessarily have to be related to academic attainment 
• Reasonable adjustments – changes that the school must make to remove or reduce any disadvantages caused by a child’s disability  
• SENCO – the special educational needs co-ordinator
• SEN – special educational needs
• SEND – special educational needs and disabilities
• SEND Code of Practice – the statutory guidance that schools must follow to support children with SEND
• SEN information report – a report that schools must publish on their website, that explains how the school supports pupils with SEN
• SEN support – special educational provision that meets the needs of pupils with SEN
• Transition – when a pupil moves between years, phases, schools or institutions or life stages

Meet our Inclusion Team

Gemma Southerden	Inclusion Leader, SENCo, Designated LAC Teacher, Mental Health and Emotional Wellbeing Leader, Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead
Robin Tollyfield	Deputy Headteacher, Pupil Premium Lead, Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead
Florence Robertson	Assistant to the Inclusion Leader
Angela Raven	Child Welfare and Parent Liaison Advisor, ELSA (Emotional Literacy Support Assistant) and Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead
TBC	Nurture Class Provision Supervisor
Debbie Urry	Nurture Class TA
Gill Hills	Speech and Language TA
Emma Scudder	PA to the Senior Leadership Team
Sarah Bell	SEND/Inclusion Governor

Communication

If you have any concerns that your child may need some additional help to make progress (academically, socially, or emotionally), please contact us. In the first instance it is always best to talk to your child’s class teacher.  If you need to contact any member of the Inclusion Team you can do so via the main school office. We will aim to get back to you within 2 working days.

Please note that some members of staff are part time and this may affect how quickly they get back to you.

Referrals to other services - further assessments or support

We have a range of services we can refer to for additional support or assessment, but there are usually criteria that have to be met before we can refer on.

However, if you are concerned that you child may need specialist assessment for Autism or ADHD, these referrals can be made through the school or your GP. If this is a concern, please let your child’s class teacher know, and we will be able to work together to establish whether there is enough evidence for a referral.

We do not need for a child to have a diagnosis before we can support them. It is important to speak to us so that we can work together to assess what your child is struggling with, and what might support them to make progress.

 SEND Policy & Report

SEND Policy - November 2025

Local Offer flyer

SEN Information Report - November 2025