Latest news:

SEND

SEND – Special Educational Needs and Disability

Our aim is that all pupils at Brabourne Church of England Primary School should be able to achieve their goals with the right support and guidance.

This can be accomplished through many different methods:

  1. The delivery of Quality First Teaching in the classroom to all pupils.
  2. Targets are set which are challenging but achievable.
  3. Staff reflecting on their practice, supporting children’s needs at the time.
  4. The identification of concerns which is followed by communication with families, carers, staff, outside agencies and pupils.
  5. Support through well-developed interventions to enable a child to make expected or accelerated progress.

What are Special Educational Needs?

Many children will experience an SEND of some form during their education. Our school can help those children overcome their barriers quickly and efficiently. However, sometimes children may need some extra help.

A SEND need could mean that a child has:

  • Learning difficulties – especially in English and Maths.
  • Emotional, mental and behavioural problems – making friends or relating to others, behaving appropriately in school or expressing their emotions.
  • Specific learning difficulties – with reading, writing, number work, visual or auditory memory or understanding information.
  • Sensory or physical needs – such as co-ordination, hearing or visual impairment which might affect them.
  • Communication problems – in expressing themselves or understanding what others are saying, meaning or implying.
  • Medical or health conditions – which may slow down a child’s progress or involves treatment which effects their education or well-being.

The school welcomes parents in contacting teachers to discuss any concerns they may have over their child’s progress. Often, through these types of conversations, areas of concerns are identified. However it is worth noting that children will always make progress at different speeds, and in different ways. Teachers take this into account when they teach their lessons or organise their classroom. Children who might be experiencing slower than usual progress, or are having difficulties, may be given help through this planning to ensure they succeed. Please never assume, that just because your child is making slower than expected progress, or if teachers are providing a different type of activity or support, that your child has an SEND need. It might just be they are experiencing a barrier and the teacher is using their experience and expertise to help your child meet that target.

It is the school’s aim to always ensure that any child identified as struggling should be supported. It is only when that support is not having the success the school and family would expect, then further conversations should be held about the next step.

The progress of SEND pupils is examined regularly within the school and their next steps are always at the forefront of everyone’s minds. Please read the school’s SEND policy and other documentation to familiarise yourself with our procedures.

The school’s SENCO (Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator) is Mrs Rebecca Simmonds, who can be contacted via the school office:

Email: office@brabourne.kent.sch.uk

Telephone: 01303 813276

Information for parents/carers

As of September 2014, a new Code of Practice for Children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities was introduced by the Government, with statutory guidance for schools, following changes made in the “Children and Families Act 2014”.

Part of the changes made include a requirement that all the local authorities produce a “Local Offer” outlining what the authority offer to support children with SEND. This is the KCC SEND Information Hub (previously known as the ‘Local Offer’).

The intention of the SEND Information Hub is to improve choice, understanding and transparency for families about what support services are available in their local area across education, health and social care for their children. It also signposts how to access these services if they are required.

You can find the KCC SEND Information Hub by clicking on the following link:

Our school works to support speech, language and communication with support from our NHS link speech & language therapist Christina Eakins as well as specialist teachers. Your child may come into contact with Christina within their classroom or around school. The SENCo Rebecca Simmonds will have regular meetings with Christina to discuss our school’s provision.

If you have any concerns about your child’s speech, language or communication skills, please speak to your child’s class teacher in the first instance.

If we have discussed a specific concern with you about your child’s speech, language or communication, or you have raised a concern, we will decide together whether to discuss this with our link therapist. You will be kept informed of any plans to support your child.

Mrs Simmonds

Top