Special Educational Needs & Disabilities (SEND)

Miss Christine Dunne is the SENDCo and she can be contacted via the School Office at 01767 260034

SEND Information Report

Our school is an inclusive school where every child matters; we aim to address children’s needs, support their development in the most appropriate way possible and celebrate effort as much as achievement. Our school’s SEND policy is available on the school website, detailing our philosophy in relation to SEND.

Admission arrangements for children with SEND are in line with Central Bedfordshire Council’s guidelines (see School’s Admissions Policy).

Funding received by the school is targeted to provide support for identified students, according to need.  Support may include 1:1 additional adult support where the most complex needs are present; however, in most cases, students are supported within groups, with the aim of encouraging pupil’s levels of independence and self-reliance.

Accessibility 

In line with the Equality Act 2010, the school has been adapted so that all children can access the curriculum effectively. Up-to-date advice from outside agencies is acted upon to ensure best practices for our children. The site management staff ensure that all children, especially those with a physical or medical disability can access all areas.

The thresholds to buildings and classrooms have all been sloped, ramps installed or modernised, plus doors, entrances and exits widened to improve movement and accessibility around the school. Classrooms best placed for pupils with hearing impairment and effective use of equipment have been identified. Disabled parking is also available on-site.

Medical Needs 

Arrangements are in place to support pupils with medical conditions at the school. Children with a medical condition or diagnosis are placed on the school’s medical register and, where needed, working together with Local Authorities, Health Professionals and other support services, an individual care plan is created, agreed upon by all involved and disseminated to all staff who work with the child.

Staff who work with children with specific medical needs are fully trained by outside agencies to ensure they have the skills to meet the needs of the child they support.

It is worth noting that a medical diagnosis or a disability does not necessarily imply SEND. Therefore, only children whose medical condition or disability is having an impact on their learning may meet the criteria set out in the ‘Graduated Approach’ for being placed on the SEND register.

Support with sight and hearing loss

Central Bedfordshire works in partnership with a specialist team at Bedford Borough Council, which supports Central Bedfordshire residents with visual and hearing impairments. For more information please visit https://www.centralbedfordshire.gov.uk/info/20/adults_with_a_disability/300/sight_and_hearing_loss

Curriculum

The learning objective is the same for all children but the teaching, delivery and resources are differentiated to meet the learning styles of the child. This can happen in a number of ways:

• ​​​​Pre-teaching of vocabulary before the lesson
• Visual aids for children with SEND
• Teaching tailored to the learning needs of the children
• Selected seating to maximise learning
• Task planners used to break instruction and work into manageable chunks
• Use of a tablet or laptop as an alternative to writing
• Differentiated tasks and questioning
• Overlearning to ensure understating is embedded
• Use of SEND resources to support learning needs
• Small group work or 1:1 work
• Support from a Teaching Assistant in the classroom

Teachers and Teaching Assistants are responsible for ensuring that all children can access the learning yet promote independence.

The Central Bedfordshire Local Offer can be found here: https://Localoffer.centralbedfordshire.gov.uk

We are committed to working towards the British Dyslexia Association Dyslexia Friendly Quality Mark.