SEND
SEND: AN OVER-VIEW FOR PARENTS AND CARERS
What are the aims of the school?
At Sir James Smith’s School our aim is to promote an inclusive education that supports the well-being of all students and helps them to make excellent progress.
What are Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND)?
A child has special educational needs if they have a learning difficulty which calls for special educational provision to be made for them, or a disability which stops them from accessing the school facilities that are provided for other young people of their age. You can think of these children as needing something ‘additional to or different from’ their peer group.
Special Educational Needs are identified within 4 broad categories:
- Cognition and Learning;
- Communication and Interaction;
- Social and Emotional Mental Health;
- Physical and Sensory.
How are SEN needs identified?
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Additional needs are identified using the Graduated Response. Teachers have been trained in using this tool to assess students for the 4 areas of special educational need. They raise concerns with the SEND Department who can then organise additional provisions and review the impact that is being made.
What are the 3 levels of provision?
At all levels of provision, we want to work with you and your child to identify aspirations, understand needs and plan suitable support. This will enable your child to flourish whilst at the school.
Universal Provision
This provision starts in the classroom with quality-first teaching for all. Some simple, reasonable adjustments might be made to meet your child’s identified needs. These may include printing work on coloured paper; visual timetables; changes to the seating plan in the room or breaking the lesson down into a three-point plan.
Targeted Provision
This is specific support for your child beyond universal provision. This includes small group and individually targeted interventions. These may comprise literacy and numeracy interventions; social skills groups; Outdoor learning; emotional scaling and regulation programmes or mentoring from the pastoral and SEN team.
Specialist Provision
This is support for your child if they have significant and persistent needs, despite appropriate interventions and targeted support. This is highly personalised for the few children who need it.
When can parents and carers meet the SEND Department?
Parents and carers have three formal opportunities a year to meet with members of the SEN Department these are at Progress Evenings and the dedicated SEND Surgeries. Interim and Annual Reviews are also held annually. In addition to this, parents and carers are welcome to contact the school by telephone or email outside of these times and we will always be happy to meet with you.
Who to contact?
If you would like to have a discussion with members of the SEND Department, please contact the main reception and ask for:
- Cameo Woudberg: SENDCo.
- Donna Williams: Deputy SENDCo.
- Abi Blanchard: Communication and Interaction Lead/Outdoor learning specialist
- Sarah Morey: SEND Administrator
External Support
Here are two useful links to find out about SEND within Cornwall and the support available to you:
- Cornwall County Council SEN Support services Special Educational Needs and Disabilities - Cornwall Council
- Neurodiversity Hub Cornwall's Neurodiversity Hub
Please click here to access the SEN Code of Practice.
Please see below for the SEND Classroom strategies.