Special Educational Needs

Special Educational Needs and Disability Information

 

At High Oakham Primary School, we are relentless in our drive to ensure all children have their needs met. As a result of this drive, we have formed an inclusion team which is made up of the following staff members. 

 

 

Mrs Pollard is the SENDCo (Special Education Needs and Disabilities Co-ordinator) at High Oakham Primary School and is supported by the inclusion team.

 

Appointments can be made to see Mrs Pollard by phoning or emailing the school office on 01623 461313/ office.school@highokham.notts.sch.uk or by contacting her through Dojo if you are a parent in school. As SENDCo and along with the inclusion team, Mrs Pollard coordinates the support SEND children receive and works closely with parents and external agencies.  

 

What are Special Educational Needs or Disabilities?

The term 'Special Educational Needs' (SEN) has a legal definition, referring to children who have learning difficulties or disabilities that make it harder for them to learn or access education than most children of the same age. At High Oakham, we appreciate that some children may have different or additional needs to others and may need extra support to access the curriculum. All teachers in school differentiate their work to ensure that it meets all children’s needs whilst ensuring that they have access to challenges and content that their peers have. 

Children who have Special Educational Needs, may need extra help in a range of areas, including

• reading, writing, number work or understanding information
• expressing themselves or understanding what others are saying
• social skills including making friends or relating to adults
• making the right choices
• organising themselves
• sensory or physical needs which may affect them in school

 

How will you know if your child has Special Educational Needs?

• You will be informed by your child's class teacher if we feel your child needs to receive some extra, or different support. You will then be invited to meet with Miss Akrigg and your child's class teacher to discuss a way forward for your child. The level of extra help is known as SEN Support. This could include:
• different teaching strategies
• extra support from an adult
• using particular equipment
• If we feel that your child has a SEN that requires external support we will always seek your consent before we make a referral to gain specialist advice or support to help us meet your child's needs. This could include a specialist teacher, Educational Psychologist or a speech and language therapist. You will always be informed by your child's Class Teacher and/or Miss Akrigg of the outcomes and recommendations of any referrals made.

 

How do we meet the needs of SEND children?

If we feel that your child has SEND we will devise an Individual Provision Map which will outline what we feel they need in place to help them progress through the education system. This may be provision within school and/or through external agencies. The Provision Map will give specific targets and outline how children are being supported. It will also include information on specific areas you can work on at home with your child. Your class teacher will invite you in every half term to discuss and sign your child's Individual Provision Map.

If your child's needs continue to hinder their learning and development and we feel we need additional support in school order to deliver the required provision it may be necessary to apply for an Educational Health Care Plan (previously known as statements).

 

It is important to note that SEN children may require support on a short term basis or for many years. The needs of each individual child will be different.

 

At High Oakham Primary School we firmly believe that all children make progress in different ways and at different speeds. Teachers take this into account and work hard to consider children's strengths, different learning styles and abilities. This means that children may have different levels of support. If your child is making slower progress it does not automatically mean that they have SEN.

Accessibility Planning 

 

The overriding principle of equality legislation is generally one of equal treatment - i.e. that you must treat a black person no less well than a white person, or a man as favourably as a woman. However, the provisions relating to disability discrimination are different in that you may, and often must, treat a disabled person more favourably than a person who is not disabled and may have to make changes to your practices to ensure, as far as is reasonably possible, that a disabled person can benefit from what you offer to the same extent that a person without that disability can. So in a school setting the general principle is that you have to treat male and female, black and white, gay and straight pupils equally - but you may be required to treat disabled pupils differently. Discrimination is also defined rather differently in relation to disability 

 

Schools and LAs need to carry out accessibility planning for disabled pupils. These are the same duties as previously existed under the DDA and have been replicated in the Equality Act 2010.

 

The Act defines disability as when a person has a ‘physical or mental impairment which has a substantial and long term adverse effect on that person’s ability to carry out normal day to day activities.’ Some specified medical conditions, HIV, multiple sclerosis and cancer are all considered as disabilities, regardless of their effect. 

 

The Act sets out details of matters that may be relevant when determining whether a person meets the definition of disability. Long term is defined as lasting, or likely to last, for at least 12 months.

 

At High Oakham Primary School, we implement accessibility plans which are regularly reviewed and are aimed at:

 

• increasing the extent to which disabled pupils can participate in the curriculum;
• improving the physical environment of schools to enable disabled pupils to take better advantage of education, benefits, facilities and services provided; and
• improving the availability of accessible information to disabled pupils. 

 

Our Accessibility Plan can be found in the Documents section below and this needs to be read in conjunction with our Equality Policy and Plan which you can find out more about on our website here. 

 

Information here has been sourced from the following document which can be found here - The Equality Act 2010 and schools Departmental advice for school leaders, school staff, governing bodies and local authorities May 2014

Documents, websites and further reading