Children with Special Educational Needs

All our children are special but some may need extra support to overcome a difficulty in reading, spelling or maths or with a physical disability. Our Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator (SENCO) Mrs Howarth looks after the needs of all these children and is happy to answer your questions.

All our staff are well trained to recognise early difficulties and will discuss any concerns with you the parents and the SENCO, who will then advise, with the parents' consent the best course of action. We have good working relationships with Speech and Language therapists, Physiotherapists, the medical profession and Education Psychologists. Our SENCO has Approved Teacher Status with the British Dyslexia Association.

The school is equipped with ramps to allow wheelchair access to all areas and has toilet facilities for the less able.

We pride ourselves on early intervention in the hope that future difficulties can be avoided or minimised. We have several programmes designed to remedy children's difficulties before they need to be put on our register of children with Special Educational Needs. Once on this register they can access extra support from outside specialist agencies and/or attend extra lessons with our Special Needs Support Teacher (SNST). Any child attending sessions with the SNST have an Individual Education Plan (IEP) written specifically for them.

If your child continues to experience difficulties we can apply to the LEA for extra help or a Statement to ensure that your child's needs are met.

All our children with Special Needs are fully integrated into the school and their teachers are aware of their needs and adapt lessons for them. There is close liaison between teachers, SENCO, SNST, support workers and parents. At all stages, you the parents will be consulted on your desires for your child. At the same time we do expect parents to be fully involved with their children's special needs, by signing the IEPs and being involved in working on their targets at home.

We have had great success in supporting children through their difficulties in the primary years so that by the time they reach secondary school they no longer need the support of being on the Special Needs Register.

If your child has a Statement of Special Educational Needs and you are moving to us from another county, it is necessary for us to check with the LEA before offering you a place at our school.