SEND at a glance

SEND at St Mary's the Mount Catholic Primary School

CARRY ON READING, AND BELOW YOU WILL FIND LINKS TO ST. MARY'S SEN POLICY AND SEN INFORMATION REPORT. YOU WILL FIND OUT WHO THE SCHOOL SENCOS ARE IF YOU NEED TO GET IN TOUCH.

There is a lot of statutory information about SEND on our school website under 'Key Information'. We thought we would briefly explain on this page what SEND looks like in our school.  If you want more information, have a look under Key information.

As a result of the Children and Families Act (2014), from September 2014 there are changes to the way in which children with Special Educational Needs (SEN) are supported in schools. The Code of Practice (2014) now covers the 0-25 age range and includes guidance relating to disabled children and young people, as well as those with SEN.

The key principles of the 2014 SEND Code of Practice are:

• The participation of children, their parents and young people in decision making.

• The early identification of children and young people’s needs and early intervention to support them.

• Greater choice and control for young people and parents over support.

• Collaboration between education, health and social care services to provide support.

• High quality provision to meet the needs of children with SEN.

Some questions answered...

How do we know your child has an additional need?

We are a mainstream primary school and the majority of children are able to reach the learning goals for their age. Pupils are identified as having SEN when they do not make the expected progress and interventions and resources used in daily classroom practice have proven ineffective. In this instance, pupils will require support, additional to or different from their peers, to enable them to achieve their full potential.

Class teachers closely monitor the progress of all children in their class. Regular discussions take place around pupil progress and group interventions are put in place and monitored. If a teacher has concerns about a particular pupil they will chat to the SENCo (Special Educational Needs Coordinator) who will help the class teacher to plan activities, such as small group work or individual programmes to help the child. If these activities don’t help the child to make good progress, the SENCo, class teacher and parents will meet to discuss what further support can be given to pupils to enable them to make better progress. This may include asking for advice or an assessment from an external specialist service.

Where can I find the SEN policy? 

You can find our SEN policy on our policies page here.

How do you support my child? 

All year groups have at least one Teaching Assistant (TA) or sometimes we might call them Learning support Assistants (LSAs) attached to them. TAs will often work 1:1 with a child on a specific target, or with a small group. They will also work under the direction of the Class Teacher in particular lessons. Where a specialist technique is required, extra training is given or an intervention is modelled.

Some children may use our Rocket room. This room allows children to access a specialised, personalised curriculum to meet individuals needs and targets. Children will use this room with TA support.

There is also support for some children from outside agencies. St Mary's has access to the Educational Psychology service, Speech and language service, Advisory teacher service - we purchase support from CADMUS, Occupational health, school nurse, CAMHS, Social services, Educational Welfare, Hearing impairment team and the Visual impairment team.

Who should I contact if I have concerns about my child?

If you have concerns about your child's progress, contact your child's class teacher. 

You may also contact our School SENCO or Assistant SENCO.

Where can I find the school SEN offer?

You can find our school SEN offer here.

Useful information

Click on the pictures below for more information.