Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (S.E.N.D)
Children may experience difficulties at some time in their school life for which they need special help. Often these difficulties will be quite short-lived, and a short period of specialist support will lead to the difficulty being overcome. Other children may have longer-term or more serious difficulties, requiring support for a longer period.
The 2002 Special Educational Needs Code of Practice establishes clear guidance for school in supporting children with special educational needs and our policies have been established in accordance with this.
The School has a Special Needs Support Team, who co-ordinate support for children with special needs. Children can be supported in a variety of ways, both in class, or individually and in small groups in a special area established for this purpose.
Where a child needs additional support, parents will be kept well informed and involved throughout.
When a teacher is concerned about a child's progress or achievement, she/he will liaise with the child's parents and the special needs teacher, who will be able to offer advice and guidance on programmes to support the child in class. If necessary, an assessment of the child will be carried out in order to establish the exact nature of the difficulty and the most appropriate kind of support. Parents will be fully involved and informed. If necessary, we can also involve specialist external agencies in both the assessment and support of children with special educational needs.
There have been no significant changes to the SEN policy during this school year.
Rainbow Centre
The Rainbow Centre (previously the caretaker’s bungalow) has been developed to provide nurturing opportunities for those children who may be experience some emotional, social or learning difficulties.
The Rainbow Centre also provides a number of quiet rooms for additional group support work.
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Cook School: within the Rainbow Centre there is a new (2009) Cook School provision. All children in school will experience food technology lessons.
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Gardening Club: the gardening area at the back of the Rainbow Centre is being developed to link with the Cook School in a 'Grow it, Cook it' project.
Inclusion – Accessibility
The school reviews plans for increasing access to the school by pupils with disabilities. The 2009/10 action plan includes:
- To improve outside lighting and signage.
- To examine how to improve disabled parking and access tot he front of school.
- To improve wheelchair access in the Reception area.
The school has carried out an Accessibility Audit and is confident about meeting the needs of all pupils here.
Arrangements for pupils with disabilities
Children with disabilities are welcomed into the school and every effort is made to accommodate them. Arrangements for the admission of disabled pupils are carried out in consultation with parents, school and the relevant agencies. Reference will be made to any specialist provision required for them.
Children within the school who have disabilities are not excluded from any activity. Teachers' planning reflects any special arrangement e.g. seating, resourcing, which needs to be made to ensure full curriculum access is available. The school has access for disabled pupils. Facilities to assist access to the school by pupils with disabilities include: toilet facilities, a shower and a lift to access the second floor. Although some corridors are narrow these are accessible with care. Pupils with sensory impairment, learning difficulties or most medical conditions are catered for, although the school does not have any special resource or facilities in this respect.