SENDCo

Offering specialist support for educational needs

Mrs Laura Groves, our Special Educational Needs & Disabilities Coordinator (SENDCo), organises support for pupils with SEND.

A child or young person has SEND if they have a learning difficulty and/or disability which calls for special educational provision to be made for him/her.

What does this mean? 

• Learning Difficulty: when a child finds it harder to learn than most children do
• Disability (that we need to make special provision for): something that hinders a child from using our school facilities
• Special provision: support that is extra or different to what is typically provided

We assess a pupil using different assessments to identify SEND and strategies for support. Sometimes, it can take time to get the full picture. Parents/carers might provide additional information to help us make decisions, such as a speech and language report or a medical report. We can offer advice to parents regarding referral to external agencies or professionals. We also have access to child counselling services. Our SENDCo works closely with the Pastoral Lead to ensure children are supported with their social and emotional development.

A child might have SEND if they are:

• making less progress than their peers
• making less progress than they did previously
• not closing the gap between them and their peers, despite any extra support they have been given

Is it always SEND?

Slow progress does not always mean a child has SEND. When we are assessing whether a child has SEND, we also consider, for example:

• attendance
• issues in that child’s life (e.g. bereavement)
• issues in school (e.g. friendships)

Often, teachers address progress issues without needing SEND provision. A child does not have SEND just because English is not their first language (although they could have SEND as well). A child does not have SEND just because they were born in the summer term (and so have had less time in school than their September born classmates).

Provision

Where it is determined that a pupil does have SEND, parents/carers will be advised and the child will be added to the SEND register. We ensure that effective provision is put in place to remove barriers to learning. This often involves adjustments to teaching and learning. A Pupil Profile is created in consultation with the child and their parents. detailing their needs/strengths and suitable strategies to support them in school. For those who need further support, an Individual Support Plan will be created. This sets short-term targets for the pupil to work on each term. Sometimes, children might receive additional support in a small group or 1:1 to address areas of difficulty. These sessions are planned alongside the subject teachers to ensure continuity across the curriculum.

Details of SEN support at St Michael’s can be found here. A copy of our SEN Policy can be found here.