What do we mean by special educational needs?

Special Educational Needs and Disabilities describes the needs of children who have a difficulty or disability that makes it harder for them to learn than most children and young people of the same age.  

SEND can cover a broad range of needs that includes:

• Cognition and learning
• Communication and interaction
• Social and emotional
• Physical and sensory

Disability is a term used for a recognised condition experienced by the child.

The Code of Practice 2014 defines SEND as follows

“A child or young person has SEND if they have a learning difficulty or disability which calls for special education provision to be made for him or her. A child of compulsory school age or a young person has a learning difficulty or disability if he or she:

a) has a significantly greater difficulty in learning than the majority of others the same age, or

b) has a disability which prevents or hinders him or her from making use of facilities of a kind generally provided for others of the same age in mainstream schools or mainstream post-16 institutions.”

How/when might a child be identified with SEND?

A child has a special need if they have a learning difficulty or disability which calls for special educational provision to be made for them.  They may require extra support or different help than their peer group e.g., modified/adapted tasks, additional equipment, extra time or breaks in formal assessments.

At Brampton Primary Academy we aim to support children to overcome their barriers to learning. However, a few children will need extra help for some or all of their time in school.

This means that they may have difficulty with:

• Some or all of their learning in school
• Reading, writing or mathematics
• Understanding information
• Expressing themselves
• Understanding others
• Organising themselves
• Personal care
• Sensory perception or physical mobility
• Managing their behaviour
• Making friends or relating to other people including adults
• Understanding and meeting the expectations of the school

They may also have a sensory or physical health need which may affect them in school.

Who should I contact to discuss concerns or needs of my child?

Class Teacher

If you have any concerns about your child, you should speak to your child’s class teacher first.

Your child's class teacher is responsible for:

• Providing high quality teaching and learning which is adapted and personalised responding to the strengths and needs of all pupils
• Checking on the progress of your child and identifying, planning, and delivering any additional support required to support progress in the classroom
• Developing SEND Support Plans to prioritise and focus on the next steps required for your child to make progress in learning
• Discussing ways in which you can help your child at home
• Applying the school’s SEND policy

Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator (SENCO)/Inclusion Lead – Miss Hannabuss-Penn

 Our SENCO is responsible for:

• Managing the SEN register of those children with high need
• Co-ordinating provision for children with SEND along with class teachers

• Liaising with a range of agencies outside of school who can offer advice and support to help pupils overcome any difficulties
• Providing specialist advice to ensure that all staff are skilled and confident about meeting the needs of all pupils
• Continuing the National Award for Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator

What outside support does the school use for my child?

The school works with a number of external agencies to seek advice and support to ensure that the needs of all children are fully understood and met. These include:

• Speech and language therapist
• Educational Psychologist
• ASD Advisory Team
• Community Paediatrician
• School Nurse
• CAMHS
• Social Care

What is the Bexley SEND offer?

The Bexley SEND Local Offer provides information about Special Educational Needs and Disability services (SEND) for children and young people aged 0-25 in Bexley.

The Bexley SEND Local Offer:

• Offers information in a single place on education, health and social care
• Is accessible by website, telephone or email
• Helps children, young people and their families to understand what services and support they can expect from a range of local services and organisations
• Includes information about statutory entitlements

How will teaching be adapted to meet my child’s needs?

At Brampton Primary Academy, all pupils in school receive quality first teaching. This means that a range of teaching and learning styles are used and that appropriate learning objectives are set for all children with a curriculum matched to their needs.

Teachers are highly skilled at adapting teaching to meet the diverse range of needs in each class. Teachers plan thoroughly, in collaboration with their year group team, to ensure lessons can be accessed by all children, including those with individual needs and requirements. Adaptive teaching is approached in a range of ways to support access and ensure that all pupils can experience success and challenge in their learning.

Teachers refer to the Bexley SEND Toolkit, a document that outlines barriers children may face in school and strategies that teachers can use to support them in class.

Some children with SEND need something additional to or different from that which is provided for the majority of children. We provide support in collaboration with the inclusion team such as outlined in the Brampton Primary Academy School Offer document.

How do I find out how my child is doing?

Ongoing assessment takes place by class teachers. The progress and attainment of all pupils is reviewed every term by the Senior Leadership Team and class teachers, at which time provision may be adjusted to meet identified needs.

Following further assessments and after discussions with key staff and parents, additional support may be put into place to help overcome any difficulties.

This additional support is documented and tracked by the school through Early Identification of Need Plan and SEND Support Plans. Education, Health and Care Plans are in place for those with high or complex needs. Interventions are used to address key areas of learning. The teacher and SENCO make every effort to involve the child and the parent in the SEND Support Plan process. Where external agencies are involved, their advice and recommendations are included in this planning. Actions agreed take into account each pupil’s strengths as well as their difficulties.  Parents are kept informed of the support their child is receiving at the termly Consultation Parent Meetings as well as termly SEND Support Plan meetings where a copy of the support plan is shared by the class teacher. If your child continues to make little or no progress, an EHCP may be requested. 

Further details about this process are published in the Bexley Local Offer. 

Bexley Voice

Bexley Voice is a voluntary organisation of parents and carers of children and young people (aged 0-25) with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) living in the London Borough of Bexley.

They provide an opportunity for parents and carers to express their views and input into the planning and delivery of SEND services.