Special Education Needs and Disabilities (SEND)
At St Cuthbert’s Academy C of E Infant School, we use a range of indicators to help identify children with special educational needs, including:
· The Special Educational Needs Code of Practice
· Ongoing in class assessment for learning through observation, questioning and marking work
· Pupils identified as working well below age related expectations
· Meetings with staff, the child (where appropriate), parent carers and other agency support
· The Somerset Graduated Response Tool
If as a parent/carer you are concerned about your child, please come in and talk to us. Your first point of contact is your child’s class teacher. Alternatively, you can arrange to meet with the Special Educational Needs Coordinator (SENCo) directly.
Lisa McLaurie is the school SENCo. If you wish to discuss your child’s needs, please contact the school office on: 01749 672591 or email: office@stcuthbertsacademywells.co.uk. The SEND Governor is Christine Raphael and can be contacted in the same way.
Please read the SEND information report below to find out what support is available for children with SEND, and answers to questions you may have.
Information on the services available for children and young people up to 25 with special educational needs and/or disabilities and how to access them
Somerset’s Graduate Response Tool
Somerset’s Graduated Response Tool sets out the barriers to learning that children and young people may have and the strategies and provision that could be in place to support them. Somerset’s Graduated Response Tool has been created to support all users to understand the Graduated Response to Special Educational Needs in the context of current legislation. The document makes it clear ‘what to expect’ in terms of what is provided and is written for parent carers, children and young people, school staff and those who provide services to families. The tool sets out the provision that is ordinarily available in Somerset schools at both the Universal and Special Educational Needs (SEN) Support levels.
Somerset SENDIAS or 01823 355578
Somerset SENDIAS provides information, advice and support about special educational needs and disability (SEND) for parent carers, children and young people (up to the age of 25). The service is free, confidential and impartial. They encourage partnership working with schools, colleges, early years providers, the Local Authority and other statutory and voluntary services, so that children, young people and parent/carers can be part of decision making.
Somerset Parent/Carer Forum 0r 01458 259384
The forum steering group consists of parents who have children and grandchildren with special educational needs and disabilities who attend an early-years setting, main stream school, special school, independent provision or home educate. Their steering group meets once each half term, so together they have a stronger voice that can work towards improving the lives of families, children and young people with disabilities. They can achieve this by putting forward your concerns and issues to relevant key policy makers and service providers.
Guidance on the special educational needs and disability (SEND) system for children and young people aged 0 to 25, from 1 September 2014.
Children and Young People’s Therapy
We work with children and young people aged up to 19 years old who have difficulties ranging from speech and language problems and difficulty with concentration and attention, to disabilities and health conditions that slow physical development. Our patients have long-term challenges and move in and out of our service at different points in their lives as their needs change. Our aim is to empower parents, relatives and carers to support their child’s health needs and become independent of our service.
Somerset Safeguarding Children Partnership
The strategic aims of partnership are to ensure that effective systems are in place to promote the well-being of children and young people and safeguard them from harm
Supporting Children with Medical Conditions
Statutory guidance about the support that pupil with medical conditions should receive at school.
Somerset Children & Young People Health and Wellbeing
This website has been designed to support parents and carers to find the information they need to help with their role of 'being a parent'. Parenting can be the most rewarding job in the world but at some point all parents need a bit of help.
Parent/Carer Workshops for 2023-2024
Somerset parent/carer forum have created a range of workshops based on topics parents have expressed would be helpful – workshops for Information, Support and Education (WISE).
Useful SEND Links:
http://sscb.safeguardingsomerset.org.uk/
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/supporting-pupils-at-school-with-medical-conditions--3
