Special Education Needs and Disabilities (SEND)
What are Special Educational Needs?
Some children have barriers to learning that mean they have special needs and require particular action by the school. They may be for a short period or throughout a child’s educational life. They may be identified before a child has even entered school or they may come to be recognised at a specific point in their education.
They may have difficulties with:
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Reading, writing, number work or understanding information
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All of the work in school
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Expressing themselves or understanding what others are saying
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Speech and/or language
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Making friends or relating to adults
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Behaving appropriately in school
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Organising themselves
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Sensory or physical needs
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Emotional needs
How do we support your child?
The Cornerstone Trust is proud of the work it does with all its pupils and it has significant strengths working with children with special needs. We build self-esteem with positive learning experiences and successfully involve children with whole school life. Broadclyst endeavours to make every effort to achieve maximum inclusion of all pupils (including those with SEND) whilst meeting pupils’ individual needs. Teachers provide learning opportunities for all the pupils within the school environment and provide materials appropriate to pupils’ interests and abilities. This ensures that all pupils have full access to learning opportunities within a broad and balanced curriculum. We apply the Assess, Plan, Do, Review approach and use Devon’s Graduated Response Tool to guide our high quality Universal, Targeted and Specialist provision.
When providing more targeted and specialist support, we use the appropriate internal specialists, including the School Nurse (social and emotional, health and wellbeing), Speech& Language Therapist and Educational Psychologist and where necessary, make referrals to external services.
The Trust’s policy for Special Educational Needs and Disabilities
SEND Team
The Trust’s SEND provision is led by Teresa Cavallo (Head of Strategy and Children’s Services). She oversees Special Educational Needs provision across all schools in the Trust and works as one of the Special Educational Needs Co-ordinators (BCPS, WCPS, MCPS & YVPS). The Trust also employs four additional SENCOs; Joe Foster (WCPS), Emily Daniels (BCPS) and Jim Green (YVPS). The School Nurses (Tracey Wills & Lucy Atherden) complete the Trust’s SEND team.
Teresa Cavallo
Gemma Westle
Emily Daniels
Jim Green
Joe Foster
Lucy Atherden
Tracey Wills
Vicki Luxton
All are happy to speak to parents and carers about general issues related to special needs as well as specific questions relating to your child.
The SENDCOs will work with you, your child and the staff to deliver a graduated response to Assess, Plan, Do and Review any support to:
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Develop effective ways of overcoming barriers to learning
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Monitor the quality of teaching and pupils’ achievements
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Set targets for improvement
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Ensure that the learning for all children is given equal priority
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Ensure available resources are used to maximum effect
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Ensure every child feels valued & supported
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Inspire confidence and raise self-esteem
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Acknowledge specific difficulties
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Adapt the curriculum and/or delivery
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Enrich the curriculum
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Ensure access to IT
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Provide additional adult support
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Employ specialists in speech and language and educational psychology
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Provide access to occupational therapy, school nurse
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Provide a nurturing yet ambitious environment
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Plan support, implement, track progress and review effectiveness
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Implement local and national processes to support, ie SEND Support Plan, EHC Plan (TAF Right for Children process)
The school uses local and national processes, including the use of Right for Child (Team around the Family process), Education Health and Care Plans, and making any appropriate further referrals in line with Devon County Council’s advice and support services.