SEND
SEND: Children with special educational needs and disabilities
At Heathcoat Primary School, we are committed to providing high quality opportunities for all. We aim to enable all children to be fully included in all aspects of their education and to achieve their potential.
We believe in an inclusive environment where the child is at the heart of everything we do. We value the importance of our partnership with parents, and working collaboratively with them to deliver a range of support that meets the needs of all learners.
We recognise that the education of children, with or without special educational needs, is underpinned by high quality teaching and compromised by anything less.
What are Special Educational Needs?
A child is deemed to have Special Educational Needs or Disabilities, or SEND, if he or she has ‘significantly greater difficulty in learning than the majority of others of the same age’, or his or her disability ‘prevents or hinders him or her from making use of facilities of a kind generally provided for others of the same age in a mainstream school’ (DfE 2014, revised 2015). Special educational provision is needed for him or her, over and above that which can be met through high quality classroom teaching and differentiation.
The National Code of Practice identifies four broad areas of need:
- communication and interaction;
- cognition and learning;
- social, emotional and mental health difficulties;
- sensory and/or physical needs.
Some children may have needs in more than one area. We reflect on each child as an individual, clarifying their needs in partnership with parents and outside professionals. Then we adapt our provision to meet those needs, keeping it under regular review to ensure that we support pupil progress optimally.
Click here for the National Code of Practice The Code of Practice
How can I find out more about SEND at Heathcoat Primary School?
Our SEND Information Report (please click the link below) details the following information about children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities:
- the kinds of special educational needs for which we make provision
- information about the policy for identification and assessment of pupils
- how we evaluate the effectiveness of the provision made for pupils with SEN / Education, Health & Care Plan
- our arrangements for assessing and reviewing the progress of pupils
- our approach to teaching
- how we adapt the curriculum and learning environment
- additional support for learning that is available
- activities that are available, in addition to those available in accordance with the curriculum
- support that is available for improving emotional and social development
- the expertise and training of staff
- how specialist expertise will be secured
- how equipment and facilities will be secured
- the arrangements for consulting parents and involving them in the child’s education
- the arrangements for consulting young people and involving them in their own education
- how the governing body deals with complaints from parents concerning provision made at the school
- how the governing body involves other agencies in supporting pupils and their families
- our arrangements for supporting pupils in transferring between phases of education
Click here for SEND-Information-Report-SEP-2024 HPS
What should I do if I think my child has SEND?
Speak to your child’s class teacher in the first instance. The class teacher knows your child best and can discuss their progress, their strengths and their areas of difficulty or next steps with you. This forms part of our Graduated Response. If appropriate, this information will be passed onto our Special Education Needs and Disabilities Co-ordinator (SENDCo), Mrs Ruth Alphey.
Find out more from this helpful leaflet from DiAS DIAS new-to-send
Who is on our SEND team?
Our SENDCo is Mrs Ruth Alphey. She takes responsibility for the day to day operation of the SEN policy, coordinating and overseeing SEND provision across the school.
Our Assistant SENDCo is Mrs Valerie Dobson.
Our Pastoral Lead is Mrs Laura Lane.
Our SEMH Support Worker is Mrs Paula Hempstead.
We work closely with our Senior SENDCo and the SEND Team at Tiverton High School.
A large team of Teaching Assistants work with children across the school, providing support and a range of evidence-based interventions.
You can contact the SEND team by emailing the office in the usual way, or ringing 01884 252445 to leave a message for someone to get back to you.
Where can parents get support?
In Devon there is a free, confidential advice service for parents who would like further information or support about any aspect of SEND. It is run by the Local Authority and is completely independent of our school.
Devon IAS provides a service for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities, aged up to 25, and their parents or carers. They give support around SEND issues at every stage of a child’s education, including into further education and adulthood.
Their website is very helpful. Alternatively, give them a ring to find out more.
Click here to visit their website DiAS website tel: 01392 383080
DiAS have recently published a helpful guide for parents, explaining all SEND processes.
sen-support-in-schools-a-guide-for-parents-and-carers
Parent Workshops
Our SEND Team hold monthly parent workshops for parents on a variety of topics. Sometimes we have visiting speakers, who share their expertise with us. At other times, parents support each other with their tips and strategies for meeting their children’s needs; school staff contribute the school’s perspective. Parents find these sessions very helpful, and suggest ideas for future workshops. To find out more, please contact the SEND team.
Further sources of SEND information
School Documents
Click here for our SEND Policy SEND-Policy March 2023
Click here for our SEND Information Report SEND-Information-Report-SEP-2024 HPS
Click here for our Accessibility Plan HPS Accessibility Plan 2023-2026
Local Authority Support
Click here for Devon’s Local Offer Devon’s Local Offer
Click here for Devon’s Strategy for SEND Devon’s SEND Strategy
Click here to contact a School Nurse Public Health Nursing
Click here to access the Child and Family Health Devon website CFHD
National Guidance
Click here for the DfE Code of Practice The Code of Practice
Click here for the DfE Guidance for Parents and Carers DfE Guidance for Parents and Carers