SPECIAL EDUCATIONAL NEEDS AND DISABILITY (SEND)

INCLUSION AND EQUALITY

 

 

At Joy Lane Primary School, all pupils regardless of their individual needs are provided with inclusive teaching, enabling them to make the best possible progress and feel that they are a valued member of the wider school community. We expect that all our pupils with SEND will meet or exceed the high expectations we set for them based on their age and starting points. We use our best endeavours to give all our pupils the support they need, whilst having access to a broad and balanced curriculum. Working in partnership with families, it is our aim that pupils will become confident individuals who are enabled to reach their full potential through adaptive teaching and learning approaches.

We are incredibly proud of our diverse culture and embrace the individuality of all members of our school community; young and old.

 

ADDITIONAL EDUCATIONAL NEEDS

Having been awarded the Inclusion Quality Mark and Centre of Excellence award, we pride ourselves on ensuring all pupils are able to meet their full potential. Each and every child has an individual range of abilities and strengths which mean they progress at an individual rate. Some children may require additional support to enable them to make more progress or allow them to consolidate their existing skills and knowledge. This support can range from individual support, small group work within or outside the classroom, the following of a specific programme or receiving specialist support from external agencies. These groups are designed to support any child with an additional need such as Special Educational Needs, English as an Additional Language, Medical Needs or a physical disability. On identification of these needs, targets are set between home and school and shared with the child. Following on from this, interventions are put in place and progress is monitored and reviewed regularly. The school is committed to meeting the needs of every child and we maintain high expectations of what all our children can achieve.

 

KENT MAINSTREAM CORE STANDARDS

In 2021, the Local Authority published a document called the ‘Mainstream Core Standards’ providing guidance around provision that should be made available to all children in schools, using their best endeavours. This document is a collaborative piece of work between education settings, specialist teachers, education psychologists, colleagues from health and parents, to ensure the recommendations are appropriate and supportive of all individuals.

 

                                                                          

 

The main aims of the document are to ensure that children with a Special Educational Need or Disability (SEND) are given the appropriate tools and strategies to ensure they are able to access education and be fully involved in the school community; however, we have found it to be a useful tool in developing a much more inclusive approach beyond SEND.

Broken down into two main sections; Expectations of all Schools and Additional Support, the Mainstream Core Standards provides a framework for schools to follow to support their inclusive practice.

Section one references recommendations for all schools under the following headings:

• Working with children and young people, their families and carers
• Pastoral
• Assessment
• Teaching and Learning
• The physical and sensory environment
• Resources
• Staff skills and training
• Transition and transfer

 

Section two is broken down into four areas of need:

• Communication and Interaction (including Speech, Language and Communication Needs and Autism)
• Cognition and Learning
• Social, Emotional and Mental Health
• Sensory and/or Physical Disability (including visual and auditory impairment)

 

Under each area of need, the document describes behaviours that may be seen and makes suggestions around how a child can be supported. Let’s take a look:

 

                                                          

As a school we have spent a lot of time trying to embed some of the recommendations within the Mainstream Core Standards into our day-to-day teaching and running of the school. With such a skilled and passionate team of staff, we are fortunate to have seen the benefits of these standards in, not only individuals, or even groups but at a whole class level as they continue to create a welcoming and inclusive environment.  

You can find both the Mainstream Core Standards document and a Parent guide to the standards by following the link below:

The Mainstream Core Standards - KELSI

 

Please Click Here to see our policies.
Please Click Here to see SEND Resources.

Useful websites
Kent County Council SEND strategy
Kent County Council Special educational needs and disability (SEND local offer)