Special Educational Needs and Disabilities - an Overview

The school Special Needs and Disabilities Coordinator (SENCO) is Laura Vallance, who can be contacted on 01209 820456, or via lvallance@st-day.cornwall.sch.uk. Alternatively, contact can be made via the school office. 
 
Our school prides itself on the inclusion of all pupils. We believe that each child is an individual with their own potential and we relentlessly seek to provide all our individuals with the very best of what they need to enjoy, engage and excel whilst in our care. We have a range of staff who are experienced, knowledgeable and trained in supporting and meeting the needs of children who present with Special Educational Needs and/or Disabilities (SEND). We truly believe our school is a brilliant place for all children to thrive. 
 
This page contains all the information you need should your child have an SEND or you're considering that they might. If you have any comments, questions, celebrations or concerns, or would like further help or advice about supporting your child, please talk to your child's class teacher or the SENCO. We will be very happy to help. 
 
Below as a download the school's SEND Information Report can be found. This is the school's offer of provision broken down into universal, targeted and specialist support. Universal provision is what is in place to meet all children's needs. Children who are identified as having an SEND may also access provision from within the 'targeted' and 'specialist' categories. 

The Code of Practice for Special Education Needs (SENCoP) gives the school the responsibility of identifying children with Special Educational Needs and ensuring ‘appropriate’ provision is made. The SENCoP underpins the school's Information Report. The school implements the graduated response to SEN through cycles of Assess, Plan, Do and Review (APDR). In summary, the cycle aims to accurately identify need and then match and implement appropriate provision to meet that need. Finally, this is then reviewed to ensure the provision is having the desired impact. The cycle of APDR will then begin again.  Below is a document explaining the 'Graduated Response' in further detail. 

School will endeavour to identify any child with a special educational need at the earliest possible age in order that the appropriate provision can be made. Those experiencing difficulties will, after consultation with parents, be placed on the SEND register of need. Children with special educational needs may include those with physical disabilities, hearing or visual impairment, emotional and behavioural differences or difficulties, speech and language or specific learning difficulties  such as dyslexia. Below is a document which explains the school's Identification of Need processes.

The role of the parents in identifying and helping their child with SEND is vital. We value open and honest communication and the active participation in seeking and securing the support a child might need.

For those children on the SEN record of need, a Provision Map will be in place. This can also be known as an 'Individual Education Plan (IEP)'. This document formalises the APDR process and will be produced at least termly. Support and provision in place will be dependent upon the SEND. The class teacher has responsibility for these, supported by the SENCO and where needed, external agencies such as the Speech and Language Service (SALT), the Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD) Team and the Educational Psychologist. 

For a very small number of children a formal assessment of SEND is made via the Local Authority, and an Education, Health Care Plan (EHCP) written which identifies the provision needed and recommends appropriate action. The procedure involves the SENCO, the Educational Psychologist, the teaching staff and other professional bodies who may be able to offer advice in the construction of the EHCP. Nationally, 4.4% of children with an SEN have an EHCP in place. 

The provision that is made for children with Educational Health Care Plans is varied and personalised. It may consist of short periods of specialist teaching, ancillary support, structured interventions or possibly a place in another setting offering specialist provision. EHCPs are reviewed annually, and parents and children are fully involved in this process.

Further, detailed information as to the school's SEND processes, provision and systems can be found below in the 'SEND Information Report'. There are links to other documents which are referenced in the Information Report.