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SEND

Special Educational Needs

What is Special Educational Needs?
A pupil has SEN if they have a learning difficulty or disability which calls for special educational provision to be made for them.  They have a learning difficulty or disability if they have a significantly greater difficulty in learning than the majority of others the same age, or a disability which prevents or hinders them from making use of facilities of a kind generally provided for others of the same age in mainstream schools.

Special educational provision is educational or training provision that is additional to, or different from, that made generally for other children of the same age. 

There is a shared expectation that all pupils, regardless of their specific needs, should be offered inclusive teaching which will enable them to make the best possible progress in school and feel that they are valued members of the wider school community.

The Code of Practice encompasses the following four broad areas:

  • Communication and Interaction
  • Cognition and Learning
  • Social, emotional and mental health difficulties
  • Sensory and/or physical needs

The range of support developed will be tailored to individual needs, following a thorough assessment by school staff or external agencies. It is designed to promote pupils working towards becoming independent and resilient learners and should not be seen in isolation.

The Bournes Green Offer provides details of the resources, interventions etc. that we provide to support children with special educational needs or disabilities. If you would like further information about what we offer, please contact Mrs Goy (Inclusion Lead) or Mrs Groves (SENCO). Currently, Mrs Goy is fulfilling the SENCO role.

Some children/young people need increased support to access learning because:

  • They have significantly greater difficulty in learning than the majority of children of the same age
  • They have a disability as defined under the Equality Act, which affects their ability to access and benefit from the educational opportunities generally enjoyed by children of the same age

We will try to ensure that all barriers to equal access in our schools are removed or overcome. We monitor and track the progress of all children so that the support provided is as effective as possible. We welcome the full engagement of parents and carers and where necessary seek support and advice from specialists outside the school to ensure we develop and maintain a range of flexible resources to meet the needs of all children.

Admissions
Pupils with Special Educational Needs are allocated places in two separate and distinct ways. Those pupils with Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs) have a separate admission procedure overseen by the SEN team at Southend-on-Sea Borough Council.

Those pupils who have SEND but do not have a statement or EHCP are admitted via the normal school admission criteria.

Additionally, schools have to provide details of the school-specific offer this should reflect Southend Borough Council’s Local Offer which can be found at www.livewellsouthend.com