Key Information
At Hawridge and Cholesbury CE School our overarching aim is to create an atmosphere of encouragement, acceptance and respect for achievements in which all children can thrive and feel valued.
We recognise some children may need something additional to, and different from, the high quality teaching provided for the majority of children; this is special educational provision. We aim to ensure we identify early the children that require this provision so we can support them to reach their fullest potential as well as to enable them to partake in and contribute fully to school life. The nature of the differentiation, programmes and strategies developed to support children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) will vary in accordance with individual need and will be developed as a result of assessment and the graduated approach.
We believe all teachers are teachers of SEND and every teacher is responsible and accountable for the progress and development of all children in their class, even where children access support from learning support assistants or outside agencies.
In order to achieve our aims, we will:
- work within the guidance provided in the SEND Code of Practice, 2015.
- provide a Special Educational Needs and Disability Co-ordinator (SENDCo) who will be responsible for ensuring the SEND Policy is implemented.
- deliver a clear process for identifying, assessing, planning, providing and reviewing provision for children with SEND.
- include the voice of the child (at an appropriate level) in providing for their individual needs.
- support all staff working with children with SEND.
- maintain effective partnerships with external support agencies, where appropriate, and parents to support the needs of individual children.
Definition of SEN
Definitions of special educational needs (SEN) taken from SEND Code of Practice (2015):
A child or young person has SEN if they have a learning difficulty or disability which calls for special educational provision to be made for them. A child of compulsory school age or a young person has a learning difficulty or disability if they:
a) have a significant greater difficulty in learning than the majority of others of the same age; or
b) have a disability which prevents or hinders them from making use of educational facilities of a kind generally provided for others of the same age in mainstream schools or mainstream post-16 institutions.
The SEND Code of Practice (2015) outlines four broad areas of need, namely:
- Communication and Interaction - this includes children with speech and language delay, impairments or disorders, specific learning difficulties such as dyslexia, dyscalculia, dysgraphia and dyspraxia, hearing impairment, and those who demonstrate features within the autistic spectrum.
- Cognition and Learning - this includes children who demonstrate features of moderate, severe or profound learning difficulties or specific learning difficulties or specific learning difficulties such as dyslexia, dyscalculia, dysgraphia or dyspraxia.
- Social, Mental and Emotional Health - this includes children who may be withdrawn or isolated, disruptive or disturbing, hyperactive or lack concentration.
- Sensory and/or Physical Needs - this includes children with sensory, multisensory and physical difficulties.
Definition of disability
Definition of a disability taken from SEND Code of Practice (2015):
Many children and young people who have SEN may have a disability under the Equality Act 2010 – that is ‘…a physical or mental impairment which has a long-term and substantial adverse effect on their ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities’. This definition provides a relatively low threshold and includes more children than many realise: ‘long-term’ is defined as ‘a year or more’ and ‘substantial’ is defined as ‘more than minor or trivial’. This definition includes sensory impairments such as those affecting sight or hearing, and long-term health conditions such as asthma, diabetes, epilepsy, and cancer. Children and young people with such conditions do not necessarily have SEN, but there is a significant overlap between disabled children and young people and those with SEN. Where a disabled child or young person requires special educational provision they will also be covered by the SEN definition.
As a school we observe two key duties:
- we must not directly or indirectly discriminate against, harass or victimise disabled children and young people
- we must make reasonable adjustments, including the provision of auxiliary aids and services, to ensure that disabled children and young people are not at a substantial disadvantage compared with their peers.
This duty is anticipatory – it requires thought to be given in advance to what disabled children and young people might require and what adjustments might need to be made to prevent that disadvantage.
Please refer to the Equalities Policy and Objectives and Accessibility Plan.
To contact the SENDCo team please phone Mrs Davey or Mrs Woodward on 01494 758368 or email the school office on office@hcschool.uk and your message will be passed on.
For details on admissions for children with special educational needs and disabilities, please see the SEND Policy below.
SEN Information Report
Please find below the link to our current SEN Information Report. The document has been designed as an interactive PowerPoint enabling you to quickly pin point the information of interest.
To use this PowerPoint please open the document as usual and then enter ‘slideshow’ mode. Once on the second slide (home page) you can then click on any of the square buttons to take you to the relevant section of the report. At any point, click on the school logo on the bottom left hand side of the screen to take you back to the home page.
If you are having difficulties with the interactivity then please just open the PowerPoint and click through the slides manually.
Buckinghamshire Local Offer for SEND
Please click below to watch a video from Buckinghamshire County Council explaining what you will find on Buckinghamshire’s Local Offer for SEND webpage
SEND support at Hawridge and Cholesbury CE School
Information about Annual Reviews for children with an EHCP (Education Health and Care Plan)
Equalities, diversity and inclusion
Click here to go to our Equalities, diversity and inclusion policy
Other useful documents