Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND)
At Ditton C of E Junior School we pride ourselves on being an inclusive environment; welcoming children with a range of needs and disabilities. We strive to ensure our classrooms cater for all need types through outstanding teaching and informed methods that enable all children to succeed academically, socially, emotionally and spiritually.
In order to ensure our everyday classroom practice is as inclusive as possible we welcome suggestions and recommendations from outside agencies, with whom we work closely. We are also readily available to parents to discuss any concern that they may have at any stage of their education with us. We run a range of interventions and support groups which are closely monitored to ensure that they are making an impact on a child’s learning and improving their level of progress.
At Ditton C of E Junior School we believe everyone plays a part in a child’s development and work tirelessly alongside parents, children and other agencies to make sure we do everything we can to remove barriers to learning and enable every child to reach their full potential.
For further information please see our Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Policy here.
Supporting children with SEND
Are you concerned about your child’s development? Please read the following information which will help you access the help we can offer at Ditton C of E Junior School.
A Special Educational Need is identified if a child:
- Has a significantly greater difficulty in learning than the majority of others the same age; or
- Has a disability which prevents or hinders him or her from making use of facilities of a kind generally provided for others of the same age in mainstream schools.
A child would be placed on the SEN register following consultation between parents, class teacher and the Senco.
At Ditton C of E Junior School we work closely with Ditton Infant School to ensure a smooth transition into our school completed via a successful transition programme. Mrs Campbell is available for meetings with parents prior to your child joining the school to aid a smooth and well planned transition.
We have a highly skilled staff team at Ditton Junior School and all members of the team have knowledge and experience of supporting children with Autism, Dyslexia, Speech and Language Difficulties, Dyspraxia, Sensory Needs as well as a range of find and gross motor needs.
Kent County Council have produced a list of core standards that must be met in mainstream school, which outline the level of general classroom support for children with SEND. These can be found here: Mainstream Core Standards | KELSI
Kent County Council also set out the provision available across the country for children with SEND, entitled the local offer http://www.kent.gov.uk/education-and-children/special-educational-needs
Teachers will aim to adapt their teaching methods and differentiate classroom work in order that all children can make progress regardless of need. If this is not sufficient we would liaise with parents and pupils to write a Personalised or Provision Plan. which outlines the support available for each individual child and be a joint target setting process to ensure the support programme is working.
We currently offer the following interventions in school:
- Maths: Precision Teaching Methods, Maths Booster groups.
- English: Booster Groups, Phonics.
- Speech and Language: Speechlink, Language link, pre-teaching, social communication groups.
- Fine and Gross Motor: Early morning workout, Clever Fingers, Sensory Circuit.
- Other: Moving sit cushions.
If we continue to see a lack of progress despite a high level of support we can refer to outside agencies for more specialist support. These include speech therapists, occupational therapists, physiotherapists, specialist teachers, educational psychologists and paediatricians. Recommendations from outside agencies are then put in place by the school to help ensure children reach their full potential.
If your child is on the pathway for a diagnosis, or has a diagnosis already, please contact the school.
For children with severe and complex needs, who would otherwise be in a special school, we would sometimes apply for an Education and Health Care Plan (EHCP). For more information about this visit http://www.kelsi.org.uk/special-education-needs/special-educational-needs/how-to-apply-for-assessment
If you think your child may be eligible for statutory assessment for an EHCP please look carefully at the eligibility criteria set out by KCC.
Ways you can work with us to support your child
- Keep in touch with your child’s teacher about any changes that may affect their behaviour in school.
- Endeavour to attend school events such as plays, parental surgeries or information sessions. The children tell us they feel proud and happy when they see their parents in school.
- Support your child with homework and encourage them to talk to you about what they have been learning. When children share with you at home it enhances their learning and gives them confidence to succeed in the classroom.
- Encourage your child to talk about emotions and feelings with you – the more open we can be about how we are feeling the less likely we are to bottle things up and become withdrawn, angry or depressed.
Further Information and Resources
View Ditton’s SEND policy and Information Report here
You can also find information and resources on SEND on our Trust website here