Special Educational Needs and Disabilities

In this page of our website, along with our latest SEND Information Report and SEND Policy, you will find information about the provision for pupils with Special Educational Needs and/or Disabilities (SEND) at Meole Brace C of E Primary School and Nursery.

We strongly believe in the importance of inclusion and equality for all children and we strive to ensure that these values are at the heart of our SEND practices alongside our school values of community, respect and perseverance.

To achieve this aim, we recognise that actively involving parents/carers and children in key decision making is crucial to ensure that parent/carer knowledge of their own child is utilised to plan effectively and give each child the best start and chance to reach their full potential. Another key to unlocking that potential lies in early identification of SEND and this is a real strength of our school. This enables support to be quickly and effectively provided to ensure barriers are overcome as soon as possible. Following identification, expert support and resources are provided for children with SEND to ensure they are able to meet individual goals.

We are committed to ensuring all staff have the knowledge and skills to support children, including those with SEND, throughout our school. A key priority is to strive to develop children's independence and to adopt an attitude of perseverance in their learning. 

At Meole Brace Primary we also help prepare children for secondary education and lifelong learning by encouraging the development of characteristics for life such as a love of learning, perseverance, resilience, integrity, team work and good communication. 

What does it mean for a child to have a Special Educational Need and/or disability?

A child or young person has SEND if they have a learning difficulty or disability which calls for special educational provision to be made. 

There are four areas of SEND, as outlined in the SEND Code of Practice: 0-25 years - January 2015 and the table below which also highlights some of the strategies, agencies and resources used in school to support children within each area. 

Communication and Interaction	Cognition and Learning	Social, Emotional and Mental Health Difficulties	Sensory and/or Physical Needs
Children and young people with speech, language and communication needs (SLCN) have difficulty in communicating with others. This may be because they have difficulty saying what they want to, understanding what is being said to them, or they do not understand or use social rules of communication. The profile for every child with SLCN is different and their needs may change over time. They may have difficulty with one, some or all of the different aspects of speech, language or social communication at different times of their lives.	Support for learning difficulties may be required when children and young people learn at a slower pace than their peers, even with appropriate differentiation.  Learning difficulties cover a wide range of needs, including moderate learning difficulties (MLD), severe learning difficulties (SLD), where children are likely to need support in all areas of the curriculum and associated difficulties with mobility and communication, through to profound and multiple learning difficulties (PMLD), where children are likely to have severe and complex learning difficulties as well as a physical disability or sensory impairment. Specific learning difficulties (SpLD) affect one or more specific aspects of learning. This encompasses a range of conditions such as dyslexia, dyscalculia and dyspraxia.	Children and young people may experience a wide range of social and emotional difficulties which manifest themselves in many ways. These may include becoming withdrawn or isolated, as well as displaying challenging, disruptive or disturbing behaviour. These behaviours may reflect underlying mental health difficulties such as anxiety or depression, self-harming, substance misuse, eating disorders or physical symptoms that are medically unexplained. Other children and young people may have disorders such as attention deficit disorder, attention deficit hyperactive disorder or attachment disorder.	This includes: Visual Impairment (VI) Hearing Impairment (HI) Physical Disability (PD) Some children and young people require special educational provision because they have a disability which prevents or hinders them from making use of the educational facilities generally provided. These difficulties can be age related and may fluctuate over time. Many children and young people with vision impairment (VI), hearing impairment (HI) or a multi-sensory impairment (MSI) will require specialist support and/or equipment to access their learning. Children and young people with an MSI have a combination of vision and hearing difficulties. Information on how to provide services for deafblind children and young people is available through the Social Care for Deaf/Blind Children and Adults guidance published by the Department of Health
Specialist Help Speech and Language Therapy Service (SALT)	Specialist Help Woodlands Outreach - Learning Support	Specialist Help BEAM Parenting Clinic Early Help Shropshire Public Health Nursing Service Eclipse Bereavement Counselling Childline - 1:1 Counselling Chat	Specialist Help Some children and young people with a physical disability (PD) require additional on-going support and equipment to access all the opportunities available to their peers.  Children with visual and/or hearing impairments may receive support from the Chidren's Sensory Team (CST), Those with a physical disability may require support from an occupational therapist and/or physiotherapist.
Resources Accessed in School Makaton Talkboost Nuffield Early Language Intervention (NELI)	Resources Accessed in School Nessy Clicker	Resources Accessed in School Lego Therapy  1:1 Counselling	Resources Accessed in School Children's Occupational Therapy Shropshire Sensory Inclusion Service

The Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Co-Ordinator (SENCo)

Our highly experienced Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Co-Ordinator, Mrs Sian Bowdler, is always happy to offer advice and guidance to parents/carers while working collaboratively with the teaching staff team to ensure the best possible provision for all children. 

The SEND Local Offer

The Local Authority support all Shropshire maintained schools to meet the needs of pupils with Special Educational Needs and/or disability (SEND). Meole Brace C of E Primary School and Nursery works closely with the local authority to ensure the best possible progress for all pupils in our school. Shropshire's SEND Local Offer has lots of information, support and resources for parents/carers of children with SEND, including education, EHCPs, health and wellbeing, early help, family support, financial support, transport, things to do and lots more. 

More information regarding available services for pupils with SEND and their families across the whole of Shropshire can be found by clicking on the website links below: 

 

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