SEND
Provision for Special Educational Needs at Thomas Harding Junior School
At Thomas Harding Junior School, we have the highest of expectations for ALL children and we are relentless in ensuring that ALL children are safe, happy and able to achieve their potential.
We understand that all children learn and develop in different ways. Our skilled teachers recognise this and use different teaching styles in the classroom to cater for the various ways that their children learn. This means that most children will learn in the classroom without any additional support. However, sometimes children need additional support to access the curriculum for a variety of reasons.
A special educational need can arise for a number of reasons. It may be due to a disability which makes it harder for a child to use the same educational facilities that the school provides for the majority of children. For some children there may be a specific difficulty. For example they may be having problems with reading, maths or behaviour, which the school can overcome with additional provision which is formalised in a Provision Map. This map outlines the support and approaches which will be used with the child. If this is the case, staff at school will liaise with our Inclusion Manager and parents to ensure appropriate provision is put in place and that all involved with the child are working together. If necessary our Inclusion Manager will facilitate referrals to specific agencies, for example Speech and Language therapy or Occupational Therapy.
The school's Inclusion Manager, who co-ordinates SEND, is: Miss A. Arnott
In the first instance, please speak to your child's class teacher regarding SEND queries, who will then refer you to our Inclusion Manager if needed.
Please contact: 01494 782211 or email: office@tha.odbst.org
The Four Broad Areas of Need
Defined by The Special educational needs and disability code of practice: 0 to 25 years : Statutory guidance for organisations which work with and support children and young people who have special educational needs or disabilities January 2015
Communication and Interaction
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.
Children and young people with ASD, including Asperger’s Syndrome and Autism, are likely to have particular difficulties with social interaction. They may also experience difficulties with language, communication and imagination, which can impact on how they relate to others.
Cognition and Learning
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.
Social, Emotional and Mental Health Difficulties
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.
Schools and colleges should have clear processes to support children and young people, including how they will manage the effect of any disruptive behaviour so it does not adversely affect other pupils.
Sensory and/or Physical Needs
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, or habilitation support. Children and young people with an MSI have a combination of vision and hearing difficulties.
Some children and young people with a physical disability (PD) require additional ongoing support and equipment to access all the opportunities available to their peers.