Special Educational Needs and Disability
Our staff work hard in identifying any special educational needs (SEN) that pupils may have to ensure that they can access the curriculum being taught and successfully progress.
Everyone in the school community, governors, staff, pupils and parents have a positive part to play in achieving provision for pupils with SEN.
If you have any concerns with your child’s learning please speak to their class teacher in the first instance.
Where necessary, they will consult with the school Senco and they will work together with you to put strategies in place to support your child.
Our Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator (Senco)
Mrs Naomi Coleman is the Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator (Senco) for the ASPIRE Federation and is responsible for the day to day operation of the SEN policy.
Definition of Special Educational Needs (SEN)
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 him or her.
A child of compulsory school age or a young person has a learning difficulty if he or she:
a) Has a significantly greater difficulty in learning than the majority of others of the same age, or
b) 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 or mainstream post-16 institutions
[SEND Code of Practice, 2015]
Key information
Our objectives revolve around:
- we provide a caring environment where pupils can learn and develop to their full potential
- all our pupils have access to a broad, balanced and differentiated curriculum
- we value the contributions and achievements of all pupils
- our staff respond to individual needs where necessary
- we see all pupils as individuals with differing interests, knowledge and skills
- we recognise that support is an entitlement for all children who may need it, rather than a special addition to their education
Partnerships for Inclusion of Neurodiversity in Schools (PINS)
Ulcombe has been selected as one of 20 schools in Maidstone to participate in the Partnerships for Inclusion of Neurodiversity in Schools (PINS) project.
The project, led by NHS Kent and Medway, Kent County Council (KCC) and Medway Council, aims to improve experiences for neurodivergent pupils in school.
Participating schools will have access to education and health specialists and the local parent carer forums to provide extra support for their workforce development programmes. This will enable schools to further develop their inclusive cultures and environments for neurodivergent
children.
The project will help schools shape their Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) provision and the local parent carer forums will be working with schools to help them strengthen their relationships with parents.
What is neurodivergence?
Neurodivergence is the term for when someone’s brain processes, learns and/or behaves differently from what is considered; (referred to as neurotypical).
If a group of people includes neurodivergent and neurotypical people, or different types of neurodivergent people, that group could be called ‘neurodiverse’.
Please view the PINS Information Sheet for more details.
What is the SEND Mainstream Core Standards?
As a KCC school we implement the Mainstream core standards. The standards provide a framework to helps us support children and young people with SEND. It details the plan to make sure SEND children and young people are included in mainstream education. Usually, a child with SEND will not need all the support shown in the standards as each child is individual.
The document has been co-produced with:
- parents
- children and young people
- schools
- specialist teachers
- educational psychologists
- health professionals
You can access the Mainstream core standards by clicking this link