Our Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator (SENCO) is Mrs N Barry.
For all SEND queries please email Mrs Barry nbarry@mgl.srscmat.co.uk
Arrangements for supporting children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND)
Saint Mary’s is a fully inclusive mainstream Catholic school and we believe that every child is unique in the eyes of God and deserves an education which ensures that their full potential is achieved both personally, emotionally and academically. As a Catholic school, we have Christ at the centre of all that we do, and we treat each child as a unique individual (regardless of their gender, ethnicity, social background, religion, physical ability or educational needs).
As a school we know that a pupil has an SEN in a variety of ways.
- Through our Graduated Response, the class teacher may identify concerns regarding the progress or behaviours of a child. The SENCO may become involved in discussing ways to support.
- Parents may inform the school prior to or during admission
- Outside agencies may contact the school prior to / during admission or whilst the child is a pupil at the school
- Behaviour tracking system to see if a child is continually struggling with their emotions and concentration
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It may be that we seek additional information from a specialist teacher eg assessments completed by outside agencies eg; Educational Psychology, Behaviour Support Service, CAMHS (Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service), School Health, Paediatricians, Speech and Language Therapists.
At different times in their school life, a child or young person may have a special educational need. The Code of Practice 2015 defines SEN as follows:
‘A child or young person has SEN if they have a learning difficulty or disability which calls for special education 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 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
It is the aim of this school that all pupils will benefit as fully as possible from the education provided within the school.
We cater for pupils who experience difficulties in:
- Communication and interaction
- Cognition and learning
- Emotional and social development
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Sensory and/ or physical and medical conditions(As defined in the Code of Practice 2025)
Our St Mary’s SEND Information Report is complicit with the statutory requirement laid out in the SEND Code of Practice 0-25 September 2014.
Staff routinely use the Assess, Plan, Do, Review cycle together with discussions in Pupil Progress meetings and observations of children’s emotional wellbeing, alongside concerns that parent’s share with school to identify children who may need greater support in their learning. Staff effectively use adaptive strategies such as scaffolding, coaching, modelling, resourcing, pre-teaching and regular recall opportunities to enable children to achieve and thrive, however we may feel it would be beneficial for individual children to have further support,
With your permission, school can refer to the following services:
- Educational Psychology
- SALT (Speech and Language Therapy)
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Autism Outreach
- Behaviour Support
- Specialist Teachers for the hearing and visually impaired
- School Health
- Occupational Therapy
- Physiotherapy
- CAMHS
- Art Therapy
There may also be a need to apply for further funding from the Local Authority to support the child. Eg, Inclusion fund, EHCP etc and Mrs Barry will meet with parents to support this process.
The document below contains a list of information websites, tips and resources to help you support your children with their additional needs, learning and self-esteem.
SEND Support for Parents and Carers
Useful Links
From September 2014, all local authorities published a ‘local offer’ setting out what support is available in the area to all children and young people from 0-25 years with SEN and/or a disability. Information, advice and support for the Derbyshire area can be found at the link below.
Derbyshire Information, Advice and Support Service for SEND
DIASS provides independent information, advice and support to children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), as well as their parents and carers.
Derbyshire Parent Carer Voice (DPCV) Newsletter
DPCV is the Parent Carer Forum for Derbyshire and represents the voice of all parent and carers in the county. They are working in partnership with the Local Authority to ensure that every family with a child with additional needs receives a copy of the newsletter. They may also be of interest to parent or carers who are in the process of applying for additional support/EHCP.
Please follow the link below to view a copy of the latest DPCV newsletter-
