A high proportion of children at our school have special educational needs and/or disabilities, and we take the job of identifying and supporting these very seriously. We take great pride in the fact that these children make accelerated progress, helping them to catch-up with their peers, and as a result children with SEND at our school regularly out-perform similar children nationwide.

• Accessiblity Plan 
• Equalities Information and Objectives 
• STAGES approach to identifying and supporting children with SEND  

You can find answers to a few frequently asked questions you may have relating to what we offer for children who have a special educational need and disability (SEND) below - and there's lots more information in our Bedwell School SEN Report.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who are the best people to talk to in this school about my child’s difficulties with learning? 

You should always discuss any concerns that you have about your child’s learning needs or progress with their class teacher first as they know your child well and can comment on any difficulties that they may be having. If your child’s needs are more complex and long term, the class teacher will involve the SENCO for additional advice.

How does the school know if children need extra help? 

We track the progress of all our learners daily in class through lessons and tasks and questioning but as professionals we regularly discuss any concerns we have as well as celebrate achievement. We have systems in place to use data to support tracking and use termly pupil progress meetings to look at how the children are progressing, to assess how successful support has been and to plan what things we might need to change to support progress and learning in the future. We follow the Bedwell STAGES approach to SEN and this includes cycles of assessment, support and review to ensure that we identify learning barriers and needs and provide appropriate support to meet those needs. When concerns are raised the SENCo may use detailed assessments to try to analyse a child’s difficulties and will then advise staff on appropriate support strategies. We also use pupil voice whenever appropriate to listen to the views of our learners about how they are doing and how they like to be supported in school. 

Getting support

What should I do if I think my child may have special educational needs? 

Parents are encouraged to speak to the class teacher about any concerns they have. If you have concerns about your child’s progress you should speak to your child’s class teacher initially as they work with your child on a daily basis. You can do this at any time and shouldn’t wait for parent/teacher evenings to express your worries. Where the issues are more complex or long term, your concerns will then be passed to the SENCo/head teacher. 

How will school staff support my child/young person? 

Having assessed and identified needs, we seek to match provision to need. In the first instance, Class Teachers plan their lessons according to the specific needs of all groups of children in their class, and will ensure that learning tasks are adjusted or differentiated in order to enable your child to access their learning as independently as possible. In more extreme cases, children may require additional SEN support. The teachers will follow the Bedwell STAGES approach to SEN to ensure that needs are identified and appropriate support is given. They will then follow a cycle of Assess, Plan, Do, Review (APDR) to address the identified needs. During the review stage, school staff will use evidence to decide whether the needs have been met. If there is no longer an identified need, the child will exit the APDR cycle for SEND. Alternatively, it may be necessary to complete a further cycle of support. The APDR cycle will be shared and discussed with you and your child/young person (if appropriate). When school based support is not sufficient, External agency advice may be sought and a Targeted Learning Plan (TLP) may be created to address specific learning needs. When a number of different agencies are involved the school family worker may work with you to undertake a Families First Assessment to ensure a cohesive approach to planning and delivering a range of support.