SEND
Supporting children with Special Educational Needs & Disabilities
At St Thomas More Primary School we all believe that every child has individual and unique needs and that all children have a right to a broad, balanced, relevant and appropriately challenging curriculum inclusive of all children and differentiated to meet their needs. We aim to create a positive and exciting environment in which all pupils can develop to their full potential and become confident, independent individuals.
We aim to:
- Create an inclusive environment where the whole school community values the individuality of all our children giving all the opportunity to achieve their full potential
- Ensure that our curriculum is responsive to all children whatever their individual need
- Promote positive attitudes and individual confidence, ensuring all children experience success
- Identify, assess, record & regularly review pupil’s special educational needs
- Encourage parents/carers to be involved in planning and supporting all stages of their child’s development
- Make efficient use of support services
Who should I contact to discuss concerns / needs of my child?
Class Teacher: In the first instance it is always best to discuss any concerns you have about your child with their class teacher as they monitor the progress of each child and plan support. If those issues are not resolved then please get in touch with the SENDCO via the school office.
SENDCO: Mrs Helen Skertchly.
Annual SEND Information Report
Schools are all required to publish a SEN Information Report detailing provision and support for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). The SEN Information Report is updated annually to reflect any changes.
SEND & Inclusion Policy
Our SEND Policy can be found here
Accessibility Plan
This plan covers how we intend to increase the extent to which pupils with disabilities can participate in the curriculum, improve the physical environment to enable pupils with disabilities to take better advantage of the education, benefits, facilities and services we provide.
Oxfordshire Local Offer & County SEN Service
This site contains details about Special Educational Needs & Disabilities, how the local authority implement statutory practice and the support parents and schools can access regarding children with SEND.
If you have any questions or queries regarding Oxfordshire’s Local Offer, please do not hesitate to contact us and we will be happy to discuss this with you.
Special Educational Needs (SEN) Oxfordshire County Bulletin
Do you have a child with Special Educational Needs? Written in collaboration with the Parent Careers Forum, the County SEN service has a new bulletin to share with parents. This bulletin will share relevant SEND support services, developments, and initiatives to a broader audience. Please sign up with this link from Oxfordshire County Council.
Support for parents: SENDIASS Oxfordshire, 0-5s Support & Mental Well-Being Support
SENDIASS Oxfordshire is a service offering impartial information, advice and support to parents of children and young people with SEN and disabilities. For more information follow this link to their website. They can be contacted by phone: 01865 810516 or email sendiass@oxfordshire.gov.uk
Advice and Support for Parents of 0-5s:
The Health Visitor Team offer excellent support on their website and in consultations - please click here for more information. They also run a series of online parenting courses - Marvellous Me.
Kidlinks Community Hub is a great local resource with a number of different sessions and support offered too. See their weekly timetable of sessions.
Advice and support for Mental Health:
Oxfordshire Mind have launched a mental health service for 7-17 years old which can be accessed through your GP. The child would be offered 5 short sessions with a well-being worker based at the GP surgeries - follow this link for more information.
SEND Code of Practice
Here is a link to the Special Educational Needs and Disability Code of Practice: 0-25 years. This is a statutory code which explains duties of local authorities, health bodies, schools and colleges to provide for children with special educational needs which is published by the Department for Education.
If you have any questions or queries regarding SEND Code of Practice, please do not hesitate to contact us and we will be happy to discuss this with you.
Nurturing Room
We support all our children to develop their self-regulation skills. Children are able to access our new Nurturing Room as needed.
