Updated: November 2020
Our SEN Information Report – which is part of Durham County Council’s Local Offer – provides details about how we support children and young people with Special Educational Needs in our school.
Definition
A child or young person has SEN if they have a learning difficulty or disability which calls for special educational provision to be made that is additional to or different from that made generally for other children or young people of the same age. (CoP 2015, p16)
Broad Areas Of Need
There are four broad areas of special educational need, these are:
Communication and interaction – Includes pupils with Autistic Spectrum Condition (ASC) and those with Speech, Language and Communication Needs (SLCN).
Cognition and learning – Includes pupils with Specific Learning Difficulties (SpLD) , Moderate learning difficulties (MLD), Severe Learning Difficulties (SLD) and Profound and Multiple Learning Difficulties (PMLD).
Social, Emotional and Health Difficulties – Includes any pupils who have an emotional, social or mental health need that is impacting on their ability to learn.
Sensory and/or Physical Difficulties – Includes pupils with hearing impairment, visual impairment, multi-sensory impairment and physical difficulties.
The SEN Information Report was reviewed and updated in January 2019.
Ethos and Approach
At St Helen Auckland Community Primary School we are committed to the equal inclusion of all pupils in all areas of school life. We recognise the diverse and individual needs of all of our pupils and take into account the additional support required by those children with Special Educational Needs (SEN). We recognise that all pupils are entitled to a quality of provision that will enable them to achieve their potential. We believe in positive intervention, removing barriers to learning, raising expectations and levels of achievement and working in partnership with other agencies in order to provide a positive educational experience for all our pupils including those with a special educational need or disability.
These vision and values statements were developed following pupil, parent, staff and governor questionnaires and discussions with pupils, staff and governors.
We aim to provide a safe and caring learning environment where all of the children can enjoy learning, experience success, increase their self-respect and aspire to reach their full potential. Children are at the heart of our school and we take great pride in developing our pupils to be the best that they can be.
We aim to ensure that the children who leave St Helen Auckland Primary are independent, inquiring learners with self-belief and have an enduring respect for others. We aim to instil a lifelong love for learning and a strong grounding for future success.
To achieve our aims we focus our teaching and learning on the needs of the pupils by having knowing the children well and having the highest expectations for all our pupils. We challenge all children to strive for academic, creative, sporting and personal achievement within a broad, vibrant and enriched curriculum.
We celebrate perseverance, resilience and risk taking, ensuring children welcome challenge and are not frightened to make mistakes. We encourage children to take ownership of and responsibility for their learning, so they have the confidence and curiosity to ask questions, solve problems and respond to quality feedback. Children are praised for hard work, determination and having a positive attitude.
In order to create an inclusive school where everyone can flourish, whatever their background, we promote an ethos of respect and empathy, where diversity is valued and celebrated – both within school and the wider world. Safeguarding and welfare is extremely important and pupils are taught the virtues of kindness, appreciation and what it means to be courageous.
Care is taken to educate everyone in the St Helen Auckland community about the needs of others and how best to meet them. We foster open and honest communication with parents, carers and specialists and actively seek to engage with all members of the school community in a positive and supportive manner.
Consultation in Production and Review Arrangements of SEN Information Report (SIR)
At St Helen Auckland Community Primary School we ask parents to complete a questionnaire annually (Summer Term Parents Evening) and our pupils share their views via Pupil Voice consultations. The information gathered from parents and pupils is used to improve our SIR. The SIR is reviewed and updated annually.
It was last updated during January 2019 and should be read alongside the school’s SEN Policy 2018, the Equalities Information and Objectives 2018, Keeping Children Safe in School Policy and the Accessibility Plan 2017-2020. which can be found in the school polices section.
The SIR is monitored, evaluated and ratified by the Governor for SEN, Mrs Airey and the whole governing body.
Key Contacts
- Mrs Maeve Mackenzie is the Head Teacher and can be contacted on 01388 604168 or by email at sthelenauckland@durhamlearning.net
- Ms Naomi Treend is the Special Educational Needs Coordinator (SENCO) and can be contacted on 01388 604168 or by email at sthelenauckland@durhamlearning.net
- Mrs Heather Airey is the Special Educational Needs Governor and can be contacted on 01388 604168 or by email at sthelenauckland@durhamlearning.net
SEND Admissions
Children and young people with an Education, Health and Care Plan follow a different admission and transfer process for a new school. Please continue to complete Durham County Council’s parental preference form, as part of the admission process to a new school. You continue to have a right to request a particular school and this will be considered alongside the information that we have about your child’s special educational needs. The information would have been provided as part of the Education, Health and Care assessment or following the review meeting.
For information on the admission of pupils with a disability, please visit the School Admissions section of our website and view the Accessibility Plan in our School Policies section.
For Children and young people with an Education, Health and Care Plan the SEN team can be contacted on 03000 265878. The School Places and Admissions Team can be contacted on 03000 265 896 or by clicking on this link to the Durham County Council School Places and Admissions Team website.
If you would like to discuss your child’s SEN in more detail please contact the school to arrange an appointment with Mrs Treend.
The full range of local support available for children/ young people with SEND and their families within and outside of school can be found in the County Durham Local Offer
