The SENDCO is Mrs Sinead Stack
At St Joseph’s Catholic Voluntary Academy, we are committed to working together with all members of our school community. The children, staff and parents work actively in partnership to enable all children to realise their potential. Our school is an inclusive school where every child matters; we aim to address children’s needs and support their development in the most appropriate way possible and celebrate effort as much as achievement. Our school’s SEND policy document is available on this website, detailing our philosophy in relation to SEND.
We make provision for ALL children including those who have significant learning difficulties and/or disabilities. We support children with…
- Communicating and interacting ‐ for example, where children and young people have speech, language and communication difficulties which make it difficult for them to make sense of language or to understand how to communicate effectively and appropriately with others.
- Cognition and learning ‐ for example, where children and young people learn at a slower pace than others their age, have difficulty in understanding parts of the curriculum, have difficulties with organisation and memory skills, or have a specific difficulty affecting one particular part of their learning performance such as in literacy or numeracy.
- Social, emotional and mental health difficulties ‐ for example, where children and young people have difficulty in managing their relationships with other people, are withdrawn, or if they behave in ways that may hinder their and other children’s learning, or that have an impact on their health and wellbeing.
- Sensory and/or physical needs ‐ for example, children and young people with visual and/or hearing impairments or a physical need that means they must have additional ongoing support and equipment. Some children and young people may have SEN that covers more than one of these areas.
Our staff are trained so that we are able to adapt to a range of special educational needs. For example;
- Specific learning difficulties, including dyslexia (SPLD)
- Autistic spectrum disorders (ASD)
- Speech, language and communication needs (SLCN)
- Behavioural, emotional and social difficulties (BESD)
We are supported by the Local Authority to ensure that all pupils, regardless of their specific needs, make the best possible progress in school and have access to a high-quality education. Our school’s aim is to be as inclusive as possible, with the needs of all pupils being met wherever possible
This information is to inform you of the types of support available for your child at St Joseph’s Primary School. It will help you understand who can help and how this support can be accessed.
The changes in the Children and Families Bill affect the way children with special educational needs (SEN) are supported in schools. The new approach began in September 2014 and places pupils at the centre of planning. The key principles of the new legislation are:
- Young people and their families should be involved in discussions about the support they need, so they can share their knowledge and feedback to the school on the young person’s progress.
- Education, health and care plans (EHC) will replace statements of special educational needs. New assessments for additional educational needs will follow the EHC guidelines from September 2014. (Existing statements will remain in force until all children and young people have completed the transition, which will be within three years).
- School Action and School Action Plus have been replaced by a single school-based category for children who need extra specialist support.
Useful website links
- The ‘Family Information Directory’(opens in new tab) is a directory for care and support products and services for people living within the Leicester City area and is an invaluable source of support.
- SENDIASS – Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Information and Advice Support Service (Leicester)(opens in new tab) SENDIASS Leicester is an independent service that offers free, confidential and impartial information, advice and support to parents and carers of young people aged 0-25 with SEND as well as young people themselves.
- Council for Disabled Children (CDC)(opens in new tab) Fact sheets, films and posters designed to help parents, carers, children and young people understand some of the key themes of the new SEND reforms including EHC Plans, Post-16 support, the Local Offer and making decisions.
If you are concerned about your child and would like to discuss this further, please contact the main school office to arrange a meeting.
