SEND and Inclusion

Marsh Lane Primary School is committed to ensuring all pupils have access to a broad and balanced curriculum whatever their gender, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, needs or abilities.  We take a truly holistic approach to supporting all pupils whilst actively promoting a fully inclusive curriculum. We believe that pupils with special educational needs or disabilities (SEND) have the right to a broad and balanced curriculum and be fully included in all aspects of school life (DfE Special Educational Needs Code of Practice, 2015). We believe all pupils should be encouraged and supported to achieve their full potential within a safe, nurturing and enriching learning environment. We actively encourage parents to be involved in the education of their child and see effective home school partnerships as key to pupil’s success.

Definition of SEND

A pupil has SEND if they have a learning difficulty or disability which calls for special educational provision to be made for them. They have a learning difficulty or disability if they have:

• A significantly greater difficulty in learning than the majority of the others of the same age
• A disability which prevents or hinders them from making use of facilities of a kind generally provided for others of the same age in mainstream schools

Special educational provision is educational or training provision that is additional to, or different from, that made generally for other children or young people of the same age by mainstream schools.

The Four Areas of SEND

How do staff in school identify SEND?

Academic Assessment 

We assess each pupil’s current skills and levels of attainment on entry to school and at the start and throughout each academic year. Our assessments build on previous settings and Key Stages, where appropriate. Class teachers make regular assessments of progress for all pupils and identify those whose progress

• Is significantly slower than that of their peers starting from the same baseline 
• Fails to match or better the child's previous rate of progress 
• Fails to close the attainment gap between the child and this peers 
• Widens the attainment gap 

Slow progress and low attainment will not automatically mean a pupil is recorded as having SEN.

Social and Emotional, Communication, Physical and other needs

We will observe and assess pupils needs and where appropriate refer to external agencies e.g. Speech and Language Therapy. This is for pupils who:

• Have been identified by an external agency as having a specific area of need (e.g. GP, Health Visitor etc)
• Have been identified by parents or class teacher as requiring additional support for social and emotional, physical or communication difficulties.
• Fail to make progress in one of the afore mentioned areas. A diagnosis does not necessarily mean a pupil requires additional support, this will be decided upon a discussion between parents, teacher, SENCO and (where appropriate) pupil.

When deciding whether special educational provision is required, we will start with the desired outcomes, including the expected progress and attainment, and the views and the wishes of the pupil and their parents. We will use this to determine the support that is needed and whether we can provide it by adapting our core offer, or whether something different or additional is needed. 

Our Policy 

Our SEND Policy outlines the provision and support available in school to support children with additional needs. In line with the Local Authority SEND Policy, we adopt the guidance offered in the Special Educational Needs Code of Practice (2015) for the identification and assessment of pupils with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities. We follow current legislation and guidance including following the implementation of the Children and Families Act (2014).

Our website aims to provide an outline of what services and support is available to parents and carers.  For further detailed information, please refer our school policies and key documents.

Our SEND Co-ordinator is: Mr Sean D'Souza Walsh

Mr D'Souza Walsh ensures that as a school we:

• work in partnership with parents and external agencies (where necessary) to support early identification of special educational needs
• deliver excellent teaching to all of our pupils but particularly to those that have SEND so that their progress is strong from their individual starting points.
• deliver targeted interventions and one-to-one support as necessary so that children are able to keep up with their peers. 
• signpost families to the support on offer through the Local Authority and other networks
• liaise effectively and efficiently with a range of external professionals

Please click here to view our School Offer for SEND in a new window.  This includes comprehensive information about:

• How we indentify pupils that may need extra help
• What to do if you think your child may have SEN
• Our SEN Coodinator (SENCO)
• How we support children with SEND
• The accessibility of our school environment

Our 3-year accessibility plan sets out our aims in ensuring that the school is fully accessible in terms of access to the curriculum, to the physical environment and to information for members of our school community. 

What is the SEND Local Offer?

Derbyshire's Local Offer includes leisure and activity providers, health and care services, education providers and support groups.

Derbyshire Information, Advice and Support Service for Special Educational Needs and Disabilities - DIASS (formerly Parent Partnership) provide free, impartial and confidential information to parents and children and young people on issues around education, health and social care, relating to special educational provision. Please click on the icon for more information.