SEND School Information

Who can I contact in school regarding my child and special educational needs? The first point of call should always be your child’s class teacher.

After this, you may wish to contact the SENCO- Mrs. Jones via:

School Office telephone number: 0161 773 3794,

Email address: k.jones@stmarys-prestwich.co.uk

Post: SENCO, St. Mary’s CE Primary School, Rectory Lane, Prestwich, Manchester, M25 1BP

The Headteacher- Mrs. D. Holding

The SEN governor- Ms. S. Crosby

At St Mary's we believe that the nurturing of pupil well-being is paramount to success. Inclusion is at the heart of St Mary's - we strive to ensure all our children are able to access our curriculum through adaptive teaching so they make progress and experience 'life in all its fullness'.

High quality teaching is vital; however, for some pupils there are occasions when additional support may be needed.  We implement the EEF’s 5-a-day Principles from their research-backed guidance ‘SEND in Mainstream Schools’.  Below is a summary of the strategies we implement:

1. Explicit instruction – Clear explanations, modelling and frequent checks for understanding
2. Cognitive and metacognitive strategies – Teaching slide content is reduced and pupils are given the opportunity to rehearse and evaluate their learning periodically
3. Scaffolding – Pupils are provided with supportive tools or resources to help them to access the task
4. Flexible grouping – Lesson groupings are flexible based on pupils’ needs
5. Using technology – Alternative methods of recording are used to support learning and recording in lessons

Children with any SEND that fall into the four main areas of SEMH, Cognition and Learning, Sensory and Physical and Speech, Language and Communication Needs are assessed and supported appropriately. Before providing adaptive teaching strategies, interventions and sometimes bespoke timetables, we look at each child’s individual needs and how we can remove any barriers to ensure that they have a pathway to success.

For details of the Bury LOCAL OFFER for Special Educational Needs and Disability, please click on the link: 

https://theburydirectory.co.uk/categories/send-local-offer

We work closely with a range of professionals from Bury Borough Council, including:

Educational Psychologists

SALT (Speech and Language Therapists)

Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service

Physiotherapy

MHST

What is SEND? 

Special educational provision is educational or training provision that is additional to or different from that made generally for others of the same age. This means provision that goes beyond the differentiated approaches and learning arrangements normally provided as part of high quality, personalised teaching in the classroom.

Areas of Special Educational Need

Special educational needs and provision can be considered as falling under four broad areas:

1. Communication and interaction

2. Cognition and learning

3. Social, mental and emotional health

4. Sensory and/or physical

Many children and young people have difficulties that fit clearly into one of these areas; some have needs that span two or more areas; for others the precise nature of their need may not be clear at the outset and as a school we strive to work with our families to identify any specific needs.

Behavioural difficulties do not necessarily mean that a child or young person has a SEND and will not automatically lead to a pupil being registered as having SEND. However, consistent disruptive or withdrawn behaviours can be an indication of unmet SEN, and where there are concerns about behaviour, there will be an assessment to determine whether there are any causal factors such as undiagnosed learning difficulties, difficulties with communication or mental health issues.

Communication and interaction

Children and young people with speech, language and communication needs (SLCN) have difficulty in communicating with others. This may be because they have difficulty saying what they want to, understanding what is being said to them or they do not understand or use social rules of communication. Children and young people with ASD, including Asperger’s Syndrome and Autism, are likely to have particular difficulties with social interaction. They may also experience difficulties with language, communication and imagination, which can impact on how they relate to others.

Cognition and learning 

Support for learning difficulties may be required when children and young people learn at a slower pace than their peers, even with appropriate differentiation. Learning difficulties cover a wide range of needs, including moderate learning difficulties (MLD), severe learning difficulties (SLD), where children are likely to need support in all areas of the curriculum and associated difficulties with mobility and communication, through to profound and multiple learning difficulties (PMLD).

Specific learning difficulties (SpLD), affect one or more specific aspects of learning. This encompasses a range of conditions such as dyslexia, dyscalculia and dyspraxia.

Social, emotional and mental health difficulties 

Children and young people may experience a wide range of social and emotional difficulties which manifest themselves in many ways. These may include becoming withdrawn or isolated, as well as displaying challenging, disruptive or disturbing behaviour. These behaviours may reflect underlying mental health difficulties such as anxiety or depression, self-harming, substance misuse, eating disorders or physical symptoms that are medically unexplained. Other children and young people may have disorders such as attention deficit disorder, attention deficit hyperactive disorder or attachment disorder.

In this highly inclusive school, all pupils and adults receive the support and challenge they need to flourish. SIAMS March 23