Special Educational Needs and Disabilities

SEND and Inclusion at Leechpool Primary School

At Leechpool Primary School, we are committed to providing an inclusive and supportive environment where every child feels they belong, can achieve and is supported to thrive.

Our school values of Empower, Enrich and Elevate underpin our approach to inclusion. We recognise that every child is unique and believe that all pupils should have access to a broad, balanced and ambitious curriculum, with appropriate support to meet their individual needs.

We aim to identify and remove barriers to learning through high-quality teaching, reasonable adjustments and additional support where needed. We work closely with children, families and external professionals to ensure that pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) are supported to make progress and participate fully in school life.

Our approach follows the SEND Code of Practice: 0 to 25 years and the principles of West Sussex's Ordinarily Available Inclusive Practice (OAIP).

Who Should I Contact About My Child's Needs?

We value positive relationships and open communication with parents and carers.

Your child's class teacher is the first point of contact if you have concerns about their learning, progress, additional needs or day-to-day SEND provision.

Class teachers are responsible for the progress and development of all children in their class, including pupils with SEND. They work closely with the SENDCo and phase leaders to ensure that appropriate support is in place.

Where further advice or specialist input is needed, the class teacher will seek support from the phase leader and/or SENDCo.

Parents are welcome to request a meeting with the SENDCo. Meetings will be arranged by appointment where appropriate, particularly where a child has complex needs, requires specialist oversight or is involved in statutory SEND processes.

The SENDCo works directly with families, teachers and external professionals to coordinate provision for pupils with complex needs, those undergoing Education, Health and Care (EHC) needs assessments and those with Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs).

Our SENDCo: Mrs H Smith

Contact: Through the school office on 01403 210233.

How Do We Support Children with SEND?

At Leechpool, we believe that high-quality, adaptive teaching is the foundation of effective SEND provision.

All teachers are responsible for meeting the needs of pupils in their classes through inclusive teaching approaches, appropriate adaptations and reasonable adjustments.

Where children require additional support, we follow the graduated approach of Assess, Plan, Do and Review.

Assess: Identify the child's strengths, needs and barriers to learning.
Plan: Agree appropriate support, strategies and intended outcomes.
Do: Put the agreed provision in place, with the class teacher remaining responsible for its implementation.
Review: Evaluate progress and the impact of support, making changes where necessary.

Children receiving SEN Support will normally have a Support Plan outlining their needs, intended outcomes and additional provision. These plans are reviewed at least termly, with parents and carers actively involved in discussions about progress and next steps.

Our Leechpool Graduated Response provides further information about the support available at different levels of need.

The Four Broad Areas of SEND

The SEND Code of Practice identifies four broad areas of special educational need:

Communication and Interaction: Including speech, language and communication needs and differences in social communication.
Cognition and Learning: Including general learning difficulties and specific learning difficulties such as dyslexia and dyscalculia.
Social, Emotional and Mental Health: Including difficulties with emotional regulation, anxiety, attention and wellbeing.
Sensory and/or Physical Needs: Including hearing or vision impairments, physical disabilities and sensory needs.

Some children may have needs across more than one area. Support is planned according to each child's individual needs and does not depend on a formal diagnosis.

Further information about how we identify and support these needs can be found in our SEND Information Report and Graduated Response document.

Working with Families and External Professionals

We recognise that parents and carers know their children well and play an important role in helping us understand their strengths, needs and experiences.

We work in partnership with families and, where appropriate, external professionals, including West Sussex SEND Services, Educational Psychology, Speech and Language Therapy, the Learning and Behaviour Advisory Team (LBAT) and the Autism and Social Communication Team (ASCT).

Parents of children receiving SEN Support will have opportunities to meet with the school at least three times each year to review their child's progress, intended outcomes and the effectiveness of provision. These meetings will normally be led by the class teacher, with SENDCo involvement where appropriate.

For children with EHCPs, the SENDCo coordinates the school's involvement in statutory processes, including annual reviews, working alongside families, teachers and relevant professionals.

Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs)

Most children with SEND have their needs met through high-quality teaching, reasonable adjustments and SEN Support.

Where a child has more complex or significant needs that may require additional statutory provision, an Education, Health and Care (EHC) needs assessment may be considered.

The school works closely with parents, the Local Authority and relevant professionals throughout this process. Parents also have the right to request an EHC needs assessment directly from the Local Authority.

Further information is available through the West Sussex SEND Local Offer.

Accessibility and Inclusion

We are committed to ensuring that children with disabilities can access learning, school activities and the wider life of the school.

In accordance with the Equality Act 2010, we make reasonable adjustments and regularly review how we can improve accessibility.

Our Accessibility Plan sets out how we improve access to the curriculum, physical environment and information for disabled pupils.

Raising Concerns

We encourage parents and carers to raise any concerns about their child's SEND provision as early as possible.

In most circumstances, concerns should initially be discussed with the class teacher, who will seek support from the phase leader or SENDCo where appropriate.

Parents may request further discussion with the SENDCo, particularly where matters involve complex needs or statutory SEND provision.

If concerns remain unresolved, parents can follow the school's published Complaints Policy. This does not affect parents' statutory rights relating to EHC needs assessments or EHCPs.

SEND Policies, Information and Useful Links

For more detailed information about SEND provision at Leechpool Primary School, please refer to the documents at the bottom of this page.

Further Information and Support

If you have any further questions about SEND provision at Leechpool Primary School, please contact the school office on 01403 210233.

Further details, specific to Leechpool Primary School, can be found via the School's Information Report below.