The Graduated Approach to Support SEND Pupils

Washacre is committed to providing appropriate and high-quality education to all the children living in our local area. We believe that all children, including those identified, as having special educational needs, have an entitlement to a broad and balanced academic and social curriculum which is accessible to them and to be fully included in all aspects of school life.

Special Educational Needs may include a range of difficulties from behaviour to learning difficulties, speech, language and communication difficulties, medical and physical difficulties, as well as exceptionally able children.

Children are identified as having special educational needs if they have a learning difficulty which calls for special educational provisions to be made for them. Children have difficulty if they:

Have a significantly greater difficulty in learning than the majority of children of the same age: or
Have a disability which prevents or hinders them from making use of the educational facilities of a kind
generally provided for children of the same age in schools within the local authority.

It may not always be possible to categorise a child’s difficulty and we are very aware that some difficulties may be temporary, however, we use 4 categories to help identify a child as having a special educational need. These may occur singly or in any combination or may not be obvious at all
The four areas are:

Communication and Interaction
Cognition and learning
Social, emotional and mental health
Sensory or physical needs

At Washacre we acknowledge the importance of early identification and recognition of a child’s specific needs in order to ensure that we are able to provide a structured program of support. Staff within Early Years have a key part to play in the early identification of need and we then follow a staged procedure as required by the SEN code of practice.

We liaise on a regular basis with a wide range of professionals and outside agencies including Speech Therapists, Occupational Therapists, Physiotherapists, Paediatricians, Educational Psychologists, Ladywood Outreach Team, Social Care and Health Visitors.

Initially, the class teacher will discuss any concerns with the SENCO Mrs Lowe, if appropriate children may receive some additional support in the classroom and may be included in targeted support. The class teacher and SENCO will liaise with parents and carers, the child will then be identified on the school SEN register and additional support will be provided. The child’s progress will be monitored to ensure that the support provided is having an impact. Regular reviews are held with parents, and further support and guidance may be sort from external agencies. Children may come off the SEN register when they have made progress and their special educational need no longer impacts on their learning. Parental support is vital throughout the process.

SENCO Information

Mrs Vicki Lowe – BA (Hons ) with QTS and Post Graduate Certificate in National Special Educational Needs Coordination (NASENCO Award)

Tel 01942 634 746
Email office@wasahcreacademy.org