Bredhurst Church of England Primary School

SEND (Special Educational Needs and Disabilities)

On the 1st September 2014, the Children and Families Act 2014 introduced a new framework for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). This represents the biggest shift in SEND for 30 years.

See here for Special Educational Needs Code of Practice

All local authorities are required to publish information on the 'local offer' about all SEND services, along with details of any eligibility for specialist services and a signpost to support those who do not meet the thresholds. Please click on the link to view further information.

The aim of the SEN strategy is to improve the educational, health and emotional wellbeing outcomes for all of Kent’s children and young people with special educational needs and those who are disabled.This strategy incorporates the Accessibility Strategy (under paragraph 1 schedule 10 of the Equality Act 2012)

In light of this we have reviewed the School's SEND Policy through consultation with the Head Teacher and Governors.

What do I do if my child has Special Educational Needs (SEN) prior to starting at Bredhurst  Primary?

Children with SEN will settle more quickly into school if everyone involved in their learning and wellbeing have a shared understanding of their needs.  Therefore we encourage pre-schools / feeder schools and parents to contact the SENDCo, Mrs Place (through the school office) at the point they are considering Bredhurst  for their child to make an appointment to meet and discuss any reasonable adjustments that can be put in place.  This will also involve a tour of the school if this has not already been done.

Once it is confirmed that your child will be joining us we like to arrange a transition meeting where you, as parents/carers, and all the adults involved in supporting your child meet and share the strengths and the differences of your child.  At this meeting we also draw up an action plan to support transition which may involve extra opportunities for your child to visit our school as part of their preparation.  The principle is that the more we know the more we can support and help.

Please be aware that towards the end of June and July this is a particularly busy time for transition and so the earlier we know the more likely we are to be able to arrange meetings.

What do I do if my child is already at Bredhurst School but I have a concern that they may have a difficulty with learning?

The first point of contact is your child’s class teacher as they are the person in school who they spend the most time with.  Make a list of your concerns and an appointment to see the class teacher.  The class teacher may agree that they have similar concerns or they may ask for a few weeks to observe these areas more closely and to meet with you again.  We support all needs through the use of a provision map which details interventions being run for that class.  Again these need to be trialled first as if they succeed no further investigation is required but if they do not help, a referral to the SENCo, Mrs Place, will be needed.

If the class teacher feels that there may be a difficulty that needs exploring further they will discuss this with the SENDCo  who will determine any assessment / observation that needs to be undertaken. These will be carried out  and the results fed back to you along with any actions to be taken.

What do I do if my child has a disability and / or medical need?

If there is an identified need that relates to learning then it will also be explained that your child is going to be placed on the SEN register in school so that the SENDCo monitors your child along with the class teacher.  It also means that you and your child, if they are in KS2, will be invited to SEND support meetings three times a year.  These meetings last 10-15 minutes and can take place with the class teacher and the SENDCO.  They look at the long term targets for your child in the area they have difficulty and break these down into achievable steps throughout the year.

Some children have a disability or a medical need e.g. severe allergy which does not affect their learning in any way and whilst it is therefore not a Special Education Need, it is vital we meet to ensure any necessary care arrangements are in place for when your child starts.

If this is the case then please contact Mrs Place to arrange a meeting to discuss requirements. You can also refer to our policy for supporting children with medical needs.

Supporting our Disabled Pupils

At Bredhurst we are constantly re-evaluating our provision to ensure the physical environment and curriculum is accessible.

These include: 

• all steps marked with yellow lines
• car drop off disabled bay
• designated staff trained in medical needs (as they arise), currently includes diabetes, epipen and incontinence.
• electronic white boards in teaching rooms – it is recognised that children with Learning difficulties and problems with their sight or are partially sighted find it easier to learn when an electronic white board is used- the background of which can be modified to suit pupils with specific visual issues.
• medical forms for parents to complete on entry to help us identify pupils and / or parents with disabilities / medical needs so that we can offer any support required.
• software purchased to support pupils with learning difficulties: Clicker 8 and Speech and Language Link 
• for the safety of our children who are wheelchair users, we ensure a personal emergency evacuation plan (PEEP) is in place
• working closely with the specialist teaching service for advice 

Our current accessibility plan can be found here.

Please talk to us if considering a place at Bredhurst so that we can look into any reasonable adjustments that may be required, with you.

Although Bredhurst is a Kent school, the local offer is dependent on where your child is residing.  If you are living in Kent and play your council tax to KCC then you are a Kent resident and will need to access SEND support through Kent's ;local offer.  However if you are living in Medway and you pay your council tax to Medway council then you are a Medway resident and will need to access SEND support support through Medway's local offer.  

Please find SEND policy 2023 here.

Click here for the SEND Report for Governors January 2024

and here for January 2023 Report

The Equal opportunities policy and other policies can be found here