St. Joseph's Catholic Primary School is an inclusive school. We put support in place to ensure that all children can thrive from their starting points.

SENCO & Inclusion Lead

Mrs. A Stephens

Mrs. Stephens can be contacted via our school office via the following methods:

Telephone No: 01375 672217

Email: SEND@stjosephsprimary.thurrock.sch.uk

Meetings are by appointment only.

Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND)

At the heart of the work of every primary school class is a continuous cycle of planning, teaching and assessment which takes account of the wide range of abilities, aptitudes and interests of the children. The majority of children will learn and progress within these arrangements. Those children whose overall attainments and achievement in specific subjects fall significantly outside the expected range may have Special Educational Needs (SEN).

What does special educational needs mean?

The school follows the national government requirements of the SEND Code of Practice 2015. A child has SEN if they have a learning difficulty or disability which calls for special educational provision to be made for them.

A child of compulsory school age has a learning difficulty or disability if they:

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

Who to talk to first:

Always speak to your child’s teacher first if you have concerns about your child’s learning or development. They will let you know what they are doing to address your child’s needs.

Teachers monitor and assess children’s progress regularly and will inform you if they have concerns about your child’s progress and what they will do to address this.

What happens next:

If your child does not make progress, despite well-targeted teaching, the teacher may need to do more detailed assessment and put in place an intervention or more specific strategies which will be reviewed during the following term. The teacher will assess the progress and adjust provision accordingly.

On the second review, if your child still has not made the expected progress, the teacher will work with the school’s Special Educational Needs Coordinator (SENCO) to establish whether your child has special educational needs, which may involve referral to outside agencies for more specialised assessment. The school will begin the One-Planning process, which is a person-centred approach to SEND support.

If your child has already seen a Paediatrician or Therapist who has identified that your child has special educational needs, please let the school SENCO know and we will work with you to put the right support in place.

SEND Planning, Teaching & Assessment

For children who have a specific learning difficulty or a disability, our Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) policy outlines the educational support we provide.

If a teacher notices a pupil experiencing difficulties with their learning they will seek guidance from the school Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Co-ordinator (SENDCo). Advice will be given, which may include alternate strategies to support the pupils learning. Both class teacher and SENDCo will hold a meeting with parents to discuss next steps which could include:

• Advise parents to make an appointment to see the GP
• Referral to the Speech and Language Therapist service
• Referral to the Specialist Teacher Team
• Referral to Educational Psychologist service
• Referral to EWMHS (Emotional Welfare and Mental Health Services)

When a child is placed on the Special Educational Needs register, consultation with parents will continue through:

• Parent meetings.
• One Plan meetings at least twice a year, working alongside pupils, parents and sometimes specialist agencies to set specific targets that work towards achieving a long-term goal.
• For pupils with a Statement/ Education Health Care plan (EHC Plan) Annual Review meetings.