Our school is an inclusive school where every child matters; we aim to address children’s needs and support their development in the most appropriate way possible and celebrate effort as much as achievement. Our school’s SEND policy document is available on this website, detailing our philosophy in relation to SEND.
Additional and/or different provision is currently being made in school for children with a range of needs, including:
- Cognition and Learning – Moderate learning difficulties; Specific learning difficulties - dyslexia, dyspraxia.
- Sensory, Medical and Physical – hearing and sight impairment and sensory processing difficulties
- Communication and Interaction – autistic spectrum condition, Asperger’s Syndrome, selective mutism, speech and language difficulties.
- Social, Emotional and Mental Health – attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.
- Our Inclusion Leaders are both assistant headteachers and have a broad experience in the field of SEND. They both hold the SENCO accreditation. The members of the Inclusion Team all specialise in different areas: Pastoral, EAL, Specific Learning Difficulties.
- Our team of 1:1 key workers have extensive experience and training in planning, delivering and assessing intervention programmes.
- All our staff are trained each year on the needs of new pupils joining the school – this can include training from specialist agencies or consultants, as well as from our Inclusion Leaders or other staff with relevant expertise.
- SEND training forms part of the continuing professional development of all teachers and TAs and is organised in accordance with the needs of our children.
- The school works closely with other local schools, sharing training opportunities including INSET days and outside experts.
- The Inclusion Leaders meet with the senior leadership team once per half term to review and plan the training, guidance and advice that staff across the school need to ensure they meet the additional learning requirements of our children.
Inclusion
Bishop Aldhelm’s Church of England Primary School’s Inclusion Team is headed up by Miss Sharpe and Lucy Strickland. Working closely in the team are Miss Piwowarska (EAL Champion), Mrs Martin (ELSA trained TA) and Kelly Hawkins (Pastoral Care Worker and ELSA). The team work together to develop all aspects of Inclusion including SEN, English as an Additional Language (EAL) and Pupil Premium. Hayley Vacher is our Inclusion Governor.
We know how vital working in partnership with parents is, if children are to find school a positive and rewarding experience. With this in mind please do not hesitate to contact us via the school office for an appointment to discuss your child’s needs.
Inclusion Presentations
The Inclusion Team do presentations to parents every term. Links to each of the presentations can be found in the 'Downloads' section below.
Useful Websites
Parenting Support
Our goal is to deliver evidence-based programs and materials that develop positive parent-teacher-child relationships and assist in preventing and treating behavior problems and promoting social, emotional, and academic competence before a child becomes an adult.
http://www.incredibleyears.com/
Contact a Family (CaF)- support families with guidance and information. They bring families together to support each other.
Cerebra - help to support parents/carers with children who have sleep issues. Useful parent guides on a range of different areas.
Learning Support
Hungry Little Minds- a website with lots of fun, practical activities to do with 0-5 year olds to help them be ready for school.
https://hungrylittleminds.campaign.gov.uk/
Ideas for how to help your child with their reading and maths at home.
https://www.oxfordowl.co.uk/for-home/
265 free educational interactive teaching resources and activities for primary children.
ICT activities linked to the English National Curriculum. All games are designed, made by and © copyright 2012 of James Barrett.
Mental Health
Stormbreak- at school we follow this programme for improving children's mental health through movement. You can access for free at home:
www.stormbreak.org.uk
'Where's Your Head At?' is split into four different zones for children Kids Zone, teenagers, parents, carers and professionals. The site provides helpful information and advice about young people's mental health and emotional well-being.
https://www.wheresyourheadat.org/
Young Minds – a national charity committed to champion children and young people’s mental health and wellbeing across the UK.
Mental Health Foundation has on-line information about anxiety, depression, ADHD etc.
Dyslexia
Support for children with dyslexia.
http://www.bdadyslexia.org.uk/parent
Dyspraxia
Offers information and supports individuals and families affected by developmental dyspraxia through books, suggestions, a teen newsletter, and an adult support group.
http://dyspraxiafoundation.org.uk
Autism
The UK's most comprehensive directory of services and support for people on the autism spectrum, their families, and people who work with them.
A comprehensive site with a useful resource library.
Speech and Language
Speech and Language Services – Talking Point gives parents/carers and practitioners the information they need to help children develop their speech, language and communication skills.
Poole SEND Information Advice Support Service (SENDIASS)
SENDIASS offer free, impartial and confidential advice, information and support on special educational needs and disability, including social care and health issues.
What does it mean?!
In the area of special needs, there are a number of different acronyms which can be very confusing if you don’t know what they stand for. The list below will hopefully help you decipher some of the acronyms that are used!
ADD: Attention Deficit Disorder
ADHS: Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
ASD: Autism Spectrum Disorder
CAMHS: Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services
EHCP: Education, Health & Care Plan
EP: Educational Psychologist
EWO: Education Welfare Officer
FOW: Family Outreach Worker
HI: Hearing Impairment
IEP: Individual Education Plan
LA: Local Authority
MLD: Moderate Learning Difficulty
MSI: Multi-Sensory Impairment
ODD: Oppositional Defiant Disorder
OT: Occupational Therapy/Therapist
PD: Physical Disability
PMLD: Profound and Multiple Learning Difficulties
PR: Parental Responsibility
PT: Physiotherapy/Physiotherapist
SALT/SLT: Speech & Language Therapy/Therapist
SC: Social Care
SEN: Special Educational Needs
SEND Special Educational Needs and Disabilities
SENCo: Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator
SLCN: Speech, Language & Communication Needs
SLD: Severe Learning Difficulties
SpLD: Specific Learning Difficulties
TA: Teaching Assistant
VI: Visual Impairment
Multi-Sensory Room
A Multi-Sensory Room is a place where children with special needs can explore and develop their senses and skills and we have such a room at Bishop Aldhelm’s! Our Multi-Sensory Room has many different features ranging from soft play areas, padded floors and interactive equipment. The latter enables us to make dramatic changes to the Multi-Sensory Room environment using sound, lighting and fragrancing.
The Multi-Sensory Room can engage children whose learning is through play, for example from following bright lights, shapes and patterns with their eyes to pressing buttons to make the Multi-Sensory Room change colour. Users become interested in their environment. Furthermore due to the flexible functionality of the Multi-Sensory Room it can also be used to calm and de-stress. The concept of the Multi-Sensory Room is quite simple ... place a person with special needs in a pleasant environment where the distractions of the outside world are completely absent, present them with music and attention-grabbing moving colours and shapes and then add the ability for the person to actually make things happen that are so dramatic that they cannot be missed and you have the building blocks of real progress.
We strongly believe that achievement and enjoyment go hand in hand and have high expectations in all areas, especially behaviour, progression and attainment. We want the children who attend Bishop Aldhelm’s to leave with the skills, values and attitudes they need to be successful in their next stage of education and beyond.