Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) Information
Concord Junior Academy aims to be an educationally inclusive school in which the teaching, learning, achievements, attitudes and well-being of every young person matters.The Inclusion Team has a vital role within the school.
The team includes:
- The school SENCO, who is also the Associate Principal and Designated Safeguarding Lead, Nicola Sherwood
- Thrive Lead Practitioner, Charlene Stanton
- HLTAs and Teaching Assistants
Our Aims
We aim to ensure that all of our learners reach their full potential in education and personal development by receiving the highest standards of teaching and caring.
We believe that all SEND learners:
• are entitled to access a broad, balanced and relevant curriculum to meet their special educational needs
• can raise their attainment in all aspects of life and that they should be given the opportunity to fulfil their potential
• require differing levels of support and guidance to ensure that they can access learning, personal needs and a wider community successfully.
• should be given the opportunity to develop into a content, secure, well-adjusted and skilled young person to make a positive contribution to society and live as independent a life as possible.
Further details and information for parents can be found by clicking the link below:
Graduated Approach
Our support for pupils with SEND follows a graduated approach of assess, plan, do, review.
Sheffield Support Grid
We use the Sheffield Support Grid to plan provision for each pupil with SEND. The grid uses the official categories of need set out by the Special Educational Needs & Disability (SEND) Code of Practice: 0-25 years (2014) and illustrates the Teaching and Learning Strategies suitable for each.
It also indicates the expected support levels to be provided (0-5), the identification and assessment tools that may be in place and which other services may be able to help.
Effective support for pupils develops from parents, carers and school staff working in partnership through structured conversations, meetings, regular contact by phone and home visits. Children and their parents and carers need to be involved in planning and making decisions about their education. Regular meetings are held with parents/carers of children with SEND and Looked-After Children (with external agencies as appropriate) as well as annual reviews for pupils with SEND.
Links with outside agencies such as Learning Support, Health Visitors, Speech and Language Therapy, Hearing Service, Visual Service, FIS, CAMHS and the Educational Psychologist are strong. There is also partnership working with other schools, both mainstream and special schools.
Concord's Inclusion Team works closely with the Trust Inclusion Team. The Team is valued by pupils, staff and parents/carers. It is a strong, reflective team which benefits from the links between schools within the Trust.
Support for Children with SEND
Support offered by the Team includes:- In-class support
- Withdrawal support for interventions to improve speaking, reading, writing, spelling, handwriting, thinking and memory skills, maths, or to address physical or medical needs
- Catch-up sessions before and after school
- Support for children experiencing emotional, social, behavioural or health difficulties
- Lunchtime provision and support
- Early identification of children requiring additional support from agencies outside school, working alongside parents/carers
- Work with outside agencies for advice and to organise further support
- Supporting and liaising with Social Workers around personalised plans
- Development of strategies to improve attendance including group work with targeted students
Admission Arrangements for Children with SEND
Children who have additional or special needs are taken through a comprehensive induction process to ensure they quickly settle into school and staff are fully aware of their individual needs.
For further information, please refer to the documents below, the link to the local offer or contact Miss Nicola Sherwood (SENCO) at nsherwood@brigantiatrust.net.
Sheffield Local Offer: Local Offer | Sheffield (sheffielddirectory.org.uk)
Further advice and support for parents: Sheffield SENDIAS - Special educational needs and disability advice and support
Sheffield SENDIAS also run weekly information sessions for parents looking at SEN Support, checking a draft Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) and how to apply for an Education, Health and Care (EHC) Needs Assessment. For details click the link to their website above.
Information for parents - monthly discussion groups - click for further information
Information and support for parents of children and young people (0-25 years) with additional needs in Sheffield