Inclusion
SEND Support for Parents
Salehurst CEP School SENDCO is Mrs Hayley Williams:
Email address: sendco_salehurst@thebridgefederation.org
SEND - This is the link to our SEND policy and information
At Salehurst Church of England Primary School, inclusion is at the heart of our approach. We want every child to feel that they belong, are understood, valued and able to participate fully in school life. We recognise that children learn, communicate and experience school in different ways. Our approach begins with knowing the child: understanding their strengths, identifying any barriers they may be experiencing and considering what we can do differently to enable them to thrive.
Universal Provision – inclusion begins in the classroom
We believe that high-quality SEND provision begins with excellent universal provision.
Our inclusive classroom environments are designed to meet the needs of a wide range of learners from the outset. Teachers use adaptive teaching, clear and predictable routines, visual support, carefully considered classroom organisation and appropriate resources to help children access learning and develop independence.
Many of the approaches which support children with SEND benefit every learner. We firmly believe that what is good for SEND is good for all.
Our aim is to anticipate and reduce barriers wherever possible, rather than waiting for a child to struggle before support is put in place.
Our Graduated Approach
Where a child requires additional support, we follow the Graduated Approach set out within the SEND Code of Practice:
Assess → Plan → Do → Review
This is an ongoing cycle which helps us develop an increasingly detailed understanding of a child's strengths, needs and the provision which supports them most effectively.
At Salehurst, we think about this as know the child, identify the barrier, adapt the provision, review and where needed, change.
Support may begin with adaptations to our universal classroom provision before becoming increasingly targeted or individualised according to the needs of the child. Where appropriate, this may also involve working with specialist professionals and external services.
Pupil Voice – listening to the child
Children are at the centre of our approach.
We actively seek pupil voice so that children have meaningful opportunities to tell us about their experiences of school, what they find difficult, what helps them and what is important to them.
We recognise that children communicate their views in different ways. Pupil voice might therefore be gathered through conversation, observation, drawings, visuals, scaling activities or other approaches appropriate to the individual child.
Wherever possible, children are involved in identifying their strengths, discussing the support that helps them and contributing to their own targets and plans.
The Nest and The Pod
Alongside our inclusive classrooms, we have two dedicated spaces within school: The Nest and The Pod. These calm, supportive environments are used flexibly according to individual children's needs. They can provide opportunities for regulation and sensory support, targeted intervention, small-group or individual learning and access to a quieter environment when this is helpful.
The Nest and The Pod complement the inclusive provision available throughout our school and give us greater flexibility to provide the right environment and support at the right time.
Working together
Inclusion is everyone's responsibility and works best when we work together. We value the knowledge that children and their families bring and work closely with parents and carers, teachers, support staff and, where appropriate, external professionals.
We believe that what is good for SEND is good for all. Developing inclusive practice for children who experience barriers often improves our classrooms, teaching and school environment for everybody.
Children's needs can change over time and therefore our provision must be able to change too. Through ongoing communication, pupil voice and the Graduated Approach, we continually consider what is working, what difference our support is making and what our next steps should be.
Developing our neuroinclusive practice - PINS & AMAZING ME
Salehurst has been proud to take part in the Partnerships for Inclusion of Neurodiversity in Schools (PINS) project, a national programme bringing together education, health professionals, schools and parent carers to strengthen inclusive practice for neurodivergent children.
Our involvement in PINS has supported us to reflect carefully on our whole-school provision, listen to the experiences of children and families and continue developing environments and approaches which recognise and respond to different ways of thinking, learning, communicating and regulating.
An important part of this work is our use of Amazing Me. Amazing Me helps us to develop children's understanding of themselves as learners and individuals, recognising their strengths, preferences and the things that help them to feel comfortable, regulated and ready to learn. Amazing Me therefore sits naturally alongside our Graduated Approach. It helps us to know the child, identify barriers and make thoughtful adaptations to provision, while ensuring that the child's own voice remains central to the decisions we make.
The learning from PINS continues to influence our wider inclusive practice at Salehurst. Our aim is not simply to provide additional support when a child is struggling, but to develop a neuroinclusive school in which difference is understood, anticipated and valued.
SEND at Salehurst
Our SEND Information Report provides more detailed information about how we identify and support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, our graduated approach to provision and how we work with families and other professionals.
Our SEND Policy sets out the principles and procedures which underpin this work, these documents can be found in Key Information.
If you would like to discuss your child's needs or our approach to SEND and inclusion, please contact the School Office in the first instance.