Special Educational Needs

At St Augustine’s we aim, in partnership with parents/carers, to meet the individual needs of every child attending our school, including those with additional needs.

Special Educational Needs (SEN): What Does It Mean?

The term special educational needs has a legal definition: children with special educational needs have learning difficulties and/or disabilities which make it harder for them to learn than most children of the same chronological age. Children with special educational needs may need extra help or different support from that given to other children of the same chronological age. It is widely acknowledged that many children may have special educational needs at some time in their educational career. At St Augustine’s we seek to help all our pupils to overcome the barriers to learning that their additional needs may present.

What can you do if are you are worried that your child may have additional needs?

Please talk to us. If you think your child may have additional needs that have not been identified or you are concerned about your child’s development and progress, it is best to begin by talking to your child’s class teacher. You can also make an appointment to see the school’s Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Coordinator (SENDCo) or the Headteacher. Remember – you know your child better than anyone! We want to work with you in order to resolve any worries or concerns that you may have. The closer the partnership between home and school, the more successful any interventions/support for your child will be.

Who’s Who?

All primary schools are required to have a person who is responsible for coordinating the day-to-day provision for pupils with special educational needs. This person is known as the Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Coordinator or, for short, the SENDCo. At St Augustine’s, this person is Mrs. Sarah Bennett. She is also a full-time class teacher. If you would like to contact Mrs. Bennett, please telephone the school office.

At least one member of the school’s governing body is appointed to have particular oversight of special educational needs provision within school. At St Augustine’s these people are Mr Terry May and Mrs Moira Finley-Landry. They liaise closely with the school’s SENDCo.

We have a Special Educational Needs Policy that gives more detail about how we aim to provide for our pupils with special educational needs.