SEND - Special Educational Needs and Disabilities

The Assistant Headteacher for Inclusion is responsible for managing the support for children with special educational needs, including those who have Education Health and Care (EHC) plans.

Special Educational Needs Information

On this page, we explain how we meet our duties towards students with special educational needs and disabilities. This reflects the information we provide to the East Sussex local offer which shows the support that is available for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities in East Sussex.

We will review this information every year and will involve students through the Student Council and parents through Parent Voice Groups. If you want to give us your views about the report, please contact the School Office.

SEND policy 
SEND Information Report 

 

GILDREDGE HOUSE SEND INFORMATION REPORT

Who leads SEND support at Gildredge House?
  • The Assistant Head - Inclusion oversees SEND support at Gildredge House across all phases of the school.
  • In the Primary phase, the Assistant Head of Primary and Primary SENDCo oversees the delivery of SEND support.
  • In the Secondary phase, the Secondary SENDCo leads the SEND provision.
  • The Assistant SENDCo assists both Primary and Secondary SEND work.

These staff members work together to help students with SEND.

 

 

Mr Tom Addems

Assistant Head

- Inclusion (AHT-I)

  

 

 

 Mr Matt Stephens

Assistant Head of Primary and Primary SENDCo

 

 

 

 

Mrs Hannah O’Driscoll

Secondary SEND Coordinator (SENDCo)

  

 

 

 

 Miss Elizabeth Fender

Assistant SEND Coordinator- Primary and Secondary (ASENDCo)

 

For help with Primary SEND, email: primarySEND@gildredgehouse.org.uk

For help with Secondary SEND, email: secondarySEND@gildredgehouse.org.uk

 

What needs can we support at Gildredge House?

We can support students with different needs, such as:

  • Communication and interaction
    For example, students with autism or that have speech, language and communication difficulties.
  • Cognition and learning
    For example, students with dyslexia.
  • Social, emotional, and mental health
    For example, students with ADHD.
  • Sensory and/or physical needs
    For example, students with visual or hearing impairments or processing difficulties.

 

How do we find out about students with SEND?

When students join our school, we will assess their skills and build on what they have learnt in their last school/setting.

Teachers will regularly check how all students are doing and look for those who:

  • Are not making progress in line with their peers, over a longer period of time.
  • Are not improving at the same pace as they were before.
  • Are falling much further behind their peers over a longer period of time.

Slow progress alone does not mean a student has SEND.

 

How do we decide if a student has a Special Educational Need or Disability?

In addition to discussions with teachers around a student’s progress in comparison to their peers, a student may be placed on the SEND register if they:

  • Have a formal diagnosis (e.g. Autism diagnosis) or are involved in this process (e.g. a referral has been submitted).
  • Have an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP).
  • Are working with an external service (e.g. Educational Psychologist) to support a specific learning need but does not yet have a formal diagnosis.
  • Have an identified additional need that falls under the SEND Code of Practice.
  • Have a large gap in progress, shown over a longer period of time and after support has been put in place.

 

Who else will be involved in this decision-making process?

We speak with students, their parents/carers and teachers early, to talk about whether they need additional support.

This helps to ensure that:

  • Everyone understands what areas of learning the student is successful with and where they might need help.
  • Parent/carer concerns have been listened to.
  • Everyone knows the goals we are aiming for with the student.
  • Everyone knows what the next steps will be to support the student.

We will let parents/carers know if a student will receive SEND support.

 

How do we check if our SEND support is helping?

We follow a four-part cycle called assess, plan, do, review.

The Class Teacher(s) will work with the SENDCo to look closely at the student’s needs.

This will include:

  • What the teacher has noticed about the student.
  • How the student has performed in the past.
  • Information from other teachers about the student.
  • How the student is doing compared to their peers.
  • Feedback from parents/carers.
  • The student’s own feedback.
  • Advice from outside support services.

All teachers and support staff will be informed of the student’s needs and the help they will receive. We will regularly check if the support is effective and helping the student to make progress.

 

How do we help students transition and prepare for adulthood?

For students starting in Reception and Year 7, we run a special transition programme. Students with SEND will get extra help during this time and their parents/carers will be informed about this process.

Students moving to different stages, for example from Key Stage 3 to Key Stage 4, will also get support from the SEND team and a wider team of adults, such as our Careers Advisor.

We share information with the schools and colleges that our students move to, to ensure a smooth transition into Key Stage 5.

 

What is our teaching approach for students with SEND?

Teachers are responsible for the progress of all students in their class. Quality first teaching is our first step in supporting students with SEND.

We make adaptations to meet the needs of each individual student, which are created with students and parents using a Student Support Profile (SSP). This is a one-page document that each SEND student has, which shares support strategies and other key information a teacher will need to support a student in lessons.

 

What changes do we make for students with SEND?

To ensure all students can access lessons, we make changes such as:

  • Adjusting lessons so all can take part.
  • Offering access to support zones like the Sunrooms in the Primary phase or the Oasis Centre in the Secondary phase.
  • Changing resources and staffing according to student needs.
  • Using helpful tools like laptops, coloured overlays, visuals cues and larger text.
  • Changing our teaching styles, for example, giving students more time to think and learn new words or reading instructions aloud.

These changes are shared on Student Support Profiles (SSP).

 

What extra learning support do we offer?

We have Teaching Assistants who support students in class and run specific learning programmes.

We work with various agencies to help students with SEND, including:

 

How do we check the effectiveness of our SEND support?

We look at how well students with SEND are doing by:

  • Reviewing their individual progress towards goals every full term.
  • Checking how effective our support is regularly.
  • Listening to student feedback.
  • Monitoring by the SENDCos.
  • Holding annual reviews for students with Education, Health and Care (EHCP) plans.

 

How do we help students with SEND join in the school community?

Every extra activity and school trip is open to all students, including before and after-school clubs.

We encourage every student to take part in trips, sports day, performances, and workshops.

No student is excluded for having SEND or a disability.

 

How do we support the mental wellbeing of students?

Alongside Class Teachers, students can access different support for their wellbeing, such as:

  • Onsite counselling services, such as Place2Be and Me and My Mind.
  • In the Secondary phase, through the Oasis Centre Coordinator, Heads of Year, and Assistant Heads of Year.
  • Our Emotional Literacy Support programme.
  • In the Primary phase, through the Behaviour and SEMH (Social, Emotional and Mental Health) Practitioner and Primary Phase Pastoral Co-ordinator.

We do not allow bullying in our school.

 

Which other organisations do we work with?

We partner with various external agencies to support our students. See ‘What extra learning support do we offer?’ for details.

 

How can I complain about SEND support?

If anyone has concerns about SEND support, they should speak with the Assistant Head - Inclusion. They will follow the complaints procedure detailed in the SEND Policy which is published to the school website here: https://www.gildredgehouse.org.uk/home/our-school/policies/

Parents/carers can take a claim to a SEND tribunal if they think their child has faced discrimination about issues related to:

  • Exclusions.
  • Education and related services.
  • Making necessary adjustments, including providing aids or services.

 

What support services are available for parents/carers of students with SEND?

For more information about help for parents/carers of students with SEND, please visit the link below:

East Sussex County Council special needs and disability local offer

 

Ambition