Oxhey Wood Primary School
SEND
Our School
At Oxhey Wood the nurturing environment provided at our inclusive school helps our children to flourish, achieve and enjoy their learning. Our children try to be the best they can be and are encouraged to ‘have a go’ in their learning. The learning experiences provided by our dedicated teaching staff are supported by our devoted team of teaching assistants and SEND support assistants who support all children to access their learning They are assisted by our strong pastoral team comprising family support workers and Thrive practitioners. All children learn, develop and progress in their own ways and we support all children to be the best they can be. Some children may require additional support to reach their full potential. As a school we monitor and put the relevant support mechanisms in place, reviewing these measures regularly. Everyone needs help sometimes and it is brave and okay to ask for help when you need it
We offer alternative provision in our Lowry, Rashford and Attenborough classes where we are able to support children who, for whatever reason, are unable to manage at that time in a mainstream classroom. With a specialised curriculum and a high ratio of staff to students, children’s communication, language, emotional, social and learning needs are addressed.
We believe that all children have the entitlement to learning experiences which will enable them to achieve their maximum potential in terms of their social, emotional and academic development. We teach all of our children that ‘Fair isn’t equal, fair is when everyone gets what they need.’
We are a Thrive approach school and have practitioners who deliver individual and group therapy sessions. Please see below for more information regarding the Thrive Approach.
To support positive behaviour, we are a Hertfordshire Steps school. Hertfordshire Steps is a therapeutic approach to positive behaviour management. The Steps approach is based on the following principles:
- shared focus on inclusion of all children and young people within their educational settings
- a shared set of values and beliefs
- open and shared communication
- a shared commitment to diversion and de-escalation
- shared risk management
- shared reparation, reflection and restoration
Please take the time to read through the following sections that explain SEND and the work we do at Oxhey Wood to support children and families with SEND who attend our school. If you have any SEND enquiries, please contact the school office 020 8428 4828 and our SENDCo Miss Douglas-Law will happily discuss these with you. Alternatively you can email Miss Douglas-Law on:
Special Education Needs or Disability (SEND)
The definition of Special Educational Needs or Disability is:
A child or young person has SEN if they have a learning difficulty or disability which calls for special educational provision to be made for him or her.
A child of compulsory school age or a young person has a learning difficulty or disability if he or she has a significantly greater difficulty in learning than the majority of others of the same age, or has a disability which prevents or hinders him or her from making use of facilities of a kind generally provided for others of the same age in mainstream schools or mainstream post-16 institutions
(SEND Code of Practice 2015).
Under the new Code of Practice four broad areas of need are given:
- Communication and Interaction
- Cognition and Learning
- Social, Emotional and Mental Health
- Sensory/Physical
Four Areas of Need:
The Four Broad Areas of Need within Special Educational Needs are: Communication and Interaction; Cognition and Learning; Social, Emotional and Mental Health and Sensory and/or Physical needs. In school, we work with parents, the children, local authority and outside agency professionals to support children within these four areas to be the best they can be.
Communication and Interaction
Children with Communication and Interaction needs have difficulties in communicating with others. This can take the form of not understanding what is being said to them or challenges in saying what they want to; not only verbally but in the selecting of words. A child may also find it tricky to recognise the social rules of communication. Children with Communication and Interaction needs may need support with one, some or all of the previously mentioned areas. Their needs can also change over time. This area can also be referred to by professionals as Speech, Language and Communication Needs (SLCN).
Cognition and Learning
Despite scaffolds and differentiation in lessons and class-based support, some children may have difficulties in their learning that result in them learning at a slower pace. Cognition and Learning needs cover a wide range and these are categorised into: Moderate Learning Difficulties (MLD); Severe Learning Difficulties (SLD); Profound and Multiple Learning Difficulties (PMLD) and Specific Learning Difficulties (SpLD).
Social, Emotional and Mental Health
Children and young people may experience a wide range of social and emotional difficulties which manifest themselves in many ways. These may include becoming withdrawn or isolated, as well as displaying challenging or disruptive behaviour. These behaviours may reflect anxiety, uncertainty, anger or another underlying cause.
Sensory and/or physical needs
Some children and young people require special educational provision because they have a disability which prevents or hinders them from making use of the educational facilities generally provided. These difficulties can be age related and may fluctuate over time. Many children and young people with vision impairment (VI), hearing impairment (HI) or a multi-sensory impairment (MSI) will require specialist support and/or equipment to access their learning.
