What kind of things can the school do to help?
Schools will do their best to meet the needs of all children who may have special educational needs, for most children this will be in their local school.
It is expected that:-
- The teacher and SENCO will respond to any concerns about your child as early as possible.
- School staff will work in partnership with you to meet the needs of your child.
- Your child's views and wishes will be heard.
- All those involved with your child's education and welfare will talk to each other so that there is a consistent approach to supporting his/her learning.
To support your child's learning, all schools will have the following:-
a) A Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator (SENCO)
b) Monies within the school budget designated for meeting the needs of the school's pupils
c) A special educational needs policy and annual reports on its effectiveness
d) A pastoral policy
e) Advice from support services from the LEA, such as:
- Educational Psychology Service
- Specialist Teaching Service
- Student Support Service
- Advice and Inspection Service
- Access to health services for school age children through the school nurse and school doctor
Apart from the normal contact and attention that every child receives from the class teacher, if your child has Special Educational Needs the school may well feel it appropriate to provide additional support for your child to help with particular problems. Although this is not a complete list it may give you some idea of what may be done. Discuss with the school what you and they feel necessary or desirable. Remember that the school has a great deal of expertise and experience and you have intimate knowledge of your child. Together you will have a good picture of your child. Use the school's professional knowledge to judge what can be done to support your child's learning and development.
- occasional support from a non-teaching assistant
- occasional input from an outside support service
- access to a particular piece of equipment such as a word processing device, keyboard or tape recorder
- minor building alterations such as widening a doorway or improving the acoustic environment
- special teaching materials, for example: reading schemes, worksheets etc.
- aids and equipment to assist learning for example: maths equipment, games or play items
- experience and expertise of staff, complimented by any specialist training or qualifications
- different, alternative or extra programmes of study across the curriculum
- school based assessment, for example: diagnostic tests or classroom observations
- regular liaison with parents in addition to parents' evenings and annual school reports
- exam concessions or special arrangements for SATs at all Key Stages.
- Transition Planning from Year 9
- structured work experience/vocational programmes
- at Key Stage 4, a range of examinable and non-examinable courses leading to recognised qualifications
School buildings can vary greatly across the county. Some schools may offer a number of facilities, such as disabled toilets or easy accessibility.
The above list is by no means exhaustive. It doesn't take into account individual schools expertise and specialism or input from parents, community or voluntary groups. Above all, your child's teacher will provide a professional, understanding and thorough approach to supporting your child's learning and encourage them to be independent and successful in all aspects of school life.
Parents are the essential and main partners in the education of their children. Schools should work closely with you in this partnership and should keep you fully informed about any concerns they have about your child's progress. Tell them any information that you feel may be helpful, they will be very discreet.
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Page Last Updated: 22 April 2002
