Being a parent or carer and having the pressure of ensuring your child gets the best support can be quite stressful. So, if you have any concerns, no matter how small they may be, please contact us. Your first point of contact should be your child’s class teacher, by asking for a meeting to discuss any worries or concerns. Alternatively, Mrs A Wilson, our Acting SENDCO can be contacted on 01562 751788, email@example.com, or a meeting can be arranged via your child’s class teacher or the main school office. At Franche Primary, we have an open door policy and are always happy to hear from all of our parents or carers.
Our SEND Information Report and SEND Policy, as well as other useful documentation can be found under 'Policies', which may help to explain further the support we offer for children with additional needs. Worcestershire’s SEND Local Offer is also linked which provides clear and transparent information about the range of educational services and provision in the local area. Further information specific to each of the four areas of SEND can be found below.
Behavioural difficulties do not necessarily mean that a young person has a SEND and should not automatically lead to a pupil being registered as having SEND.
Children with speech, language and communication needs (SLCN) have difficulty in communicating with others, either because they find it difficult to understand what others say or because they have difficulties with fluency and forming sounds, words and sentences. It may be that when they hear or see a word they are not able to understand its meaning, leading to words being used incorrectly in or out of context and the child having a smaller vocabulary. The profile for every child with SLCN is different and their needs may change over time. They may have difficulty with one, some or all of the different aspects of speech, language or social communication at different times of their lives. Specific learning difficulties such as dyslexia or a physical or sensory impairment such as hearing loss may also lead to communication difficulties. Those with speech, language and communication needs (SLCN) cover the whole ability range.
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)
For some children and young people, difficulties may become increasingly apparent as the language they need to understand and use becomes more complex. Children with ASD, including Asperger’s Syndrome and Autism, are likely to have particular difficulties with social interaction and making sense of the world in the way others do. They may also experience difficulties with language, communication and imagination, which can impact on how they relate to others. In addition they may be easily distracted or upset by certain stimuli, have problems with change to familiar routines or have difficulties with their co-ordination and fine-motor functions.
Cognition and Learning (C & L)
Children with moderate learning difficulties (MLD) will learn at a slower pace than other children, and may experience greater difficulty in acquiring basic literacy and numeracy skills or in understanding concepts, even with differentiation and appropriate interventions. Alongside this, they may also experience the following difficulties; poor attention and listening skills, a delay in their speech and language, poor social skills, low-self esteem and poor emotional well-being.
Specific Learning Difficulties (SpLD)
A child with a Specific learning difficulty (SpLD) may have difficulty with one or more aspects of learning. This includes a range of conditions such as dyslexia (difficulties with reading and spelling); dyscalculia (maths) and dyspraxia (co-ordination).
Severe Learning Difficulties (SLD)
Children with severe learning difficulties (SLD) have significant intellectual or cognitive impairments and are likely to need support in all areas of the curriculum. They may have difficulties in mobility and co-ordination, communication and perception, and the acquisition of self-help skills. Children with SLD are likely to need support to be independent.
Profound and Multiple Learning Difficulties (PMLD)
Children with profound and multiple learning difficulties (PMLD) have severe and complex learning difficulties as well as significant other difficulties such as a physical disability or a sensory impairment. They are likely to need sensory stimulation and a curriculum broken down into very small steps. These children and young people require a high level of adult support, both for their educational needs and for their personal care.
- Social and emotional functioning
- The ability to regulate self and behaviour
- Mental health difficulties
School will put additional support and make adaptations to meet these needs wherever possible. It may be that the support of external agencies may also be required; these may include Educational Psychology, Reach 4 Wellbeing Service, Child & Adult Mental Health Service (CAMHS), Community Paediatrics and Wyre Forest & Hagley Project.
Supporting Low Self-Esteem
Support Children's Mental Health
ADHD Information for Parents
ADHD Parenting Tips
Sensory and/or Physical (S/P)
Levels of hearing loss vary between mild, moderate, severe or profound, all of which could have an impact on a child’s education. Hearing loss can be sensorineural, conductive or mixed. School may request the involvement of the Hearing Impairment Team to ensure any child with a hearing impairment receives the correct support in school.
Visual Impairment (VI)
A visual impairment is an eye condition that cannot be fully corrected by glasses or contact lenses. The levels of vision impairment vary from mild, moderate, severe or profound. School may request the involvement of the Visual Impairment Team to ensure any child with a visual impairment has their needs fully met in school.
Multi-Sensory Impairment (MSI)
A multi-sensory impairment occurs when a child experiences hearing loss and a visual impairment, both of which are educationally significant although this may be at different levels.
Both our bodies and the environment send the brain information through our senses. We process and organise this information so that we feel comfortable and secure, but some children may experience difficulty coping with, or understanding this information. This is known as having sensory processing difficulties. A child with a sensory processing difficulty may be under-sensitive or over-sensitive in the following 7 areas:
- Vestibular – The vestibular system includes the parts of the inner ear and brain that help control balance and eye movements.
- Proprioception – The perception or awareness of the position and movement of the body.
- Tactile – Tactile perception, also called touch perception, is the brain’s ability to understand information coming from the skin, particularly the skin on the hands.
- Auditory – Auditory perception refers to the ability of the brain to interpret and create a clear impression of sounds
- Oral – Oral perception involves how the mouth tissues perceive sensory information such as taste, temperature and texture.
Olfactory -This is about our nose and how it gives information about smells.
- Interoception-How we read out body’s signals including about whether we are hungry, thirsty, in pain or needing the toilet.
Physical Disability (PD)
A child who has physical disability may have a diagnosed medical condition that affects them physically. It could also be that a child has an undiagnosed condition whereby the child presents with delayed development or impairment with their physical ability and/or presentation.
School will ensure wherever possible adaptations and changes are made to the environment, resources and teaching to meet a child’s needs. School may also request the involvement of Chadsgrove Physical Disability Outreach Team to meet these needs.