Special Educational Needs

We aim to:

• provide a stable, caring and secure environment in which all pupils can learn and develop;
  maintain a whole school approach to the needs of all pupils;
• treat all children as individuals;
• always begin with what the child can do, rather than on what they cannot;
• develop the child’s self-confidence and a positive self-image;
• maintain high expectations of all children and enable them to reach their potential, by providing activities which are differentiated and additional adult support when appropriate;
• give each child access to a broad and balanced curriculum within the framework of Early Years Foundation Stage and the National Curriculum.

We recognise that some children have greater need than others do, and therefore it is our policy to:

1) Identify,
2) Assess need,
3) Try and meet those needs within the existing school facilities and resources,
4) Develop support systems with other agencies and with parents as and when appropriate.

The school has a part-time SENCO (Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator). There is a SEND information report and policy on our website.

Inclusion:

Children with Special Education Needs who are admitted to Hatfield Peverel Infant and Nursery School are integrated as fully as possible into our classes. Children are encouraged to participate in as much of daily school life as possible. Resources and facilities that a child may require are provided whenever possible from our existing resources, and any child with an EHC Plan (Education, Health and Care Plan) will receive additional provision from outside agencies and/or funded hours of Learning Support time. The planning of these times is done carefully to ensure that if a child or children are withdrawn to better meet their needs (e.g. to a quiet space or to a separate table) then they are not missing part of other activities which are going on in their classrooms. Teachers also give considerable thought to the planning of school visits and of special activities to ensure access for all the children in their class.

Resources:

We have a disabled toilet facility and the building is all on ground level ensuring easy access. We also have a small sensory area. The school is well resourced with most equipment needed to support SEN children.

There are central resources with extra games, activities and materials. However, some children may need specific equipment or furniture so we try to arrange such provision with the appropriate agencies.

On Tuesday 7th January 2025, we had the pleasure of welcoming Dr. John Guy, our former Chair of Governors, back to our school to cut the ribbon and officially open The Nest. Accompanying him were our enthusiastic Year Two school councillors, who added to the excitement with their enthusiastic reactions, giving the room a big ‘wow’!

Our dedicated staff have put in tremendous effort to set up this new and vibrant space, which serves as a space for wellbeing, sensory circuits and for ‘Little Owls’, a space for a group of pre-verbal children. The Nest is equipped with a variety of resources designed to promote relaxation and sensory exploration, including a bubble tube, a rocking chair, laser lights, an infinity mirror, and much more! The addition of The Nest benefits all of our children and supports their wellbeing.

Parental Involvement:

Parents are a vital part of education for children with additional needs and are kept informed throughout the process. We aim to develop a positive working relationship with parents of all our children. Parental support is enlisted for a variety of simple activities and games at home to try and reach a child’s targets co-operatively. Such activities might include sharing books at home, doing handwriting/tracing activities, playing I spy, memory games or jigsaws, learning key sight words and tricky words. Parents are also invited to periodic review meetings to share what is working well and plan the next steps for their child.