Special Educational Needs
Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND)
At St Mary’s Roman Catholic School
Who to contact
If you have any questions or concerns about your child’s learning or development, you can speak to Mrs Sutcliffe, our SENDCo (Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Coordinator). She is here to support both children and parents.
📞 Contact Mrs Sutcliffe: 01706 873123
📅 Appointments available – just get in touch to arrange a chat.
What are Special Educational Needs or Disabilities (SEND)?
Some children may find learning or school life a bit more difficult than others. The term ‘Special Educational Needs’ (SEN) refers to children who need extra help because they have a learning difficulty or disability that makes it harder for them to learn than most children their age.
At St Mary’s, we understand that every child is unique. Some children may need extra support – and that’s okay! We make sure teaching is adapted so every child can succeed and feel included.
Children may need extra help with things like:
- Reading, writing, or maths
- Understanding or remembering information
- Talking or understanding what others say
- Making friends or getting along with others
- Managing emotions or behaviour
- Getting organised
- Sensory or physical difficulties (e.g. hearing, sight, movement)
How will I know if my child has SEND?
We work closely with families. If we think your child may benefit from some extra support, here’s what will happen:
- Your child’s class teacher will speak to you about any concerns.
- You’ll be invited to meet with the teacher and Mrs Sutcliffe to talk things through and decide the next steps.
- This is called SEND Support, and it might include:
- Changing how we teach your child
- Adjusting the work they’re given
- Extra help from adults
- Special equipment or resources
If we think your child needs help from outside professionals, such as a Specialist Teacher, Educational Psychologist, or Speech and Language Therapist, we’ll always talk to you first and ask for your permission before making a referral. We’ll also keep you informed about what happens next and any advice they give.
How do we support children with SEND at school?
If your child is identified as having SEND, we will create a Pupil Overview of Provision (POP). This is a simple plan that explains:
- What support your child needs
- The goals we are working towards
- How we’re helping them at school (and possibly with outside support)
Each term, your child’s teacher will review their progress, update the plan, and meet with you to discuss how things are going.
What if my child needs more support?
If your child’s needs are more complex or long-term, we might apply for an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) – this is a formal plan that ensures your child gets the support they need across education, health, and care services.
We have created this document which explains some of the terms and abreviations used in special educational needs. Please click here to read.
Please click here to some useful websites.
How can I access the Lancashire Local Offer?
To view the Lancashire local offer for SEN please click here.
To view the Special Educational Needs and Disability Regulartion 2014, please click here.
Lancashire Termly Newsletter
To access the termly newsletter please click here.
Annual Review
Please read our guide on taking part in an annual review.
What learning provision is there?
- First quality teaching
- Challenge
- 1:1 support where needed
- Medical/Physical difficulty support
- In class support
- Gross/fine motor skills intervention
- Nurture
- Transition support (between classes/key stage/school
- Reading intervention
- Phonics intervention
- Maths intervention
- Speech and Language support
- Dyslexia support
- Visual impairement support
- Hearing impairement support
- Personalised curriculum
- Educational psychology support
- Specialist teaching
