Special Educational Needs

Charlton Church of England Primary School is committed to inclusion and to the development of cultures, policies and practices that include all learners. We aim to encourage a sense of community and belonging, and to develop an environment where all children are equally valued, reach their full potential, can flourish and feel safe.

It is our policy to meet the needs of all children who experience barriers to their learning. This may relate to sensory or physical impairment, learning difficulties or emotional or social development. These barriers may relate to factors in their environment at both home and school.

We recognise that pupils learn at different rates and that there are many factors affecting achievement, including attendance, ability, emotional state, age and maturity. We believe that many pupils, at some time in their school career, may experience difficulties which affect their learning, and we recognise that these may be long or short term. We aim to identify these needs as they arise and provide teaching and learning opportunities which enable every child to achieve to his or her full potential. This may include additional provision.

We aim to work closely with parents. The SEN Code of Practice (2015) puts parents at the heart of the discussion about how best to support their children and ensures that we can look forward to working in even closer partnership with parents and health professionals to ensure Charlton children get the best possible support and make good progress.

Our SENCO's contact details can be found below. Please email her at any time should you have concerns about your child. Her working days are Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. On the SEN team we have a Teaching Assistant who delivers Speech and Language interventions, and a play therapist; a physical intervention coach, and ELSA and a Nurture Team, together with our Family Liaison Officer, who supports our parents with a wide variety of matters. The FLO, Andrea Charlton can be found on the gate Wednesday, Thursday and Friday mornings and afternoons. If you have any concerns or you feel your child may need additional support please come and talk initially to your child’s class teacher.

Key websites for support and information

• Kent SEND Information Hub (Local Offer)
  Information about support and services within Kent.
• Information Advice and Support Kent 
  Give free, impartial and confidential information, advice and support about special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) for children, young people up to age 25, parents and carers.
• Kent PACT – Parents and Carers Together
  Work to make sure that services provided by education, health and care in Kent meet the needs of children who have special educational needs and disabilities, and their families.

• We are Beams
  Local support for children and their families. 
• National Autistic Society – NAS
• British Dyslexia Association – BDA
• Kent Children and Young People’s Mental Health Services 
  Also known as CAHMS or CYPMHS
• The Pod – Children’s Therapies
  Information, resources and support for speech and language, occupational and physio therapies.

Mainstream Core Standards

The mainstream core standards provides a framework for schools to support children and young people with SEND. This is further supported by the county wide approach to inclusive education, which details the plan in moving forward in making sure SEND children and young adults are included in mainstream education.

Please find below the links to the Mainstream Core Standards

Mainstream Core Standards Guide

Guide for Parents

The Balanced System

Click here for more information on The Balanced System

Speech, Language and Communication development are important life skills. They are linked to learning, attainment, behaviour, social and emotional development as well as mental wellbeing. We are committed to supporting the speech, language and communication development of all our pupils. We are working in partnership with our NHS link speech & language therapist Dee Murphy and Lucy Adams, as well as specialist teachers to continue to improve our practice and provision and help to ensure that all our children reach their potential. Your child may therefore come into contact with Dee and Lucy within their classroom or around school. If you have any concerns about your child’s speech, language or communication skills, please speak to your child’s class teacher in the first instance. We will then work together with you to agree next steps. You will be kept informed about any plans to support your child