Special Educational Needs and English as an Additional Language

How Additional Needs are Identified and Met

At Hale Prep, we recognise that our pupils have a range of abilities and that some will need extra support. We aim to recognise additional needs and quickly provide appropriate support in an encouraging atmosphere where children can thrive.

There are four broad areas of need.  These may overlap as a child often has needs in more than one area.

Communication and Interaction – Speech, language and communication needs.

Cognition and Learning – Specific learning difficulties include dyslexia, dyscalculia, and dyspraxia.

Social, Emotional and Mental Health – Difficulties with social skills and managing emotions, including Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD), and Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Autism is very distinct from ADHD, but the core symptoms of ADHD-Combined type, i.e., attention deficit, impulsivity, and hyperactivity, would appear to also be features of autism. ASD and ADHD are neurobiological disorders characterised by similar underlying neuropsychological “deficits.”

Sensory and Physical needs – A wide spectrum of difficulties will range in intensity and duration.

Our Aims

Our aims in identifying, planning, providing and reviewing support are:

• To help each child fulfil their potential.
• To encourage each child to become a happy, confident and secure individual, ready to progress to the next stage of their education.
• To ensure that each child can access every curriculum area and does not feel isolated.
• To build an excellent relationship with parents and carers, maintaining our open-door policy where parents’ views and wishes are discussed and they are kept fully informed of developments.

How Support is Mapped Throughout the School

Quality First Teaching is delivered throughout the school. 

Children are taught in groups of no more than 18 and smaller classes in the infants.

A provision map detailing the support for children in reading, phonics, vocabulary, spelling, and maths is provided for the current year groups. Parents are given this information on parents’ evenings.

The school follows the graduated Assess–Plan–Do–Review approach.  

Early Intervention

All children are assessed termly in addition to formative assessment through marking and classwork. Progress is tracked and monitored. If a teacher feels a child is not progressing in a particular curriculum area, they will liaise with the Special Educational Needs lead about various interventions and strategies. The pupil will be discussed at the weekly SEN meeting with the Headteacher, and specific interventions will be implemented. Parents/carers will be consulted, and their views and wishes will be considered. Support is recorded on the SEND provision map.

Early Interventions may include the following -

• Differentiated teaching and delivery within the classroom. 
• Differentiated homework, reduced spelling, etc
• Targeted support from classroom assistants.
• Increased use of visual aids and visual timetables.
• Flexible teaching arrangements.
• Group support for phonics, spelling, comprehension and maths.

Progress is recorded, and the effectiveness of interventions is monitored.  Parents will continue to be consulted and informed of outcomes through regular face-to-face meetings, telephone conversations and emails.

Involvement of Specialist Agencies

Parents may decide to involve an external specialist agency to assess for specific learning difficulties if a child continues to make little progress. It is strongly recommended that parents ask the Special Educational Needs lead for recommendations of suitable agencies to contact, and the school will complete questionnaires and materials before an assessment.

In the case of a child diagnosed with a specific learning difficulty. In that case, they will be entered on the school SEN Provision Map, their progress will be closely monitored, and termly assessments will be recorded.  All staff will be informed of a diagnosis; assessment reports will be closely scrutinised, and recommendations for strategies will be circulated to the child’s teachers so that they can implement them in the classroom.  All developments will be recorded on the SEN provision map. Their effectiveness is monitored, and interventions are adjusted accordingly.  An Individual Education Plan may be set up with specific targets to be met within clear timeframes. Parents will be involved in discussions about strategies and advised on how to support their child at home.  It should be noted that we do not have the specialist staff to provide dyslexia support.

Education, Health and Care plans (EHCP)

If there is a significant cause for concern, the school will work with parents to apply to their Local Authority for an EHCP.  This will involve supplying the LA with detailed information about the child’s special educational need (SEN), including specialist reports and evidence of the child's support in school. The

Exam Access Arrangements

When applying to secondary schools, the parent must request additional access arrangements, such as extra time or exam breaks. They must provide evidence of a recent specialist report that justifies the request. Secondary schools often contact us before such requests are granted, asking for precise details about an applicant’s ‘normal way of working’ in school and evidence of the support in place.