Skip To Main Content

Special Educational Needs

At Dudley Infant Academy, making sure that every pupil is fully motivated and engaged and able to develop through a curriculum which supports their needs is key. We offer a stimulating learning environment which focuses on the personal growth and development of each individual child. We nurture the potential of every child regardless of their needs.

Our Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) provision has been developed to ensure that every child in our care can learn and thrive in a way that appropriately supports them. We ensure that all children, whatever their additional needs, are provided with a broad and motivating curriculum which supports them to achieve to the best of their abilities.

We pride ourselves on our communication between home, school and external professionals, providing each child with a strong circle of support.

We are an inclusive school. This means we provide for children with all types of special educational needs. The areas of need that are described in the SEND Code of Practice are:

Children and young people with any of these needs can be included with our academy community. Whilst these four categories broadly identify the primary areas of need for children and young people, our academy will consider the needs of the whole child or young person and not just their special educational needs.

We follow an ‘assess, plan, do, and review’ cycle to ensure that we meet the needs of children with special educational needs.

Where a child makes less than expected progress, the class teacher, in conjunction with the inclusion lead, assesses whether the child has SEND. Where a pupil is identified as having SEND, the academy will plan (in conjunction with the pupil and parent/carer) the child’s teaching by identifying the outcomes that are being aimed for, and by identifying and planning the provision needed to meet the outcomes. The resulting SEND support plan will then be implemented, and regularly reviewed, at least three times a year.

Our ‘assess, plan, do, and review’ cycle helps everyone to work together to continually improve the support so that the child makes good progress.

A school-based Additional Needs Plan (ANP) is used when, despite the appropriate targeted support, a child or young person continues to make little or no progress or to work at levels considerably below those of their peers. Many of these children are likely to be receiving support from other agencies.

Where, despite taking relevant or purposeful action to identify, assess and meet the SEND of the child or young person, the child or young person has not made expected progress, consideration will be given to requesting an Education, Health and Care assessment. This request can be made by the academy or by parents.

At Dudley Infant Academy, the provision for SEND is organised into three levels or ‘waves’ of support:

Level of support

Provision

Responsible

Examples of intervention

WAVE 1

In class and supported by QTF (Quality First Teaching)

Class Teacher with support from the Inclusion Lead

  • Carefully differentiated activities
  • Increased visual support – sandtimers, individual timetables, CIP (Communicate in Print)
  • Sensory support – fiddle toys, ear defenders

WAVE 2

Children may be placed on the SEND register at this point

Outside the classroom

 

 

Inclusion Lead

  • Jump Ahead (motor skills)
  • Nurture groups
  • Thrive
  • Overlearning

WAVE 3

Children will be on the SEND register at this point

External agencies

Inclusion Lead

Support and advice from:

  • *CLASS (Communication, Language and Autism Support Service)
  • ESBAS (East Sussex Behaviour and Attendance Service)
  •  EPS (Educational Psychology Service)
  • ESCITES (East Sussex Children’s Integrated Therapy and Equipment Services)

Where, at Wave 1, a child cannot be seen to have reached targets, made expected progress or closed attainment gaps then they may need targeted, time-limited provision provided within Wave 2.

Where, at Wave 2, a child is still not making expected progress, the Inclusion need will seek advice from external professionals and coordinate responses. This is Wave 3.

If our parents or carers should have concerns about the progress or potential additional needs of their child at any point, we encourage them to discuss this with their child’s class teacher who will liaise with the Inclusion Lead. Additionally, you can contact the inclusion lead directly by email: s.sankey@dudleyinfantacademy.org.uk

Useful Links

East Sussex Local Offer (ISEND)

SENDIASS (Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Information, Advice and Support Service)

Amaze

A charity that gives information, advice and support to families of children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) in Brighton & Hove and Sussex

CLASS +

Works across East Sussex to support families/carers of autistic children and young people. Contact can be made by telephone (01273) 336887 or via their Facebook page.