SEND

Special Educational Needs and Disabilities

In this section of the website you can find out how we support children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities.

At Leckhampton C of E Primary School we provide a broad, balanced, relevant and challenging curriculum which is appropriate to individual abilities, talents and personal qualities. We aim to identify and minimise any barriers to learning and participation at the earliest possible opportunity to foster a love of learning so that children can meet their true potential.

We understand that having concerns about how your child is getting on in school can be very worrying. We have a skilled and experienced team who will listen carefully to your concerns, so please come and talk to us.

Our Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Coordinator is Mrs Suzie Pinless. Should you wish to speak with Mrs Pinless, please contact her on 01242 524062 or at admin@leckhampton.gloucs.sch.uk.

Support for Families with SEND- Gloucestershire’s Local Offer for Parents and Carers

The Local Offer brings together information and resources for children and young people with SEND and for their families who support them. The Local Offer is more than just a website – it’s how education, health, and support services work together to support children and young people with SEND in Gloucestershire.

The website helps families find information about support and activities, but it’s not just a list. It’s about making sure families can access the right help at the right time, wherever they are on their SEND journey.

Every local authority must have a Local Offer, although they will all look slightly different. This is because they are shaped by the local area’s needs and aspirations. You can also access the Local Offer through local area events and drop ins.

In Gloucestershire, the Local Offer is called “Support for Families with SEND, Gloucestershire’s Local Offer”. This is because families told us the term “local offer” didn’t really explain what it was and what it was designed to do.

We agreed that visiting “Support for Families with SEND” for information, advice and guidance better explains how services across Gloucestershire can support children and young people with SEND, and Parent Carers.

View the Gloucestershire Local Offer

Local Area partnership strategy

Here is a link to the Education Inclusion Strategy from Gloucestershire County Council

In this document you will find the 6 main priorities that Gloucestershire County Council have set. We have identified how we are addressing these priorities at Leckhampton C of E Primary School.

Priority 1- Development of an inclusion baseline

At Leckhampton C of E Primary School, the Inclusion Lead maintains a strong commitment to continuous professional development, ensuring that practice is informed by current guidance, research and local expertise. Regular engagement with training provided by Family Help (previously Early Help), the Advisory Teaching Service (ATS), Educational Psychologists (EPs) and the Local Authority, alongside participation in SENDCo cluster meetings, supports the ongoing development of the school’s inclusive practice. This enables the school to evaluate its provision effectively, share best practice and maintain a clear understanding of roles and responsibilities across the wider inclusion system.

Priority 2- Embedding a graduated approach to Inclusion

The school has embedded a consistent graduated approach to identifying and meeting pupils’ additional needs. My Plans and My Plan+ are reviewed three times each year by teachers, in partnership with the Inclusion Lead and parents. Reviews draw on a range of evidence, including assessment data, pupil voice, parental views, observations and advice from external professionals. This enables provision to be reviewed and adapted in response to pupils’ changing needs, ensuring that support is appropriately targeted and that progress is monitored over time. Where further expertise is required, the school works closely with ATS, Educational Psychology and other specialist services.

Priority 3- Improving access to education for specific groups

The SENDCo and Inclusion Lead provide strategic oversight of provision for pupils with SEND and those requiring additional pastoral and wellbeing support. The school’s dedicated wellbeing team provides targeted support to promote positive emotional wellbeing and remove barriers to engagement and learning. Where appropriate, the school works collaboratively with NHS colleagues and other professionals to ensure that pupils and families receive coordinated support. This joined-up approach helps pupils to access learning, participate fully in school life and achieve positive outcomes.

Priority 4- Working together: Effective multi agency working

The school places strong emphasis on effective partnership working to ensure that children and families receive the right support at the right time. The school works collaboratively with the Inclusion Team, TALC (Team Around the Locality Cluster), Family Help and a range of external agencies. This partnership approach supports effective information sharing, joint problem-solving and coordinated planning. The school uses the graduated pathway to identify appropriate levels of support and to ensure that provision is responsive to the needs of individual children and families.

Priority 5- Workforce development: Adverse childhood experiences, trauma informed approaches and restorative practice

The school invests in staff development to strengthen understanding of the impact of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and trauma on children’s behaviour, relationships and ability to engage in learning. External specialists are commissioned where appropriate to develop staff knowledge and practice. Trauma-informed and restorative principles are reflected within school policies and approaches, particularly the behaviour policy, supporting a consistent and relational approach across the school. This enables staff to respond to behaviour with an understanding of underlying need while maintaining clear, appropriate boundaries and high expectations

Priority 6- Alternative provision: developing the local offer.

Where a pupil’s needs cannot be effectively met through ordinarily available provision within the school, the school works collaboratively with families, professionals and alternative provision settings to identify appropriate support. Decisions are informed by a multi-agency assessment of need and form part of a graduated response. The school maintains oversight of pupils accessing alternative provision and works in partnership with providers to ensure that arrangements are purposeful, appropriate and focused on enabling pupils to engage positively with education and achieve the best possible outcomes.

Gloucestershire County Council and NHS Gloucestershire SEND Strategy

Here is the link to Gloucestershire County Council and NHS Gloucestershire SEND Strategy

The Gloucestershire County Council and NHS Gloucestershire also have a SEND strategy. Their vision is as a local area partnership is to provide high quality, inclusive services and to use our collective resource effectively; promoting inclusion and achieving the best possible outcomes for children and young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities.

This document lays out 3 priorities that the Gloucestershire County Council are working towards;

Communication that is timey and informative.
Access to support when it is needed.
Outcomes that are ambitious and achievable.