All Staffordshire Local Authority maintained schools have a similar approach to meeting the needs of children with Special Educational Needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and are supported by the Local Authority to ensure that all children, regardless of their specific needs, achieve their potential in school.

Under the Children and Families Bill, Local Authorities and schools are required to publish information about the services they expect t be available for children and young people with SEND aged 0-25. The Local Authority refers to this as the ‘Local Offer’ and is available via the link below

The intention is to improve choice and transparency for families and to provide important information and signage regarding the range of services and provision within the local area.

The changes in the Children and Families Bill affect the way children with special educational needs (SEN) are supported in schools. This new approach began in September 2014 and places pupils at the centre of planning.

The key areas of the changes in  legislation are:

1. Young people and their families should be involved in discussions about the support they need, so they can share their knowledge and feed back to the school on the young person’s progress.

2. Education, health and care plans (EHC) have replaced statements of special educational needs. New assessments for additional educational needs have followed  the EHC guidelines from September 2014. (Existing statements remained  in force until all children and young people have completed the transition).

3. School Action and School Action Plus have ceased and have be replaced by a single school-based category for children who need extra specialist support (SEN Support)

4. There are 4 areas of SEND need:

   1. Communication and interaction
   2. Cognition and learning
   3. Social, emotional and mental health difficulties
   4. Sensory and/or physical

We are well placed to adopt these changes and  work with pupils and parents/carers to ensure fully inclusive access to our learning  by meeting the needs of children with SEN in a mainstream setting, wherever possible.

For more information about our school please see our SEN Information Report
 

Does your child have dyspraxia?

Dyspraxia affects fine and gross motor co-ordination and can cause problems for young people in planning, organising and carrying out movements in the right order in everyday situations.

For more information visit www.dyspraxiafoundation.org.uk/

Choosing books that will engage and captivate children who struggle with reading is often challenging. Help is now at hand with the publication of a free guide from Barrington Stoke and Dyslexia Action - "Dive in; A guide to choosing children's books for reluctant readers and readers with dyslexia" lists 40 titles divided into age range categories.

http://www.bdadyslexia.org.uk

http://www.dyslexiaaction.org.uk