SEND (Special Educational Needs & Disability)

Our Ethos

Working closely with Parents, Governors and the wider community, we provide a caring, secure and happy environment where every child matters and where all children will be nurtured and guided to develop a thirst for learning.

Our school is an inclusive school and offers to meet the needs of all pupils and their families, including those with special educational needs. We have a shared expectation that all pupils, regardless of their special educational needs, should be offered inclusive teaching which will enable them to make the best possible progress in school so they know they are a valued member of the school community. The range of support the school can offer will be tailored to individual need following thorough assessments by internal and / or external agencies.

Our work with you and young people

Head Teacher:

Miss Rebecca Sigston is responsible for the day-to-day management of all aspects of the school, including the provision for pupils with SEND.

Class Teacher:

The class teacher is responsible for:

• Adapting and refining the curriculum to respond to the strengths and needs of any pupil with SEND in their class.
• Checking on the progress of your child and identifying, planning and delivering additional support.
• Contributing to devising personalised learning plans, where appropriate, to focus on next steps required to improve your child’s learning.
• Ensuring quality first teaching and differentiation for pupils with SEND.

Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator (SENCO):

Mrs Clare Cooper is responsible for:

• Coordinating provision for children with SEN and developing the school’s SEN policy.
• Ensuring parents are involved in supporting their child’s learning.
• Keeping parents informed about the range and level of support offered to their child.
• Including parents/carers in reviewing how their child is doing.
• Using a range of agencies outside of school who can offer advice and support to help pupils overcome difficulties.
• Providing specialist advice and facilitating training to ensure that all staff are skilled and confident about meeting a range of needs.
• Supporting planning which takes into account individual pupil needs and requirements. Differentiation will be planned in a range of ways to ensure that pupils can experience success and challenge in their learning.

SEN Governor:

Ms Kayleigh Trainor is responsible for supporting the school to evaluate and develop quality and impact of provision for pupils with SEN across the school.

Staff Expertise:

An ongoing programme of training is in place to ensure that teachers and learning support staff have the appropriate skills and knowledge in areas that will improve their teaching and support of children with SEN. Our SENCo has extensive knowledge of current local and national initiatives and policies that support pupils with a range of different needs.

Tracking:

We assess learners continuously in order to track progress and make any necessary interventions. Children with Plans have their progress monitored and new targets are introduced as needed. Teachers and Teaching Assistants meet regularly with the SENCo to discuss children’s progress.

Budget:

The quality, appropriateness and impact of the overall provision are kept under regular review. The school will use its available budget to meet the needs of all pupils.

Personalisation:

The curriculum is adapted to ensure all children with SEND have the opportunity to take part in all aspects of school life, including out of school activities.

Our Partnerships:

Ivy Chimneys is now part of the Epping Forest Schools Partnership Trust. As a result, we now have access to a range of extended services to support our pupils. These include:

• Play Therapy
• Counselling
• Music Therapy
• Early intervention and support for attendance

The school also works closely with a range of outside agencies including:

• Educational Psychologist
• Speech and Language Therapists
• Occupational Therapists
• Physiotherapists
• EWMHS (Emotional Wellbeing and Mental Health Service)
• SAS (Statutory Assessment Service)
• Specialist Teaching Team

Signposting:

A range of policies are available on the school’s website, or we can provide copies on request. These include: SEN policy; Home-School Agreement; Safeguarding; Complaints procedure; Behaviour policy; Equal Opportunities policy; Child Protection policy; Disability and Equality policy.

For information on the Essex Local Offer, please visit

For further information about the School’s offer, please contact the office by phone: 01992 573518; or email office@ivychimneys.efspt.org using the pre-fix FAO: Clare Cooper in the Subject bar.

EDUCATION PSYCHOLOGY SERVICE 

Essex Educational Psychologists (EPs) provide independent professional advice to families and schools. They work with children and young people up to 25 years old. An EP applies psychology (the study of thinking, learning and behaviour) to support the learning, development and wellbeing of children and young people. Many Essex EPs have specialist skills in areas such as autism, behaviour and mental health.

Parents can make enquiries to The Educational Psychology helpline. 

Tel: 01245 433 293

The helpline is open every Monday afternoon during term time from 1pm to 5pm.