Our Offer

We provide for all of the learning needs shown below, click on the yellow bar to gain access to the section that interests you.

Mrs Gallant our SENDCo can answer any additional queries that you may have, she can be reached at send@stcecilias.school (Monday to Wednesday.)

Cognition and learning difficulties

What we do to support children with learning difficulties:

 Initial concerns level

• Focussed teaching on gaps in learning 
• Differentiated work
• Lots of practice through recall and repetition
• Present new information in chunks
• Simple reduced language
• Extra time for processing information and completing tasks
• Differentiated success criteria
• Provide visual and practical resources
• Peer support
• Visual prompts on display
• Text and print displayed using appropriate font and/ or colour background
• Use of technology to support learning
• Encourage the use of spelling strategies, for example: mnemonics, words within words, base words and suffixes etc.  
• Use writing scaffolds to support planning  
• Use mind maps to plan and identify overall themes and the relationships between ideas  
•  Provide occasional opportunities to work with a scribe – perhaps within a small group to produce a piece of writing for ‘publication’

SEN Support level 

We continue with any relevant strategies from the Initial  Concerns level, plus:

• Appropriate small group interventions and resources
• Regular, specific focussed teaching which may be increasingly individualised from the teacher or teaching assistant.
• Implement, monitor and review advice from external agencies
• Use of coloured overlays/rulers
• Teach keyboard skills
• Checklists/schedules/ trackers to structure classroom tasks.

 Some of the interventions we may use are:

• Small group phonics catch up
• Precision teaching
• Breakthrough in maths
• Numicon
• Plus 1
• Power of 2
• Number Sense
• Snap 2 Maths
• Language for Thinking
• Reading and Thinking
• Fresh Start Comprehension
• Read Write Inc Comprehension
• Nessy Reading and Spelling
• Nessy Fingers (for children with Dyslexia or specific literacy difficulties)
• Specialist support from Education Psychologists and Specialist teachers.
• Dyslexia screeners and diagnostic assessments.

communication and interaction difficulties

What we do to support children with Speech, language and communication difficulties:

Initial concerns level

• Teacher positioned where children can see their face clearly and the teacher can see them  
• Keep all distractions to a minimum  
• Have visual prompts on display (to reinforce the rules of good listening, good sitting and turn-taking) 
• Have clearly differentiated success criteria  
• Allow extra time for processing information, formulating a response and completing tasks. Allow for frequent practice through recall and repetition 
• Use a variety of strategies for effective communication, including visual support and/or encouraging the child or young person to say in a different way or show  
• Encourage the child to use gestures to support speech 
• Encourage the child to say if they have not understood something.
• Create a predictable and consistent environment, ensuring routines are followed
• Keep language clear, concise and unambiguous 
• Use the child’s name at the start of any instruction or information giving  
• Present new information in small chunks, using simple language that is relevant to the child. 
• Introduce new material in a multi-sensory way – show it, listen to it, look at it, hear it, say it, write it  
• Use technology to support learning 
• Encourage Peer support  
• Use visual timetables and calendars  
• Use mind  maps to plan and identify overall themes and the relationships between ideas 
• Recap relevant vocabulary.
• Ensure knowledge of vocabulary before introducing a new topic. 
• Use clear adult models of speech and language, and repeat, emphasise and expand, as needed 
• Use adult modelling of appropriate social phrases in context 
• Make use of direct Playground Game teaching/ Personal, Social, Health (PSHE) education opportunities. 
• Plan daily opportunities to teach specific skills such as sharing etc.
• Make use of resources such as: Move ‘n’ sit cushions, movement breaks and fiddle toys  
• Explain words and phrases that have more than one meaning or may be misconstrued

SEN Support level 

We continue with any relevant strategies from the Initial Concerns level, plus:

• Use of visual supports  for effective communication
•  Individualised timetable which is predictable and consistent, and includes unstructured times e.g. lunch  
• Use of now and next boards and task lists to structure activities  
• Use social stories and comic strip conversations to aid understanding of social situations  
• Quiet areas  provided for times of stress or anxiety 
• Specific small group interventions  
• Differentiated curriculum, resources and success criteria.  
• Implement strategies from outside agencies 
• Provide access to a quiet, distraction-free work station if needed
• Access to activities that meet the child’s sensory needs into the day, for example: timetabled movement breaks, quiet area to access in the classroom or pop up tent
• Access to a workstation with few distractions but informative visual information and support.
• Implement sensory diets according to Occupational Therapy recommendation
• Environmental changes as appropriate to meet child’s needs
• Implement SALT recommendations

 

We use a variety of resources to support the child's learning in this area:

• Several Black Sheep Press Speech and Language resources
• Language for Thinking
• Word maps
• Pre-teaching vocabulary sessions
• Mind mapping skills
• The Language Gap
• Talkabout Social skills
• Friendships and self-esteem
• Learning to become socially talented
• Conversation Train
• Green Zone
• Socially Speaking
• Friendship Formula
• Social Thinking programme
• 1-5 scale and Zones of Regulation

 

We will also gain, where necessary, specialist support from:

Cognus Speech and Language Therapists,
Occupational Therapists
Autism Advisory Service.

In the Early years specialist support from Community Paediatrics, and NHS Speech and Language and Occupational Therapy services.

Social, emotional and mental health difficulties

What we do to support children with social, emotional and mental health difficulties.

Initial concerns level

We will:

• Use emotional resilience resources and the Bounceback programme
• Considered seating and grouping of children
• Provide a safe area for the child to calm down or concentrate when required. 
• Have a range of simple, accessible activities that the child enjoys using as ‘calming’ exercises.
• Make tasks short, with frequent breaks and opportunities to access physical or sensory activities.
• Use clear, concise and unambiguous language 
• Provide low-challenge tasks and increased structure and predictability. 
• Adjust timescale and output expectations for tasks.  
• Use an anxiety scale during post-incident reflection to measure and track level of anxiety at times of heightened emotion.
• Use of visual support such as symbols, photos etc. to reinforce classroom instructions and routine.
• Use child’s name when addressing them or gaining attention 
• Provide access to ‘fiddle toys’ or similar items 
• Explicitly teach the child specific social and communication skills e.g. how to ask for help  
• Use available adults to model, coach and reinforce group work skills when the child is working collaboratively with others  
• Utilise our positive behaviour strategies, such as praising desired behaviour, separating behaviour from the child and reminding of expectations, e.g.
  - We speak positively, saying what we want the child to do, rather than what you don’t
  - We label the behaviour, not the child
  - We remind the child of a rule rather than indicating poor behaviour at first, or we make a point of praising a child or young person who is keeping the rule.

•  Remind child or young person of the consequences of the various behavioural choices open to them  
• Make an effort to ‘catch the child or young person being good’ and praise them  
• Devise a private signal system to let the child or young person know when they are off task or behaving inappropriately 
• Involve the child  in the development of a reward system for appropriate behaviour  
• Teach strategies and make adaptations to support the child to achieve, thereby strengthening self-esteem and avoiding frustration if the child is struggling with tasks  
• Take steps to build child’s self-confidence
• Help the child or young person identify an appropriate adult that they feel comfortable sharing concerns with 
•  Build in time for ‘emotional check-ins’ during the day, and listen without judgement 
• Use a buddy system with another child 
• Provide opportunities for supported peer interaction to further strengthen social and communication skills

 

SEN Support level

We continue with any relevant strategies from Initial Concerns level, plus:  

• Provide a plan and support for unstructured and/or transition times 
• Increase stability and predictability of environment where possible
• Differentiate language and responses to take account of the child's stage of social functioning and emotional development  
• Adapt curriculum and allocate resources (adult support, or physical resources, e.g. ICT or sensory items) to meet individual SEMH need  
• Implement an appropriate and individualised behaviour management programme  
• Use appropriate emotional awareness and regulation workbooks or programmes within individual or a small group, such as Zones of Regulation, ‘think good, feel good’ or ‘no worries’ programme 
•  Implement individual or small group tailored social skills intervention

 

We use several programmes to support emotional regulation including the Zones of Regulation.

Specialist support in school includes ELSA and external advice can be sought from health professionals such as Speech and Language therapists, Occupational Therapists and the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service. We also work with Playwise for children up to 8 years and Adapt to Learn.

Sensory and physical difficulties

What we do to support children with sensory and physical difficulties

Visual Impairments

Initial concerns level

• Follow guidelines on individual condition and access strategies as advised by  ‘Advice to School’. e.g. positioning, use of magnifier. For most children and young people, class teacher will be able to use resources and strategies available in the classroom  eg Try out different paper or Smartboard colours to try to find best contrast .
• Take advice from specialist teams related to font style and size
• Intersperse short spells of visual activity with less demanding activities  
• Eliminate inessential copying from the board  Where copying is required, ensure appropriate print size photocopy is available  
• Provide occasional use of enlarged copies, as advised  
• Ensure child or young person has own text or monitor 
• Plan and support opportunities for information sharing and liaison between school staff, SIS, parents, and other agencies, as required . 
• Provide recommended equipment and encourage its use, for example: specific writing implements and/or lined paper 
• Ensure safe access to physical and practical subjects 
• Tasks may need to be differentiated by some variation of teaching material and time given to complete tasks.

SEN Support level

We continue with any relevant strategies from Initial Concerns level, plus:  

• Provide changes in the learning environment, as advised by the Sensory Inclusion Service (SIS)  
• Withdrawal sessions for individual or small group work may be necessary to:
  
  - Complete tasks made slower by the visual impairment
  - Prepare child or young person for a class activity/learning experience
  - Reinforce mainstream work
  - Provide additional hands on experience of materials or presentations
  - Learn particular skills to improve curriculum access e.g. touch typing or use of magnifiers or other specialist equipment 

We will follow advice submitted by the SIS to facilitate access to the curriculum, for example: 

• Use of whiteboard
• Accessibility of printed materials 
• Modification of teaching methods used 
• Speed of work
• Physical position of the child

We will naturally consider information from parents and other professionals in relation to the above and also consider whether some support from a teaching assistant/adult is required. We will also consider access arrangements for external tests and exams (SATs) following advice from the SIS.

Hearing Impairment

Initial concerns level

We will:

• Follow advice from the Specialist Teacher of the Deaf regarding appropriate classroom management strategies, as detailed in the ‘Advice to School’ document and/or records of visit
• Ensure advised access arrangements for exams are applied for and provided 
• Plan and support opportunities for information sharing and liaison between school staff, SIS, parents, and other agencies, as required  
• Support management of hearing aids  
• Consider seating arrangements to ensure that the child can see the teacher clearly and also see other speakers
• Encourage the child to pay close attention to the speaker’s face 
• Ensure that we have the child’s full attention before important information is given
• Allow more thinking and talking time in group discussions 
• When asking a direct question to the child we will use appropriate and simplified language and allow additional time to respond  
• Repeat contributions from other children – their voices may be softer and their speech more unclear  
• Provide keywords and/or additional visual support as prompts or to reinforce learning

 

SEN Support level

We will continue with any relevant strategies from Initial Concerns level, plus:

• Daily checks of personal hearing aids and radio aid systems, as advised the Specialist Teacher of the Deaf (STOD)
• Follow recommendations from the STOD for listening skills/language development activities  
• Some small group or individual interventions may be required for the following:
  - Development of listening skills
  - Language development including vocabulary
  - Pre/post tutoring of subject-specific curriculum vocabulary and/or concepts
  - Development of social-emotional skills  

• SIS to provide specialist equipment check, advisory, or teaching visits, following Service criteria 
• Ensure STOD visits are timetabled, and a suitable room is provided for assessment/audiological support and/or teaching sessions  
• Use and safe storage of equipment, as advised

 

Physical needs 

We will work closely with the child and their family to enable them to have full access to our curriculum and school facilities.

Initial Concerns Level

We will:

• Consider the organisation of classroom and seating plans to ensure free movement and sufficient working space.
• Consider positioning of the child in the classroom to minimise distractions  
• Use programmes to develop motor skills 
• Implement an accessibility plan to move around the school 
• Provide additional classroom resources such as sloping board, adapted cutlery/chairs/scissors and pencil grips etc. 
• Use differentiation and personalised learning targets  
• Use a well-structured curriculum plan in PE 
• Keep withdrawals from class to a minimum 
• Provide specific skill development and activities in support of targets  
• Provide adaptations to the pace of lessons to take account of fatigue  
• Consider timetabling and location of rooms where possible to facilitate movement  
• Use technology to support learning 
• Encourage peer support 
• Provide alternative lined paper with spaces sufficiently wide enough to accommodate child

SEN Support level

We continue with any relevant strategies from Initial Concerns level, plus:

• Provide flexible, adult assistance as necessary to access the curriculum, manage their condition, or move with safety around the environment 
• Flexible support in school to include dressing and undressing, and toileting 
• Provide extra time to deliver targeted and additional motor skills development 
• Ensure access to additional and specialised IT equipment, as required  
• Consider access arrangements for external tests and exams, and apply for/implement as necessary 
• Use strategies to reduce or provide alternative methods of recording written work 
• Teach the child how to use planners, a diary and lists to organise themselves as appropriate 
• Allow additional time to complete tasks 
• Where possible, provide alternatives to taking part in competitive team games where the child may feel self-conscious  
• Appropriate size and height chairs/tables to encourage a correct posture and to support fine motor function and writing  
• Consider rails within toilets or access to the disabled toilet 
• Ensure the child is able to reach and use facilities e.g. hand basins/taps/coat pegs 
• Give consideration to transporting of food at lunchtime e.g. assistance with trays and seating 
• Provide an option for the child to sit on a chair rather than on the floor at carpet time/assemblies. Can have a classmate do the same if appropriate.