At St Christophers Academy children are identified as having special educational needs through a variety of ways.

These can include:

• Children performing far below their chronological age in a particular area
• Concerns raised by parents
• Concerns raised by teachers. This could be differences in the child’s behaviour in class of through pieces of work they complete
• Concerns raised from teachers from any previous schools
• Meetings with specialists outside of the school
• Medical and health diagnosis through doctors or hospitals

At St Christophers Academy we cater for a range of different  SEN needs. 

Currently this includes:

• ASD,
• Dyslexia, 
• Moderate Learning difficulties,
• Speech and Language disorders, 
• Social, Emotional and Mental Health difficulties. 

We aim to be a school with positive relationships with our parents. If you have any concerns at all about your child please come and see your child’s class teacher in the first instance or you can also speak to:

Special Educational Needs Coordinator (SENCo), Mrs McCloskey is available during school hours on 01582 500960 or via email at senco-sca@bestacademies.org.uk

Family Worker, Mrs Lay is available during school hours on 01582 500960 or via email at klay@bestacademies.org.uk

Vice Principal, Miss Hayes is available during school hours on 01582 500960 or via email at mhayes@bestacademies.org.uk

Executive Principal, Mr Clarke is available during school hours on 01582 500960 or via email at tclarke@bestacademies.org.uk

Within St Christophers Academy we have a range of support we can put in place for children with special educational needs or disabilities. This support will depend on your child’s individual needs and circumstances.

The range of support we can access is as follows:

• Changes to the curriculum by differentiated lessons and support in class according to their specific needs.
• Catch up programs for maths and reading.
• External support provided to us through the local council – Educational Psychologists, Speech and Language Support teams, Jigsaw behavioural support team, Occupational Therapists.
• Support for health needs and training for staff through the school nurse.
• Support for improving emotional and social development through social skills groups.
• Pastoral support to ensure the child's views are always listened to.

EAL

We support students for whom English is an additional language.  All staff are made aware of the need and adjust plans accordingly.  We monitor their progress carefully and provide learning support and mentoring for those students who are not making expected progress.  Please contact your child’s class teacher if you feel that your child needs more help in this area.

Class teachers will be responsible for any SEND children in their class. They will monitor the children’s needs and plan for any extra support required. They will also have regular meetings with the SENCo, to monitor the child’s progress.

The school SENCo, will have overall responsibility for ensuring the progress of children with SEND across the school.

Your child’s class teacher will meet with parents or guardians at least once a term to discuss your child’s needs, support and progress. During this meeting you will create a provision map to identify your child's individual needs and the support we are going to put in place for them.

Your child will also be involved in this process as much as possible. Each term they will create a one page profile which allows them to reflect on what has been working for them and what they still find difficult. 

For any further information the SENCo will be available to discuss matters or answer further questions.

There is a governor responsible for SEND at St Christophers Academy who meets regularly with the SENCo. The SENCo also reports each term on the progress of SEND children.

If your child has any SEND we invite you in to school at least once a term to discuss the support we can provide. This is also a chance for you to talk about your thoughts and ideas about what we could do in school to support your child.

However, staff are always available at the beginning or end of the school day or you can contact the office and ask for a staff member to call you back. If required, we can also introduce a home/school link book to share events that have happened in school and at home.

We also have a family worker who is able to work with families to provide advice and support on a range of issues. This is Mrs Lay who is available on 01582 500960.

If you have any complaints about the way in which the school is addressing your child's needs then please follow the complaints procedure as for the rest of the school. This can be found on the website or by phoning 01582 500960.

The class teachers monitor each child’s progress and discuss it regularly with the SENCo and Principal. We have pupil progress meetings each half term which looks at how every child is progressing and what is being done to help all children achieve. Targets will be set for the child based on their starting point. These targets will be agreed by both the class teacher and the parents.

At St Christophers Academy we identify training needs for both our teachers and support staff. Our SENCo has completed the National Award in Special Educational Needs Coordination and helps to arrange training needs for other members of staff.

Currently staff are trained in the following areas:

• Catch up programmes to support children in Reading and Maths
• Precision teaching
• Sign 4 stories, feelings and maths to assist with communication
• Emotional profiling and nurture provision
• Drawing and talking to support emotional intelligence
• Team Teach
• Lift off to Language for our Foundation Stage children
• Autism Awareness training
• Attachment Awareness training, 
• ELKLAN - supporting speech and language difficulties,

The child’s class teacher alongside the SENCo will discuss the child’s needs and what support would be appropriate. Support will then be agreed with the parents. Different children will require different levels of support depending on their individual needs.

All children are included in all parts of the school curriculum including school trips. A risk assessment may be carried out when going on a school trip to ensure everyone’s health and safety.

The school site is wheelchair accessible and contains a disabled toilet. The school has ramps where needed to ensure access to all buildings.

New joiners

We encourage all new children to visit our school prior to starting. At this visit we invite you to a short meeting with your child’s class teacher where we can find out as much information as we can about your child. If your child has a SEND they may wish to visit more than once which is encouraged. We try to liaise with any previous schools to find out as much information as we can about your child and any extra needs they may have before they start. All of this information helps us to determine the type of support and arrangements needed to meet your child’s needs effectively ensuring that they are able to fully access the school’s curriculum and are not treated less favourable than other pupils. 

Leaving us

When children are preparing to leave us for a new school we liaise with their new school and pass on any information that will help them as well as their levels. Any support plans or Health Care Plans will also be transferred to their new school. We also do our best to offer transitional support before they leave us to give them best opportunites possible. For example, some Year 6 children were provided with sessions to learn how to use a bus and get to their next schools. 

SEND Regulations 2014

St Christophers Academy is fully compliant with Section 69 (2) of the Children and Families Act 2014, the SEN and Disability Code of Practice 0-25 years Section 6 and Regulation 51 and Schedule 1 of the Special Educational Needs and Disability Regulations 2014.  

St Christophers  Academy recognises that every child is different; we have an inclusive ethos which reflects our commitment to the inclusion, safety and well-being of all our pupils. 

Individual pupils’ needs are assessed and adjustments are made to the curriculum, as far as reasonably practicable, the physical environment and pastoral requirements to ensure that all pupils are treated equally. 

If you require any extra information please see the documents below. 

Alternatively, please get in contact with the SENCo or Family Worker.

SENCo 

Mrs McCloskey: senco-sca@bestacademies.org.uk
Tel: 01582 500960

Family Worker

Mrs Lay: klay@bestacademies.org.uk
Tel: 01582 500960

Central Bedfordshire Local Offer
Please also see Central Bedfordshire's local offer page which informs you of local clubs and support available for children with SEN.

https://localoffer.centralbedfordshire.gov.uk/kb5/centralbedfordshire/directory/advice.page?id=xpIe175M060