SEND
What are Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND)?
A child or young person has special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) if he or she has learning difficulties or disabilities that make it harder for him or her to learn than most other children and young people of about the same age.
Schools can help most children and young people overcome barriers to their learning by making simple adaptations to an activity or providing resources to assist them with their learning. Some children will need extra help for some or all of their time at school, in one or more areas of their learning.
So, special educational needs could mean that a child or young person has:
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learning difficulties – in acquiring basic skills in their learning;
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social, emotional or mental health difficulties – this could involve difficulties making friends / relating to adults / regulating their emotions or behaviour;
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specific learning difficulties – with reading (phonics), writing, maths or understanding and processing information;
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sensory or physical needs – such as a hearing/visual impairment, physical difficulties that might affect them accessing their learning, or a sensory overload in one or more area;
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communication problems – in expressing themselves or understanding and processing what others are saying;
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medical or health conditions – which may slow down a child’s or young person’s progress and/or involves treatment that affects his or her education.
Children make progress at different rates and have different ways in which they learn best. Teachers take account of this in the way they organise their lessons and teach. Children and young people making slower progress or having particular difficulties in one area may be given extra help or different lessons to help them to succeed. If a child is making slower progress than expected, or the teachers are providing different support, help or activities in class, it does not automatically mean that a child has special educational needs.
Please see the links and attachments below to access documents relating to SEND.
St John's specific policies, including our SEND Policy and Information Report, can be found on our Policies page.