Special Educational Needs

We are fortunate at Leigh School to have a team of very dedicated staff working to support pupils with Special Educational Needs. As SENDCO (Special Educational Needs and Disability Coordinator), Mrs Hawken leads on inclusion and works alongside our team to support pupils with additional needs individually or in groups. Mrs Tallent our SENDCO assistant is provides a range of specific interventions with individual and with groups and specialises in dyslexic teaching. We make provision for every kind of frequently occurring special educational need such as: dyslexia, dyspraxia, speech, language and communication needs, Autistic Spectrum Condition, learning difficulties and attention difficulties across the four areas of SEND need. For other educational needs that occur less frequently and we are less familiar we seek training and advice to ensure that these needs can be met.

The school also currently meets the needs of pupils with a statement of special educational need / Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) with a variety of kinds of special educational need. Decisions on the admission of pupils with a statement of special educational need / Education, Health and Care plan are made by the Local Authority. Decisions on whether a child received an Educational Health and Care Plan is made by the Local Authority.

The admission arrangements for pupils without an Educational Healthcare Plan or with Special Educational Need do not discriminate against or disadvantage disabled children or those with defined SEN.

At Leigh Primary School staff are trained and deployed to support children to achieve in an inclusive environment. Where appropriate, we also involve outside agencies and therapists via various routes to acquire extra support for any children who have very specific needs. Regular meetings are held with parents and there is an “open door” policy so parents can discuss any concerns as they occur.

A priority is placed on teaching inclusively and selecting programmes that meet a wide range of needs within the mainstream classroom. Intervention Groups are ways of helping children with specific needs that might not always be able to be fully met within the classroom environment.

Mrs Hawken and her team constantly review children's academic and social progress with the class teachers to ensure the right children are receiving the correct additional support. Should you have any concerns or wish to discuss our SEN provision please contact Mrs Hawken using FAO - SENDCO to the school office: office@leigh.kent.sch.uk