Special Educational Needs & Disabilities
St Wilfrid's is an inclusive school supporting each child to become a successful learner. We target our support to ensure that each child enjoys and makes the most of their time at school.
The governing body has delegated the responsibility for the day-to-day implementation of the SEND policy to Ms Hannah Zuniga, our SENDCO and Mrs Tercsi-Dajka, our Inclusion Lead. To help her in this work we also have a dedicated Learning Mentor/Emotional Learning Support Assistants, who help oversee the pastoral and emotional well-being of the children in our school, and an Inclusion Assistant, who help with administrative tasks and delivers interventions.
All school staff have a responsibility for pupils with either special educational needs or disabilities in their class, to ensure Quality First Teaching with differentiation, and personalisation, to meet the pupils’ different needs. The class teacher should be the first contact for parents of all children.Staff are aware of their responsibilities towards pupils with SEND, whether or not pupils have an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP). A positive and sensitive attitude is shown towards all pupils by adults in school. Staff responsibilities are identified in individual job descriptions.
The SENDCo is responsible for:
- overseeing the day-to-day operation of this policy
- coordinating provision for all children with special educational needs
- liaising with and advising teachers
- managing and supporting some aspects of the learning support assistants’ role
- overseeing the progress records of all children with SEND
- liaising with parents of children with SEND (in conjunction with class teachers)
- contributing to the in-service training of staff, both internal and external
- liaising with external agencies including the Local Authority’s Additional Education Needs support and educational psychology services, health and social services, and voluntary bodies
- reporting to the governor with responsibility for SEND on the day to day management of SEND policy.
Review meetings (SEND pupils progress meetings) take place regularly to monitor, discuss and plan for the individual pupils.
The SENDCo attends Local Authority and local alliance SENDCo meetings and liaises regularly with other SENDCos and Inclusion Leads in order to keep up to date with local and national updates in SEND.
If you would like to speak to a member of our SENDCo team please contact the office.
LEARNING MENTOR
At St Wilfrid’s we believe that all of us are uniquely created and loved by God and therefore we strive to ensure that all children become the people that God intended them to be. We support children in every way we can to enable them to flourish.
What is a learning mentor?
Learning Mentors can help pupils make the most of school life, breaking down barriers to learning. For the child, they are someone supportive to talk to, share successes or disappointments with and who can help with practical difficulties or worries. They can also be the link between school and home or with other outside agencies.
They can act as an advocate for children and young people and are non-judgmental. They have a tailored and flexible approach to meet the needs of those that they mentor. Learning Mentors meet with children and young people, usually outside of the classroom, either individually or in small groups in a planned and structured way.
What can the learning mentors help with?
- Settling into a new school
- Friendship issues
- Problems on the playground
- Changes in home life
- Anything else causing a child to worry
- Getting behind with homework / revision planning
- Family breakdown
- Unstable or difficult family circumstances
- Social skills
- Self-esteem or confidence issues
- The loss of a loved one
- Controlling emotions
- Coping with illness
- Any form of bullying (including cyber bullying)
- Worries or concerns about transferring to secondary school
Interventions offered
- 1:1 mentoring – sessions run for approximately 6-8 weeks in the first instance. Sessions are between 40-50 minutes long.
- Group work – looking at social skills, confidence building and self-esteem.
- Rainbows – supporting children and young people through loss and grief. This programme is facilitated by members of school staff trained by Rainbows Bereavement Support Great Britain
- Speech and language sessions delivered by trained support staff
Tell me and I forget, teach me and I may remember, involve me and I learn.
SENDCo Team
Ms Hannah Zuniga (SENDCo)
Mrs Ida Tercsi-Dajka (Inclusion Lead)
Mrs Kelly Broadway (Inclusion Assistant)
Mrs Donna Wakeford (Learning Mentor/Emotional Learning Support)
Please contact the office if you wish to speak to our SEND team.