Parent Information

Early understanding and identification is crucial for children with a special need or disability. Staff, in partnership with parents, pupils and where needed, outside agencies, monitor, assess, plan and provide the best education possible for each individual child.

At Cheddon Fitzpaine Church School, we pride ourselves in our inclusive, community focused environment where all of our children are treated with respect and integrity. Children build up trusted relationships with staff and peers and are then encouraged to become independent learners and thinkers. Children with a special need or disability are treated in the same way and staff work hard to ensure that all children are included in every single subject and area of the daily curriculum.

This page is here to support parents and children in understanding Cheddon Fitzpaine School's policy. It also offers information on some types of special needs that you, as parents and carers, have asked for support on, and suggests other local agencies who can offer more support.  This information is linked to the Somerset Graduated Response Tool, a framework which describes the entitlement of children and young people in Somerset schools. 

Our job is to help your child achieve the very best they can at school.

What is a special need?

In England, the government defines special needs as:

A child has special educational needs if they have a learning problem or disability that make it more difficult for them to learn than most children their age. They may have problems with schoolwork, communication or behaviour.

'Special educational needs' is a legal definition and refers to children with learning problems or disabilities that make it harder for them to learn than most children the same age.

https://www.gov.uk/children-with-special-educational-needs

There are four main areas of Special Educational Need:

cognition and learning

communication and interaction

social emotional mental health

physical and sensory

At Cheddon Fitzpaine Church School we use the Somerset Graduated Response Tool to help identify children with Special Educational Needs and ways of supporting them in school.

What is the SEN Code of Practice?

The SEND code of practice is a statutory code containing:

• Details of legal requirements that you must follow without exception.
• Statutory guidance that you must follow by law unless there’s a good reason not to.
• It explains the duties of local authorities, health bodies, schools and colleges to provide for those with special educational needs under part 3 of the Children and Families Act 2014.

The code, which applies to England, is for: headteachers and principals, governing bodies, school and college staff, special educational needs (SEN) co-ordinators, early years providers, other education settings, local authorities and health and social services staff.

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/send-support-easy-read-guide-for-parents

For further information, contact details for these services and to access the Local Authority Local Offer, please look at the Somerset Local offer website for further SEND information: https://www.somerset.gov.uk/children-families-and-education/the-local-offer/

For more information

Contact the School Office on: 01823 451335

E-mail: office@cheddon.bwmat.org

Look at our school website: www.cheddonbwmat.org