Supporting every child to thrive

At Heartwood, we believe that every child is unique. We want all of our children to feel happy, valued and included so that they can flourish.

We understand that children learn in different ways and that, sometimes, they may need additional support. Our aim is to identify these needs early and work closely with children and their families to make sure the right support is in place.

Our Special Educational Needs and Disability Coordinator (SENDCo), Miss Marie Compton, leads our SEND provision. She works closely with children, families, teachers and external professionals to make sure that our support continues to meet the needs of our children.

You can find more detailed information about our SEND provision in our SEN Information Report, which is available at the bottom of this webpage.

If we notice that a child is finding something difficult, we will work with them and their parents or carers to understand what they need and how we can help.

We use a graduated approach called Assess, Plan, Do, Review (APDR). This means that we:

• Assess – identify what a child is finding difficult and understand their individual needs.
• Plan – agree the support and strategies that are most likely to help.
• Do – put the agreed support in place.
• Review – check how well the support is working and decide what to do next.

Where appropriate, children may have a SEN Support Plan with specific targets to help them overcome barriers to learning and make progress.

We will always aim to make sure that children understand their targets and feel involved in their own learning. Where appropriate, parents and carers can also support these targets at home.

What if my child needs more support?

Sometimes, despite the support provided in school, a child may continue to experience difficulties.

When this happens, we may seek advice from external professionals and specialist services. Depending on a child's individual needs, this could include professionals such as speech and language therapists or other educational specialists.

In some circumstances, we may request an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP). An EHCP can provide access to additional specialist support and provision for children with more complex or significant needs.

Working together with families

We believe that parents and carers have an important role to play in supporting their child's education. Your views, knowledge and experience are really important to us.

We aim to build strong, positive relationships with families and work together to understand what will help each child to succeed.

Parents and carers may be invited to meet with school staff to discuss:

• your child's progress and achievements;
• any areas where they may need additional support;
• individual learning targets;
• strategies that can be used at home and in school; and
• the next steps in supporting your child's learning.

We also encourage children to have a voice in their own learning. We help them to recognise their strengths, talk about things they find challenging and contribute to decisions about their next steps.

Where appropriate, we will work alongside external professionals so that everyone involved in supporting your child can share their knowledge and expertise.

If you have a concern about your child's learning, development or additional needs, please come and talk to us. We are always happy to listen, answer questions and work with you to find ways to support your child.

Contact our SENDCo

If you have any questions about our SEND provision or would like further information, please contact our SENDCo, Miss Marie Compton, by emailing senco@heartwood.norfolk.sch.uk. Alternatively, please contact the school office, who will be happy to help.

At Heartwood, we are committed to helping every child feel included, confident and ready to learn.