At Teddington School, we have an inclusive approach which supports all students to be able to engage in their learning and all other aspects of school life, irrespective of their needs.
Differentiation and assessment is embedded in our curriculum and practice, with reasonable adjustments being made to teaching approaches and resources to enable all learners to access the curriculum and beyond
Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (often referred to as ‘SEN’ or ‘SEND’) is a term used to describe learning difficulties or disabilities that make it harder for a child to learn compared to children of the same age.
All children may experience challenges with their learning at some point and for most children, these difficulties can be overcome with support from school and home. However, children with SEND are likely to need extra or different help to be able to learn.
Special education is any educational or training provision which is extra to or different from what is needed by other children or young people the same age.
Some children may have SEND because of a medical condition or disability, while other children may have SEND without a diagnosis or disability.
Teddington School SEND Vision Statement:
At Teddington School, we are committed to creating an inclusive, supportive, and empowering environment for all students, including those with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND). Our vision for both the mainstream and our Kingfisher Centre is built upon three core principles that drive the whole school forward: Inclusion, Opportunity, and Excellence.
1. Inclusion
We believe in the power of inclusive education and strive to create a learning environment where all students are valued, fostering understanding, empathy, and mutual respect.
- At Teddington School, we celebrate the diversity of our school community and view the unique perspectives and experiences of students with SEND as valuable contributions to our learning environment.
- We strive to ensure all students with SEND are fully integrated into all aspects of school life at Teddington, including academic programmes, extra-curricular activities, and social events.
- We foster strong partnerships between teachers, support staff, parents, external professionals and students to ensure a holistic approach to SEND support within Teddington School.
2. Opportunity
We are committed to providing equal opportunities for all students at Teddington School, recognising and nurturing the potential in every individual.
- We utilise individualised plans for SEND learners to provide timely, appropriate interventions to support students' learning and development throughout their time at Teddington School.
- We offer personalised learning opportunities that cater to individual needs, recognising that every student with SEND has unique strengths, challenges and learning styles.
- We aim to equip our SEND students at Teddington School with the skills, confidence and resilience they need to transition successfully to further education, employment, and independent living.
3. Excellence
At Teddington School we strive for excellence in all aspects of our SEND provision, ensuring the highest quality of education and support for every student.
- We invest in ongoing professional development for all Teddington School staff to enhance their ability to support students with SEND effectively.
- We are committed to regularly reviewing and improving our SEND provision to ensure we are meeting the evolving needs of our students at Teddington School.
- We set high expectations for all students, providing the necessary support and challenge to help every individual achieve their full potential.
By adhering to these principles of Inclusion, Opportunity, and Excellence, we strive to create a school where every student at Teddington School feels valued, supported, and empowered to be successful, regardless of their individual needs or challenges.
Below is an overview of our SEND team:
| Responsibility | Staff |
|---|---|
| Assistant Headteacher & SENDCo | Natalie Fenton |
| Deputy SENDCo | Sarah Lee |
| Specialist Resource Provision (SRP) Lead | Kate Archer |
| Assistant to SENDCo | Gloria Suarez |
| SENDCo Governor | Seema Jones |
There are four areas of need outlined in the SEND Code of Practice. Students may have difficulties in one or more of these areas:
- Communication and Interaction – this includes students who have speech, language and communication difficulties, slower processing difficulties and includes students with Autism Spectrum Conditions (ASC), also known as Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD).
- Cognition and Learning - students who have general learning difficulties or specific learning difficulties, such as Dyslexia, Dyspraxia and Dyscalculia.
- Physical and Sensory – students with visual and/or hearing impairments, or a physical need that can give rise to difficulties in accessing learning without appropriate support and equipment. A student may have difficulties with sensory processing, being under or over-sensitive or have difficulties with fine or gross motor skills.
- Social, Emotional and Mental Health - A student may display behaviours such as having very low self-esteem or being very anxious. They may display challenging, disruptive or distressing behaviours or have difficulty in managing their relationships with other people. They may appear withdrawn or behave in ways that may hinder theirs and other student’s learning and/or have an impact on their health and wellbeing. Some students may have diagnosis such as Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD), Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) or Attachment Disorder (AD)
What can we offer?
All staff within the SEND Department have had training on a variety of topics that affect children with special educational needs. These staff lead on training all members of staff to develop inclusion at Teddington School. The SEND team have expertise in a variety of areas.
We aim to ensure that all staff working with learners who have SEND have a working knowledge of the difficulty in order to support children access the curriculum. The SEND team supports, and where appropriate, arranges training to provide teachers with appropriate strategies and practices to enable all children to engage and learn.
The SEND team acknowledge that part of our staff training will come from listening to, and working closely with families and listening to students, valuing their input in regular review meetings to keep our information sharing about learners up to date.
The APDR Cycle (Assess, Plan, Do, Review)
At Teddington School, all SEND students are allocated a keyworker. Keyworkers work closely with students to follow a four-part cycle called the Assess, Plan, Do, Review (APDR) Cycle. The APDR cycle is key to the graduated response to special educational needs laid out in the SEND Code of Practice. The approach is essential to successful work with children with special educational needs. Through this cycle, targets are set, and actions are reviewed and refined, as an understanding of a student’s needs, and the support required to help them secure good outcomes increases.
If families would like further details regarding the APDR cycle, please contact SEND@teddingtonschool.org in the first instance.
Identifying and Helping Students with SEND
Teachers regularly assess pupils and track progress and if quality first teaching has not enabled the pupil to make sufficient progress, the school will use the Achieving For Children’s (Richmond Local Authority) guidance. This is written for schools and settings (including Early Years settings and Post-16 colleges) to help them to identify:
- A child or young person’s special educational needs
- What level of support they are expected to offer
- How to arrange and monitor the support given
Once the needs have been identified, the school works with families, the child and external agencies where relevant to put together a support plan.
Admission Arrangements
We encourage all new prospective students and families to visit the school before starting and to visit a variety of schools, to ensure a balanced perspective. We work closely with primary schools and families to ensure a smooth transition to ensure specific needs can be well met.
Children with SEND are allocated places in line with our admissions policy. If a child has an EHCP, a place will be offered, unless it would significantly affect the education of the child or others, and where there are no reasonable adjustments that can be made to prevent this.
SEND tours run on selected Wednesday mornings from 9 - 10am. If you are interested in joining a tour, please contact send@teddingtonschool.org.
Post 16 Transition
We begin to prepare students for transition into the next stage of their education or training in a number of ways, including their choices for GCSE and vocational courses, with adviser support and via the tailored tutor programme for all students.
To read further information about the support provided by the Teddington school, including our SEND policy, click the link below:
Who should I contact?
Should you have any enquiries regarding SEND at Teddington School, please email SEND@teddingtonschool.org in the first instance.
