School Office: 01761 205630
Norton Hill Primary School is both welcoming and inclusive.
We are committed to ensuring that every child is valued, supported and given the opportunity to achieve their full potential. We believe that inclusion is at the heart of a successful school community, and that every child, regardless of their individual needs or barriers to learning, should feel that they belong, and are understood and can thrive.
Over the past year, we have continued to strengthen and expand our Inclusion Team, enabling us to repond even more effectively to the diverse and evolving needs of our children and families. As a team, our collective responsibility is to understand each child as an individual, recognise their strengths and areas for development, and provide the right support at the right time to help them flourish.
We provide a broad, balanced and ambitious curriculum for all children, making reasonable adjustments and providing appropriate adaptations to ensure that children with additional needs can access and engage meaningfully in their learning. We use a wide range of approaches, strategies and resources both within and beyond the classroom, carefully considering how best to remove barriers and enable children to experience success.
We want our children to become curious, confident and independent learners. Through approaches such as self-led discovery time, targeted question and support sessions, adapted knowledge and skills work, sensory and communication strategies, and personalised classroom adaptations, we seek to meet children where they are and help them take their next steps. We recognise that no two children are the same, and therefore our support is carefully tailored to the individual rather than taking a one- size fits all approach.
Our ambition is not simply to support children to access learning today, but to equip them with the knowledge and skills, confidence and independence they need for the future. We are continually reflecting on our practice, developing our expertise and seeking new and innovative ways to engage children with SEND and ensure that barriers do not limit their opportunities.
Above all, our Inclusion Team is committed to working in partnership with children, families, staff, and external professionals. Together, we strive to create a school where every child can belong, participate, succeed and flourish.
At Norton Hill Primary School, we recognise that every child learns differently. Children develop at different rates, have different strengths and interests, and may experience times when they need additional support to help them access learning, develop confidence or manage aspects of school life.
Where a child is experiencing a barrier to their learning, communication, independence, social and emotional development or physical access, we will work to understand what is making things difficult and consider how we can best support them. This may include adjustments within the classroom, additional teaching, targeted interventions, specialist resources or advice from other professionals.
For some children, these adjustments and interventions will be sufficient to help them overcome a particular difficulty. For others, their needs may be more significant, persistent or complex and they may require additional and more personalised support. Where a child continues to experience difficulties despite appropriate support, or where they have a higher level of need when they join our school, we may consider whether they have Special Educational Needs and/or Disabilities (SEND).
Having SEND does not mean that a child cannot achieve or that they will always need additional support. It simply means that a child may need provision that is different from or additional to that which is ordinarily available for children of the same age, in order to help them make progress and participate fully in school life.
At Norton Hill Primary School, we follow the four broad areas of need identified within the SEN Code of Practice (2014):
These areas are not intended to define a child. We understand that children may have needs across more than one area and that their needs may change over time. Our approach is therefore centred on the individual child, their strengths, their experiences and the barriers that may be affecting their ability to learn and thrive.
Our approach to SEND follows a graduated response. This means that we carefully assess, plan, implement and review support to ensure that it is appropriate and effective.
High-quality teaching is the starting point for all children. Teachers continually adapt their teaching, resources, classroom environment and approaches to enable children to access learning. This may include changes to the way information is presented, additional modelling, visual supports, adapted resources, opportunities for movement or sensory regulation, additional processing time, scaffolded tasks or targeted adult support.
Where a child requires further support, this may include targeted interventions or personalised strategies. These are carefully selected according to the child's individual needs and are reviewed regularly to consider the impact they are having.
Where appropriate, we may work alongside families and external professionals, such as speech and language therapists, occupational therapists, educational psychologists or other specialist services. This enables us to develop a fuller understanding of a child's needs and ensure that strategies are consistent and purposeful.
We recognise that parents and carers know their children best, and their knowledge and insight are an important part of understanding a child's needs. We aim to work closely with families, listening to concerns, sharing information and celebrating progress together, please keep an eye out for our SEND parent coffee sessions. These sessions give us the time to talk openly about any worries or concerns that you might have and we will work together to allevaite them.
Additional support should be viewed as a positive opportunity to remove barriers and help a child succeed, rather than as something to be anxious about. Our aim is always to provide the right support at the right time, helping children to develop their confidence, independence and enjoyment of learning.
We understand that you know your child better than anyone, and you may sometimes notice that they are finding something difficult or that they need additional help or reassurance. We welcome conversations with parents and carers, as sharing what you see at home can help us to build a fuller picture of your child's experiences.
If you have concerns about your child's learning, communication, friendships, emotional wellbeing, behaviour, sensory needs or physical development, please talk to us. A concern does not automatically mean that your child has SEND, nor does raising a concern mean that a diagnosis or formal identification is required.
All children's progress and wellbeing are monitored carefully at Norton Hill Primary School. Teachers, support staff and our Inclusion Team work together to identify children who may benefit from additional support. We consider a range of information, including classroom observations, assessment information, progress over time, children's own views and information shared by parents and carers.
For many children, small adjustments, targeted support and a little additional help can make a significant difference. Some children may require support for a short period before becoming more independent, while others may benefit from more sustained or specialist provision.
We understand that every child's journey is different. Our aim is not to focus solely on areas of difficulty, but to identify what a child can do, what they enjoy, what motivates them and what helps them to learn best. We then use this understanding to build on their strengths and support their next steps.
Our SEND and Inclusion Team is here to help families navigate this process. If you have a concern, please do not hesitate to speak to us. We will listen, work with you to understand your concerns and consider together what support may be appropriate.
Our dedicated Inclusion Team consists of:
Mrs Waterhouse & Mr Frost-SENDCo (Whole School)
Mrs Howard- Inclusion Lead (whole school) & Nursery SENCo
Miss Emergy- Inclusion support (Nursery)
Mrs Noad- ELSA (whole school)
Mrs Howard and Miss Fear- Thrive Practitioners (Whole School)
Mrs Osbourne, Mrs Harrington, Mrs Marsland, Mrs Kenning- Inclusion support (whole school)
For further information about SEND provision at Norton Hill Primary School, including how support can be accessed and the different services available to children and families, please email the school office and a member of our team will be in touch.
At Norton Hill Primary School, SEND and inclusion provision is continually reviewed. We recognise that children’s needs can change over time and that the support that is right for a child at one point in their learning journey may not be the right support later. Our aim is therefore to ensure that provision remains appropriate, purposeful and responsive to each child's individual needs.
For children receiving additional SEND support, we use a graduated approach of assess, plan, do and review.
Assess
We gather information to develop a clear understanding of the child's strengths, needs and any barriers that may be affecting their learning or participation. This may include teacher assessment, classroom observations, work samples, progress information, discussions with the child and information shared by parents and carers. Where appropriate, advice from external professionals will also be considered.
Plan
Where additional support is identified as appropriate, we agree the strategies, adaptations, interventions or resources that will be put in place. We consider what we want the child to achieve and how we will know whether the support is making a difference.
Do
The agreed provision is implemented by the adults working with the child. Wherever possible, support is delivered as part of an inclusive classroom environment, enabling children to remain fully involved in the life and learning of their class. Children are encouraged to develop independence and understand the strategies that help them to learn successfully.
Review
The impact of support is reviewed regularly. We consider the child's progress towards their identified outcomes, their engagement and independence, and whether the strategies being used are having a positive impact. The child's views and the views of parents and carers are also important parts of this review.
Following a review, support may be continued, adapted, increased, reduced or withdrawn, depending on the child's current needs and progress. A child may no longer require additional SEND support, while another child may need a different level or type of provision as their needs develop.
Parents and carers are an important part of the review process. We aim to maintain open and positive communication so that families understand the support being provided and can share their observations and views.
Where a child has more complex or significant needs, we may hold more formal review meetings involving parents, school staff and, where appropriate, external professionals. This allows us to consider the whole picture and ensure that everyone is working towards shared outcomes.
We also encourage children to be involved in reviewing their own support wherever this is appropriate to their age and stage of development. Their voice, preferences, strengths and aspirations help us to understand what is working well and what may need to change.
SEND and inclusion are also reviewed at a whole-school level. Our Inclusion Team and Senior Leadership Team regularly evaluate the effectiveness of our provision, considering areas such as:
This ongoing evaluation helps us to identify what is working well, where further development is needed and how we can continue to improve our practice.
Our SEND and Inclusion provision is therefore not a fixed programme of support. It is an ongoing process of understanding, responding, reviewing and adapting. We want every child to receive the support they need to make progress, develop confidence and independence, and experience a genuine sense of belonging at Norton Hill Primary School.
