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  • Meridian
  • Primary School
  • Comberton, Cambridge
  • Learning for life, striving for excellence

SEND

Special Educational Needs & Disabilities 

 

If your child has special educational needs and/or a disability and you would like to know more about what we have to offer please contact us by email office@meridian.cambs.sch.uk. 

 

Our SENDCo (Special Educational Needs/Disability coordinator) is Mrs Louise Cadwallader.

Please use the link below for information about the Cambridgeshire Local SEND offer:

Local SEND Offer

SEND FAQs

 

What does SEND mean?

SEND stands for Special Educational Needs and Disabilities. A child has SEND if they have a learning difficulty or disability that means they need extra support to learn or access school life.

 

How does the school identify children with SEND?

Children may be identified through:

  • Teacher observations and assessments
  • Discussions with parents/carers
  • Information from nurseries or previous schools
  • Advice from external professionals (e.g. speech therapists)

Children identified with SEND or potential SEND will be placed on our Wave framework (see above).

 

What should I do if I think my child may have SEND?

If you have concerns, please speak to your child’s class teacher.

We value parental insight and will work with you to decide next steps.

We will follow our SEND process flowchart (see above).

 

Who is the SENDCo and what do they do?

The SENDCo is Louise Cadwallader and she is responsible for:

  • Coordinating SEND provision across the school
  • Supporting teachers and teaching assistants
  • Liaising with parents and external professionals
  • Ensuring SEND policies follow the SEND Code of Practice

The SENDCo can be contacted via the school office: office@meridian.cambs.sch.uk

 

What kinds of SEND does the school support?

We support children with a range of needs, including:

  • Communication and interaction (e.g. speech and language needs, autism)
  • Cognition and learning (e.g. dyslexia, learning difficulties)
  • Social, emotional and mental health needs
  • Sensory and/or physical needs

Support is tailored to each child.

 

How will my child be supported in class?

 

All children:

Needs will be met through High Quality Teaching (HQT) and Ordinarily Available Provision (OAP).

 

Wave 1 children:

Mild additional needs will be monitored by the class teacher and met through adaptation and OAP.

They may receive additional support in class - part of group or individual intervention/s or catch up programmes.

They may need specific additional classroom resources to support learning.

 

Wave 2 children:

Targeted provision as part of the Assess, Plan, Do, Review (APDR) cycle.

Additional interventions to those accessed in class.

 

Wave 3 children:

They will be accessing specialist provision in school.

Their needs may warrant focused investigation and support from outside agencies.

We will have or be in the process of applying for an EHCP.

Most support happens within the classroom so children learn alongside their peers.

 

How will I know how my child is progressing?

We keep parents informed through:

  • Parent consultations twice per year
  • APDRs shared and discussed three times per year
  • End-of-year reports

We encourage open communication at all times. If you wish to find out how your child is progressing at anytime, please contact the class teacher.

 

What is an EHCP?

An Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) is a legal document for children with more complex needs. It outlines:

  • The child’s needs
  • The support they must receive
  • Long-term outcomes

 

Does my child need an EHCP to get support?

No. Many children receive effective support through SEND Support without an EHCP.

An EHCP is only needed when a child requires a higher level of specialist support.

 

How does the school support children’s emotional wellbeing?

We support wellbeing through:

  • Nurturing classrooms and mindfulness activities
  • Safe spaces and trusted adults
  • Social skills groups, lunchtime Chill Zone and dog therapy
  • Close monitoring and early intervention
  • Higher level needs may be supported by our trained Emotional Literacy Support Assistant (ELSA)

We aim to help children feel safe, confident and ready to learn.

 

How does the school support transitions?

We support transitions:

  • Between year groups
  • From nursery/playgroup to Reception
  • From primary to secondary school

This may include extra visits, transition books, meetings with parents and sharing information with the previous/next school.

 

How can I support my child at home?

We may suggest:

  • Simple activities to practise skills
  • Consistent routines
  • Positive behaviour strategies
  • Regular communication with school

We see parents as partners in supporting children’s learning.

If you need additional support at home, please see our communications from the Education Inclusion Family Adviser.

 

Who can I speak to if I’m unhappy or need more support?

We encourage you to:

  1. Speak to the class teacher
  2. Contact the SENDCo
  3. Speak to the Headteacher if needed

You can also access independent advice through your local SEND Information, Advice and Support Service (SENDIASS).

SEND Policy and Information Report

 

Please see our policy page for our SEND policy.

Please find our SEN Information Report below which gives you information about our provision for children with special educational needs:

Support and Information for Parents

Please see below useful links and documents, including the presentations we share during our SEND coffee mornings.

MeridianPrimary School

  • Harbour Avenue
  • Comberton
  • Cambridge
  • CB23 7DD
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