St Bernadette's Roman Catholic Primary School

Special Educational Needs & Disability (SEND)

This page provides information on special educational needs and disabilities at St Bernadette's.

Please click here for Bury's offer for Children's mental health. 

Our SEND Mission Statement:

At St Bernadette’s we try hard to live as Jesus wants us to, so that together we grow in faith, loving each other and loving God. We do this by: Treating one another fairly; listening to everyone’s ideas; treating each other equally and showing respect for others. 

Therefore, at St Bernadette’s we believe that all children should be equally valued. This does not mean that we will treat all learners in the same way, but that we will respond to learners in ways that take account of their varied life experiences and needs.  In this way we will strive to eliminate prejudice and discrimination to develop an inclusive environment where there are equal opportunities for all learners whatever their age, gender, ethnicity (including children with English as a second language), impairment and attainment so that all children can flourish.

 At St Bernadette’s we aim to identify these needs as they arise and provide teaching and learning contexts which enable every child to achieve their full potential by following a ‘notice, check and try’ model.

 Special Education Needs and Disability (SEND):

A child has special educational needs if they have a learning difficulty or disability which calls for special educational provision made for them. At St Bernadette's we recognise the definition of Special Educational Needs described in the Special Needs Code of Practice 2014

 A child has a learning difficulty or disability if they:

• Have significantly greater difficulty in learning than the majority of others of the same age; or
• Have a disability which prevents or hinders them from making use of educational facilities of a kind generally provided for others of the same age in mainstream school

 Children are not considered to have a special educational need if they speak English as an additional language.

Categories of SEND

Children’s SEN are generally thought of in the following main areas:

• Cognition and learning - this includes children who have moderate or specific learning difficulties such as dyslexia and dyspraxia
• Communication and interaction - this includes children with speech and language delay and those with difficulties with social communication
• Social, emotional and mental health - this may include children who may be withdrawn or isolated, disruptive, hyperactive or who lack concentration
• Physical or sensory issues - this includes children with impairments including hearing or visual difficulties, or other physical difficulties

 Special Educational Needs are categorised in this way in order to enable school to plan provision accordingly.

Our Aims:

The Head, Governors and Staff at St Bernadette’s RC Primary have high aspirations for all the children identified as having SEND in our school. We strive to ensure that all the children achieve their best, that they become confident individuals living fulfilling lives, and make a successful transition into adulthood. At St. Bernadette’s we aspire to ensure that all children are part of a fully inclusive environment where the whole community adapts to the needs of the individual. The school has accessibility to all.

Our aims are:

• To create an atmosphere of encouragement, acceptance, respect of achievements and sensitivity to individual needs, in which all children can thrive.
• To enable each child to take part and contribute fully to school life,
• To develop individuals’ self-esteem.
• To work in partnership with parents to support children’s learning and health needs.
• To identify at an early age, individuals who need extra help and support.
• To provide access to and progression within the curriculum.
• To involve children in planning to address and monitor their special educational needs and or disability.
• To provide quality training for staff that suggests strategies that help them to support children with special educational needs and disability.

In our school the SENCO: 

• manages the day-to-day operation of the policy
• co-ordinates the provision for and manages the responses to children’s SEN
• supports and advises colleagues
• maintains the school SEND register
• oversees and manages the records (provision maps) of all children with SEND
• acts as the link with parents and carers
• acts as the link with external agencies and other support agencies
• completes documentation required by outside agencies and the Local Authority
• monitors and evaluates the SEND provision and reports to the governing body and Senior Leadership Team
• manages a range of resources, both human and material, to enable appropriate provision to be made for children with SEND
• contributes to the professional development of all staff

St Bernadette's Local Offer and SEN Policy 

The SEN reforms place a statutory requirement on schools from September 2014 to make information available to young people and parents about how the school supports children and young people with SEND. This information forms the basis for the school’s Local Offer.  

• To view our Special Educational needs and disability policy click here
• To view our  send School Information Report, detailing the provision for children with special educational needs and disabilities click here
•  To view our school's accessibility plan click here
• To view the Department for Education's 'Guide for parents and carers' please  click here
• To view Bury's SEN Bury Offer  click  here
• To view 'Contact a Family's fact sheet on SEND reforms click here 
• To view Bury's Information & Advice Support Service (SENDiass) click here