Special Educational Needs
Special Educational Needs
At Bishop Road School we are proud of the way in which we work in close partnership with parents and carers to ensure that we meet the needs of all our children. Class teachers provide relevant and challenging work for all pupils as well as pastoral and behaviour support according to each child's needs.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is SEN?
SEN stands for Special Educational Needs.
Children have a special educational need if they have a learning difficulty which calls for special educational provision to be made for them.
Children have a learning difficulty if they have a significantly greater difficulty in learning than the majority of children of the same age, within the context of Bishop Road School.
Children may need extra help for only a short time, or for a longer period.
The Bishop Road SEN policy can be found on the Website or is available from the office.
What is a SENCo?
SENCo stands for Special Educational Needs Coordinator.
At Bishop Road School we have a team of SEN support, led by Mr Jones, the Deputy Head.
Mr Jones, Mrs Gannon and Mrs Daniels work closely with staff, parents, carers and outside agencies for the benefit of pupils. This includes:
- liaising with and advising teachers
- liaising with parents of children with SEN
- co-ordinating provision for children with special educational needs
- liaising with external agencies including the LA's support and educational psychology services, health services, social services and voluntary bodies
We are also well supported by a team of Learning Support Assistants (LSAs).
Will I be informed if my child has SEN?
Teachers always inform parents/carers if they intend to give extra or different help to their child because of their SEN. This extra help could be:
- a different way of teaching certain things
- some extra help from an adult
If your child has SEN, you will be consulted at each step. The school will also consider your child's own views.
What is School Action?
Your child's teacher will explain to you exactly how the school will meet your child's needs e.g. by modifying the way they teach your child or through an intervention programme.
We call this support Early Years Action or School Action because we have identified your child's needs and we are taking action to meet those needs.
What happens if my child does not make enough progress?
If your child does not make enough progress, their class teacher or the SENCo will talk to you about asking for advice from other people outside the school. For example, they might want to ask for help from a speech and language therapist, an educational psychologist, or other health professionals. This kind of help is called Early Years Action Plus or School Action Plus.
You will be included in any discussions and consulted about how best to help your child. We will always keep you informed about your child's progress and you will have plenty of opportunities to find out about what is happening.
Is my child Dyslexic?
Dyslexia causes difficulties in learning to read, write and spell. Short-term memory, mathematics, concentration, personal organisation and sequencing may also be affected.
Dyslexia is the most common of the learning difficulties, affecting up to 10% of the UK population. Dyslexic difficulties can occur in children of all abilities.
Teachers in school are not qualified to identify dyslexia. Dyslexia requires identification through a private formal assessment, conducted by a chartered educational psychologist. However, class teachers can recognise when a child has dyslexic type difficulties.
All teachers have dyslexic friendly classrooms. This means that all teachers use resources and strategies to help dyslexic children overcome their difficulties. In fact, strategies which help children with dyslexic difficulties benefit all children.
If you would like to know more about how the dyslexia friendly classroom can benefit your child, please arrange to meet with your child's class teacher and the SENCo.
Bishop Road Family Support Group
If you have a child with Special Education Needs we have a parent run family support group who meet each term either informally or at school. If you would like any information about the group or would be interested to come along for a cup of tea and a chat, please contact:
Parents
Jo House - jo.house@bristol.ac.uk Tel: 0117 907 0505. (07986860335)
Kate Broadbridge
Jo Sampson
Sencos - Mrs Pam Gannon or Mrs Sarah Daniels
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Bristol Parenting Hub
http://www.bristolparentinghub.co.uk/
A website created by the Bristol Family Information Service which provides useful links for parents and carers.
Findability Bristol http://www.findabilitybristol.org.uk/ was created by Bristol Parent Carers and the Disability Communications Group, a partnership between the Council, health, schools and others.
Aimed at families with children with disabilities and special needs, it is a directory of events, services, community and voluntary organisations, clubs and groups in Bristol, Bath & North East Somerset and South Gloucestershire, with a huge amount of disability-relevant listings. There is also a blog to keep visitors up to date with key news and a resources section for links to other sites.
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Useful documents