Special Educational Needs (SEN)

At Dymchurch Primary School we are proud of our inclusive ethos and equality of opportunity for all.  We strive to achieve the best outcomes for all of our children as individuals and as members of our school community.  We have a fully inclusive ethos that allows all pupils to access the curriculum at a level appropriate for their individual needs.  The class provision map identifies children who require specific interventions to help accelerate their progress.  Children with complex needs have a bespoke Personalised Plan, this is created by the SENCO in conjunction with the parents and staff, where appropriate, the children have an input. 

We recognise the importance of staff, parents and children working together to ensure inclusive practice and success for all children, regardless of their needs and ability.

We also have a dedicated and skilled team of teaching assistants who are deployed throughout the school. They support the teaching and learning in the classroom and also lead intervention programmes, usually in our afternoon sessions.  Our team of teaching assistants access regular professional development opportunities through bespoke internal and external training, suited to the needs of our children, the staff continue to develop their skills and strategies in being able to support some of the most complex needs of children.

Whilst all of our teachers are accountable for the progress and development of the children in their class, the SENCO’s role is to lead and support the identification of and provision for children with an identified Special Educational Need / Disability (SEND), The SENCO works in partnership with parents and external agencies where appropriate.

If you think that your child may have an additional need, please make an appointment to see the SENCO to discuss your concerns.  j[email protected] 

 Information Advice and Support Kent (IASK)

Special educational needs (SEN)

The Information and Advice and Support Kent (IASK) Service offers support and advice for parents - and families of disabled children - and children with SEN.

The SEND Mainstream Core Standards          

The new SEND Mainstream Core Standards guide and SEND parent's guide are available below.

The Local Offer      

Please click on the link below to see Kent County Council's local offer.

SEND information hub - Kent County Council

Below are some useful links to other websites offering support and advice about SEN needs.

Autism Education Trust training

We regularly review the schools’ training programme and CPD for staff to ensure we can deliver high quality support for all Children with Send.

As part of our support for children with Autism our whole school has completed / accessed the Autism Education Trust, Making Sense of Autism Module.

This is an awareness-raising module for all staff in the school community. The module provides participants with an introduction to autism and the reasonable adjustments that need to be considered when working with autistic pupils.

Learning objectives

After completing ‘Making Sense of Autism’, participants will be able to:

• Understand the importance of getting to know the pupil as an individual.
• Approach autism as a difference rather than as a disorder or impairment.
• Understand the importance of identifying the strengths and needs of autistic pupils.
• Know how three areas of difference can affect autistic pupils.
• Appreciate how important it is to listen to and learn from the perspectives of autistic pupils.
• Reflect on and implement reasonable adjustments to support autistic pupils you work with.

Some/ All of our staff have also completed the Good Autism Practice Module

This is a module for practitioners who work directly with autistic children in school settings, and it provides guidance on processes and tools that can help practitioners to implement good autism practice.

Learning Objectives

After completing ‘Good Autism Practice in Schools’, participants will be able to:

• Develop their knowledge of how the key areas of difference can impact on the learning of autistic pupils.
• Understand the importance of involving the pupil and family in the pupil’s education.
• Consider the approaches, strategies, and adaptations they can implement to remove barriers to participation and learning for autistic pupils.
• Reflect on how knowledge about autism and the individual autistic pupil can inform the one-page profile and the pupil-centred education plan.