SEND

Higher Bebington Junior School
SEND & Inclusion

Our school Special Educational Needs Co-Ordinator (SENCO) can be contacted as detailed below:
Mrs S Pearl (SENCO)

Higher Bebington Junior School, Mill Road, Bebington, Wirral, CH63 8QE

Tel: 0151 608 1011 email: schooloffice@higherbebington.wirral.sch.uk

Every child belongs. Every child can achieve.

At Higher Bebington Junior School, inclusion is at the heart of everything we do. Our vision, Together We Achieve, reflects our belief that every child should feel happy, safe, valued and supported to reach their full potential.

We are committed to providing an inclusive, ambitious and nurturing learning environment where every child can participate fully in school life, develop confidence and independence, and experience success. We recognise that every child is unique, with their own strengths, interests, aspirations and needs. We celebrate what children can do, identify and address barriers to learning, and make appropriate adaptations to help every pupil access the curriculum and thrive. We work in partnership with children, parents and carers, staff and external professionals to ensure that children receive the right support at the right time.

Our approach to inclusion

At HBJS, every classroom is an inclusive classroom. High-quality teaching, high expectations, positive relationships and carefully adapted learning form the foundation of our approach.

We aim to:

• Provide an ambitious, broad and balanced curriculum for every child.

• Identify additional needs and barriers to learning as early as possible.

• Recognise and build on each child's strengths, interests and aspirations.

• Make appropriate adaptations and reasonable adjustments so that children can access learning and participate in school life.

• Promote children's confidence, independence, emotional wellbeing and positive relationships.

• Listen to children's views and involve them in decisions about their learning and support.

• Work closely with parents and carers, recognising the important knowledge they bring about their child.

• Work with external professionals when additional advice or specialist support is needed.

• Monitor progress and review the impact of support to ensure that it continues to meet each child's needs.

Understanding SEND

A child has special educational needs where they have a learning difficulty or disability that calls for special educational provision to be made for them. Children's needs can be understood within four broad areas. These help us identify appropriate support, rather than label a child or limit our understanding of their individual strengths and needs.

Communication and Interaction

Children may need support with speech, language, communication or social interaction.

Cognition and Learning

Children may find aspects of learning more challenging and benefit from additional teaching strategies, adaptations or targeted support.

Social, Emotional and Mental Health

Children may need support with emotional wellbeing, relationships, anxiety, behaviour or self-regulation.

Sensory and/or Physical Needs

Children may have hearing, vision, sensory or physical needs and may benefit from adaptations, specialist equipment or additional support.

Some children have needs across more than one area. We consider the whole child when planning support.

How do we support children with SEND?

We recognise that many children benefit from adaptations to everyday classroom teaching at different points in their education. These adaptations are part of inclusive teaching and do not necessarily mean that a child has SEND.

Where a child needs additional support, we respond to their individual circumstances and review the impact of the strategies we put in place.

1. High-quality teaching and everyday adaptations

Teachers use clear explanations, modelling, practical resources, visual prompts, appropriate challenge and other strategies to help children access learning. We make reasonable adjustments where needed.

2. Monitoring and targeted support

If concerns arise about a child's progress, learning, communication, behaviour or wellbeing, we gather information and consider what additional strategies or support may be helpful. This may include targeted interventions or additional opportunities to practise specific skills.

3. Individualised support

Where appropriate, we work with the child and their family to develop an Individual Support Plan or One Page Profile. These help us identify strengths, agree outcomes and record the strategies and support that will help the child.

4. Working with specialist professionals

When further advice would be helpful, we may work with external professionals, such as educational psychologists, speech and language therapists or occupational therapists, to develop our understanding of a child's needs and plan appropriate support.

Support is reviewed regularly. We celebrate progress, consider what is working well and agree any changes needed.

The graduated approach: Assess, Plan, Do, Review

We use a graduated approach to identify needs, plan support and evaluate its impact. This is a continuous process that keeps children's individual needs and progress at the centre of our decisions.

• Assess: We gather information about the child's strengths, progress and needs, listening to the child, their parents or carers and staff, and seeking professional advice where appropriate.

• Plan: We agree the outcomes we are working towards and identify the teaching strategies, adaptations and additional support that will help.

• Do: Teachers and support staff put the agreed strategies and provision into practice. Class teachers remain responsible for the learning and progress of every child in their class.

• Review: We evaluate progress and the impact of the support, celebrate successes and agree whether provision should continue, change or develop further.

Parents and carers are involved throughout this process, and children's views help shape the support they receive.

Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs)

Most children with SEND have their needs met through high-quality teaching and SEND Support within school.

For some children with more complex or long-term needs, an Education, Health and Care Needs Assessment may be appropriate. This assessment may lead to an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP), which is a legal document setting out a child's special educational needs, intended outcomes and required support.

Where a child has an EHCP, we work with the child, their family, the Local Authority and relevant professionals to support progress towards their outcomes and review the plan in line with statutory requirements.

Working in partnership with families

Parents and carers know their children better than anyone else. We value open communication and encourage families to share concerns, questions and successes with us. We listen to your views, keep you informed, involve you in planning and reviewing support, and work together to identify the best next steps for your child. We also work closely with our feeder infant school to support children moving into Year 3, and with secondary schools to help children prepare for the next stage of their education. Additional transition arrangements can be put in place where needed.

Find out more

Our SEND Information Report provides further details about how we identify needs, the support available at HBJS, working with external professionals, transition arrangements and useful contacts.

Our SEND Policy explains our approach, responsibilities and procedures in more detail.

Both documents are available at the top of the page.

Worried about your child?

If you have concerns about your child's learning, development, communication, behaviour or wellbeing, please speak to your child's class teacher in the first instance. Early conversations help us understand your concerns and consider how best to support your child.

No question is too small. We are here to listen and work with you.

Together We Achieve.