Elton Primary School & Nursery 'Love Learning, Love Life, Always Aiming High'

Our SEND (Special Educational Needs and Disabilities) Provision

Welcome to SEND at Elton

At Elton Primary School and Nursery, we are committed to ensuring that every child feels valued, supported and able to thrive.

We have high aspirations for all pupils, including those with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND), and work closely with pupils, parents, carers and external professionals to ensure that support is personalised, effective and responsive.

Through high-quality adaptive teaching, a graduated response and strong partnerships with families, we aim to identify and remove barriers to learning so that every child can achieve their full potential and develop a love of learning and life.

Meet the SEND Team

Samantha Higginson – Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Coordinator (SENDCo)

Mrs Higginson leads SEND provision across the school and works closely with pupils, families, staff and external professionals to ensure that every child receives the support they need to thrive.

She holds the National Award for Special Educational Needs Coordination (NASENCo), the National Professional Qualification for Headship (NPQH) and is a qualified Senior Mental Health Lead. She has also undertaken a wide range of specialist training to support pupils with SEND, including speech, language and communication through ELKLAN, alongside ongoing professional development in areas relating to inclusion, SEND leadership, mental health and wellbeing.

Mrs Higginson can be contacted via the school office or by email at senco@elton.cheshire.sch.uk.

Toni Deakin – Learning Mentor and Emotional Wellbeing Lead

Our Learning Mentor provides additional emotional and pastoral support for pupils who may require help with their wellbeing, confidence, friendships, emotional regulation or engagement with school.

Mrs Deakin is a qualified Emotional Literacy Support Assistant (ELSA) and has undertaken a wide range of additional training to support pupils' emotional wellbeing and mental health, including:

Emotional Based School Non-Attendance (EBSNA)
Drawing and Talking Therapy
Lego Therapy
Next Steps Cards
Emotional wellbeing and nurture approaches

alongside a range of other training and professional development linked to supporting children and families.

Support may be delivered individually, in small groups or through wider wellbeing initiatives across the school.

Mrs Deakin works closely with pupils, families, the SENDCo and external professionals to support positive wellbeing, school engagement and emotional development.

SEND Governor

The Governing Body has a named SEND Governor who works closely with the Headteacher and SENDCo to support, challenge and monitor SEND provision. This helps ensure that pupils with SEND receive appropriate support and that the school continues to develop inclusive practice.

Our SEND Governor is Mrs Lynsey Roberts.

How We Support Pupils with SEND

We believe that every child should have access to a broad, balanced and ambitious curriculum. High-quality adaptive teaching is the first step in supporting pupils with SEND and is provided within all classrooms.

Teachers carefully adapt learning to meet individual needs. This may include the use of visual supports, adapted resources, scaffolded activities, additional processing time, practical and multi-sensory approaches, assistive technology and reasonable adjustments to ensure that all pupils can access learning successfully.

Where additional support is required, pupils are supported through a graduated response (Assess, Plan, Do, Review). Every pupil on the SEND Register has a SEND Profile which records:

• Strengths and current barriers to learning
• Pupil and parent voice
• Short-term SMART outcomes
• Provision and reasonable adjustments
• Progress and review information

SEND Profiles are reviewed at least termly in partnership with pupils and families to ensure that support remains effective and responsive to individual needs.

For pupils with an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP), the SEND Profile works alongside the EHCP and helps staff monitor progress towards longer-term outcomes through smaller, achievable steps.

Emotional Wellbeing and Inclusion Support

We recognise that emotional wellbeing plays an important role in a child's ability to learn, achieve and thrive.

Alongside classroom support, pupils may access additional wellbeing support through our Learning Mentor, ELSA provision and targeted emotional wellbeing interventions.

We work closely with the Mental Health Support Team (MHST), who provide consultation, advice, parent support, staff training and pupil interventions where appropriate. The MHST also deliver whole-class workshops and support the development of positive mental health across the school community.

Our Happiness Heroes help to promote wellbeing throughout the school and encourage children to support one another. Pupils also take part in assemblies, awareness days and wider wellbeing initiatives that promote positive mental health, resilience and inclusion.

We believe that promoting positive mental health is everyone's responsibility and aim to create a school environment where all children feel safe, valued, supported and ready to learn.

Transition Support

We recognise that transitions can be a significant time for pupils with SEND and are committed to ensuring that all pupils feel confident, prepared and supported at each stage of their education.

We work closely with families, previous settings, receiving schools and external professionals to ensure that information is shared effectively and support continues seamlessly. Transition arrangements are tailored to individual needs and may include additional visits, transition resources, social stories, one-page profiles, enhanced transition meetings and opportunities to meet key staff.

Particular attention is given to key transition points, including:

Nursery to Reception
Class-to-class transitions
Transition to secondary school

For pupils with more complex needs, additional transition arrangements may be planned in partnership with parents/carers and relevant professionals to ensure a successful move to the next stage of education.

Working in Partnership with Families

We believe that parents and carers know their children best and play a vital role in their education and development.

We are committed to working closely with families and value the knowledge, insights and experiences they bring. We encourage parents and carers to share any concerns, successes or information that may help us to better understand and support their child.

Parents and carers are involved throughout the SEND process and are invited to contribute to SEND Profile reviews, target setting, annual reviews and discussions regarding support and provision. We aim to maintain open and positive communication and work collaboratively to ensure that every child receives the support they need to thrive.

If you have any concerns about your child's learning, development or wellbeing, we encourage you to speak to your child's class teacher or contact the SENDCo, who will be happy to discuss how we can support.